Earl Bostic (April 25, 1913 – October 28, 1965) was an American jazz and rh… Read Full Bio ↴Earl Bostic (April 25, 1913 – October 28, 1965) was an American jazz and rhythm and blues alto saxophonist.

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.

East of the Sun
Earl Bostic Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

East of the sun and west of the moon
We'll build a dream house of love dear
Close to the sun in the day
Near to the moon at night
We'll live in a lovely way dear
Sharing our love in the pale moonlight

Just you and I,

Forever and a day
Love will not die,
We'll keep it that way
Up among the stars
We'll find a harmony of life to a lovely tune

East of the sun and west of the moon dear
East of the sun and west of the moon

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Earl Bostic's "East of the Sun" describe a couple's longing for a love that is transcendent and eternal. The first two lines of the song reference a Norwegian fairy tale in which a White Bear takes a young woman to live with him "east of the sun and west of the moon." In the song, this imagery takes on a romantic connotation as the couple dreams of building a "dream house of love" in a place beyond the boundaries of ordinary reality.

The lyrics suggest that this love will be sustained by the couple's ability to harmonize with one another "up among the stars." The use of the phrase "lovely tune" implies a musicality to their union, as though their love is a song that they are singing together. The repetition of the title phrase at the end of the song, combined with the use of the term "dear" throughout, adds a sense of tenderness and intimacy to the lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

East of the sun and west of the moon
We will look for a magical place where love thrives, even if it is not geographically possible

We'll build a dream house of love dear
We will create a perfect world for ourselves that is filled with love

Close to the sun in the day
We will bask in the warmth and happiness of our love during the daylight hours

Near to the moon at night
As the sun sets, we will still feel just as close and connected to each other

We'll live in a lovely way dear
Our life together will be beautiful, joyful, and full of love

Sharing our love in the pale moonlight
Even when it's dark and the night feels cold, we will be warmed by the light of our love

Just you and I,
It will be just the two of us, no one else will come between our love

Forever and a day
Our love will last for eternity

Love will not die,
Our love will stay strong and vibrant

We'll keep it that way
We will work hard to maintain our love and keep it alive

Up among the stars
We will reach great heights in our love and happiness

We'll find a harmony of life to a lovely tune
Our love will inspire us to live in harmony with life itself, and we will always move to a beautiful rhythm

East of the sun and west of the moon dear
Our love will take us to places far away, places that are impossible and magical

East of the sun and west of the moon
We will find our own magical place where love can thrive

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brooks Bowman

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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