Eckstine was an American jazz singer and bandleader who also played trumpet, valve trombone, and guitar. He also performed briefly as Billy X. Stine. His nickname was Mr. B. Although best known as a singer, his openness to new music made him a strong influence on modern jazz, particularly bebop, as he gave employment to many of the musicians who founded the style.
After singing with the Earl Hines band from 1939 to 1943 he led his own band from 1944 to 1947. The band featured at various times a large number of rising jazz stars, including:
Saxophones: Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt, Lucky Thompson, Charlie Parker, Wardell Gray, Budd Johnson, Leo Parker
Trumpets: Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, Fats Navarro
Drums: Art Blakey
Singers: Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan
Eckstine later formed an octet, then went solo, becoming a popular ballad singer while remaining an important figure in jazz. His huge, distinctive baritone made him one of the first African American singers to have mainstream success. He was the composer of the blues classic "Jelly, Jelly" and also recorded the R&B top hit "Stormy Monday Blues" in 1942 (not to be confused with T-Bone Walker's 1947 "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad)"). Most of his success as a singer came with ballads, including "Everything I have is Yours", "Blue Moon", "Caravan," "Prisoner of Love," "You Go to My Head," and "That Old Black Magic". His last hit was "Passing Strangers", a duet with Sarah Vaughan released in 1957.
Eckstine was a style leader and noted sharp dresser. He designed and patented a high roll collar that formed a B over a Windsor-knotted tie, which became known as a Mr. B. Collar. In addition to looking cool, the collar expanded and contracted without popping open, which allowed his neck to swell while playing his horns. The collars were worn by many a hipster in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
In 1984, Eckstine recorded his final album, I Am A Singer, featuring beautiful ballads arranged and conducted by Angelo DiPippo.
Stormy Weather
Billy Eckstine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stormy weather
Since my gal and I ain't together
Keeps rainin' all the time
Life is bare, gloom and misery everywhere
Stormy weather
Just can't get my poor old self together
So weary all the time
When she went away, the blues walked in and they met me
If she stays away, that old rockin' chair's gonna get me
All I do is pray the Lord above will let me
Walk in the sun once more
Can't go on, everything I had is gone
Stormy weather
Since my gal and I ain't together
Keeps rainin' all the time
Keeps rainin' all the time
The song "Stormy Weather" by Billy Eckstine is a poignant expression of heartache and despair. The opening verse, "Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky, stormy weather," sets the metaphorical scene for the bleak and dreary mood that follows. The singer is experiencing a storm within, a personal tempest that's keeping him down. His romantic partner has left him, and he's struggling to cope with the loss. The rain that keeps coming down is a symbol of the tears that the singer is shedding. He can't seem to escape the deluge of sadness that's taking hold of him.
The second verse of the song is even more melancholic. The singer describes his life as "bare, gloom, and misery everywhere, stormy weather." Without his partner by his side, he feels aimless and despondent. He can't "get his poor old self together" and is exhausted by the emotional turmoil he's experiencing. The third verse captures the desperation of his situation. With each passing day, the pain of her absence intensifies. The singer is praying for the chance to "walk in the sun once more," but it seems increasingly unlikely that this will ever happen. The final verse reiterates the central theme of the song: the idea that the singer is trapped in a stormy sea of emotions that won't let him be.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky
I'm perplexed about why the sun is absent from the sky
Since my gal and I ain't together
After my girlfriend and I separated
Stormy weather
The atmosphere feels turbulent and unpleasant
Keeps rainin' all the time
Precipitation persists constantly and without breaks
Life is bare, gloom and misery everywhere
Existence feels empty, with despair and sadness prevalent throughout
Just can't get my poor old self together
I'm unable to regain my composure and emotional stability
I'm weary all the time, the time
I'm constantly exhausted and fatigued
So weary all the time
I'm always feeling extremely tired
When she went away, the blues walked in and they met me
After she departed, I became deeply depressed and despondent
If she stays away, that old rockin' chair's gonna get me
If she doesn't return, I'll be so lonely I'll resort to rocking in my chair for comfort
All I do is pray the Lord above will let me
I exclusively hope and plead that God will allow me
Walk in the sun once more
To experience happiness once more and get out of this melancholy state
Can't go on, everything I had is gone
I can't move forward, my life as it was is all gone
Keeps rainin' all the time
It continues to pour down rain incessantly
Since my gal and I ain't together
Due to the separation from my girlfriend
Keeps rainin' all the time
The rain doesn't stop or let up
Lyrics © S.A. MUSIC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nick Zoohowza
on Jelly, Jelly
The “meaning” of Jelly Jelly seems to have been written by ChatGPT. Surely “jelly”, like “jelly roll” was intended in this song to refer to sex/genitalia, and not something to spread on toast.
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on Kiss Of Fire
Absolutely Absolutely Absolutely Amazing Grace his voice was"GOD"gift to us class jazz lovers listeners u'dig now can you dig dat baby,baby from da'conductor nelfoster from chocolate cle city ohio chocolate rocks...