Bostic was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He turned professional at age 18 when he joined Terrence Holder's band. He made his first recording with Lionel Hampton in 1942 where he played along with Red Allen, J.C. Higginbotham, Sid Catlett, Teddy Wilson and Hampton. Before that he performed with Fate Marable on New Orleans riverboats. Bostic graduated from Xavier University in New Orleans. He worked with territory bands as well as Arnett Cobb, Hot Lips Page, Rex Stewart, Don Byas, Charlie Christian, Thelonious Monk and other jazz luminaries. He formed his own band in 1945, and turned to rhythm and blues in the late 1940s. His biggest hits were "Temptation," "Sleep," "Flamingo," "You Go to My Head" and "Cherokee." At various times his band included Jaki Byard, John Coltrane, Benny Golson, Blue Mitchell, Stanley Turrentine, Tommy Turrentine, Keter Betts, Sir Charles Thompson, Teddy Edwards, Tony Scott, Benny Carter and other musicians who rose to prominence in jazz. Bostic held his musicians to a high standard and demanded that they read music faultlessly. He was influenced by the great Sidney Bechet. John Coltrane in turn was influenced by Earl Bostic. James Moody said that Bostic was the chief influence on John Coltrane. Moody mentioned that "Bostic knew his instrument inside out, back to front and upside down."
His virtuosity is documented in records such as Up There In Orbit, Earl's Imagination, Apollo Theater Jump, All On, Artistry by Bostic, Telestar Drive, Liza, Lady Be Good and Tiger Rag. Bostic was a master of the blues and he used this skill in a variety of musical settings. Although Bostic recorded many commercial albums, some notable jazz based exceptions on the King label include Bostic Rocks Hits of the Swing Age, Jazz As I Feel It and A New Sound.
Bostic's King album titled Jazz As I Feel It featured Shelly Manne on drums, Joe Pass on guitar and Groove Holmes on organ. Bostic recorded the King Album "A New Sound" about one month later again, featuring Holmes and Pass. These recordings allowed Bostic to stretch out beyond the 3 minute limit imposed by the 45 RPM format. Bostic was pleased with the sessions which highlight his total mastery of the blues but they also foreshadowed musical advances that were later evident in the work of John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy.
He wrote arrangements for Paul Whiteman, Louis Prima, Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa, Artie Shaw, Jack Teagarden and Alvino Rey.
Bostic's signature hit, "Flamingo" was recorded in 1951 and remains a favorite among followers of Carolina Beach Music in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. Their style of Beach Music is heavily influenced by Rhythm-and-Blues music from the 40's, 50's and 60's. Bostic recorded for Cincinnati-based King Records, a small label that was well known for releasing "R and B" and Bluegrass records. In fact, the biggest star on the King label was "the Godfather of Soul", James Brown. Bostic was also popular among R&B and jazz followers in the United Kingdom, thanks to his records that were released on the Parlophone label.
Bostic died from a heart attack in Rochester, New York, while performing with his band in 1965. His widow, Hildegarde, was still living in San Francisco as of the mid-1990s.
Blue Moon
Earl Bostic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for
You heard me saying a prayer for
Someone I really could care for
And then there suddenly appeared before me
The only one my arms will ever hold
And when I looked, the moon had turned to gold!
Blue moon!
Now I'm no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
The song "Blue Moon" by Earl Bostic is a reflective tune depicting a melancholic and lonely protagonist seeking for love. The blue moon, described as a celestial being, plays the role of the observer who saw the singer standing alone with an empty heart and without a lover. But despite his predicament, the singer still hopes and prays to find someone he could truly care for.
Then, an unexpected opportunity presents itself, and the singer meets someone who captured his heart. It appears that the blue moon heard his prayer, and with its power, the singer finally found the one he was looking for. From then on, the blue moon is no longer a symbol of despair, but instead turns into a delightful object that highlighted the marvelous moment.
Bostic's rendition of the song, with its soulful and smooth saxophone arrangement, brings out the sentimentality of the lyrics, which is relatable to anyone who experienced love's gamble. It is a song that conveys a message of hope, that even in our lowest moments, we can always have faith that something great and beautiful might emerge.
Line by Line Meaning
Blue moon you saw me standing alone
The singer is alone and visible under the light of the blue moon
Without a dream in my heart
The singer is feeling aimless and without purpose
Without a love of my own
The singer is without a romantic partner
Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for
The artist feels that the moon understands their intentions for being there
You heard me saying a prayer for
The artist was praying in hopes of finding someone to love
Someone I really could care for
The singer desires to find someone they truly care about
And then there suddenly appeared before me
Unexpectedly, someone appeared in front of the singer
The only one my arms will ever hold
The artist has found the person they wish to hold lovingly forever
I heard somebody whisper "Please adore me"
The person in front of the artist is requesting affection
And when I looked, the moon had turned to gold!
The artist's sudden joy due to finding their love causes their perception of the moon to change
Blue moon!
The moon is still present but now carries a different emotional significance
Now I'm no longer alone
The artist no longer feels alone due to having found their love
Without a dream in my heart
The singer's sense of directionlessness has been replaced with a sense of purpose
Without a love of my own
The singer now has the romantic love they had been wishing for
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind