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.

The Song Is Ended
Earl Bostic Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My thoughts go back to a heavenly dance
A moment of bliss we spent
Our hearts were filled with a song of romance
As into the night we went
And sang to our hearts' content

The song is ended
But the melody lingers on

You and the song are gone
But the melody lingers on

The night was splendid
And the melody seemed to say
"Summer will pass away
Take your happiness while you may"

There 'neath the light of the moon
We sang a love song that ended too soon

The moon descended
And I found with the break of dawn

You and the song had gone
But the melody lingers on

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Earl Bostic's song The Song is Ended is a nostalgic reflection back to a romantic moment shared between two individuals. The song begins by describing the moment as a heavenly dance, where they experienced a moment of bliss that filled their hearts with a romantic song. As the night went on, they continued singing to their hearts' content, lost in each other's company.

However, as the night drew to an end, the song also ended, and the two lovers eventually parted ways. Despite this, the melody of the song continues to linger in the singer's mind. It serves as a reminder of the happy moment they shared, which is now just a memory. The lyrics imply that despite the end of the event, the melody of the song continues to bring some form of comfort and happiness, and that they should cherish those memories while they can.

Overall, the song highlights the power of music to evoke strong emotions and memories. Its melancholic tone is a nod to the bittersweet nature of memories, as they can often bring joy but also sadness as they fade away.

Line by Line Meaning

My thoughts go back to a heavenly dance
I fondly remember a dance that was perfect and magical

A moment of bliss we spent
We had a brief but blissful moment together

Our hearts were filled with a song of romance
We were filled with the feeling of love and were swept away by it

As into the night we went
We ventured out into the dark of the night

And sang to our hearts' content
We sang joyfully, without any care or sadness

The song is ended
The specific song we were singing is finished

But the melody lingers on
The feeling the song evokes stays with us after it's over

You and the song are gone
You are no longer with me and the song is finished

But the melody lingers on
The emotion the song filled me with stays with me

The night was splendid
The night was perfect and wonderful

And the melody seemed to say
The feeling the song evoked seemed to convey a message