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.
Stairway to the Stars
Earl Bostic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And climb that stairway to the stars
With love beside us to fill the night with a song
We'll hear the sound of violins
Out yonder where the blue begins
The moon will guide us as we go drifting along
Can't we sail away on a lazy daisy petal
Over the rim of the hill?
And settle high on the crest of a thrill!
Let's build a stairway to the stars
A lovely stairway to the stars
The lyrics to Earl Bostic's song "Stairway to the Stars" are a romantic invitation to build a stairway to the stars, with the hope of reaching a state of blissful transcendence. The singer dreams of climbing the stairway to the stars with his lover, with love as their guide and a song to fill the night. The sound of violins in the distance, as heard where the blue sky meets the horizon, will accompany them as they drift along, guided by the moon. They dream of sailing away on a lazy daisy petal or a little dream, traveling high on the crest of a thrill.
Symbolically, the "stairway to the stars" represents the aspiration for reaching an ideal state of happiness, while the use of a stairway implies the process of gradual and steady ascent towards it. The lyrics evoke a sense of wonder and possibility, as well as a longing for eternal love and escape from the mundane world. The themes of love, music, and transcendence are all intertwined in this romantic ballad.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's build a stairway to the stars
Let us construct a path to the heavens
And climb that stairway to the stars
And ascend said path to reach the celestial bodies above
With love beside us to fill the night with a song
With a companion or loved one by our side, let us make music to accompany the darkness
We'll hear the sound of violins
We shall listen to the harmonic vibrations produced by stringed instruments known as violins
Out yonder where the blue begins
In the distant horizon where the sky meets the sea, there lies a blue hue which we shall venture towards
The moon will guide us as we go drifting along
The astronomical body known as the moon shall serve as our guide as we steadily make our way through space
Can't we sail away on a lazy daisy petal
Might we not leave our current location on a seemingly lethargic daisy petal, using it as a mode of transport
Over the rim of the hill?
Over the peak of the nearby hill, which serves as an obstacle in our path
Can't we sail away on a little dream
Could we not instead depart from reality on a small fantasy, utilizing it as our vehicle
And settle high on the crest of a thrill!
And we shall alleviate ourselves to settle atop the peak of the thrill that is presented to us
Let's build a stairway to the stars
Once again, let us construct the pathway to the heavens
A lovely stairway to the stars
But this time, as we embark upon our journey, let it be an aesthetically pleasing one
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Frank Signorelli, Matt Malneck, Mitchell Parish
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind