Shirley Luster was born in Springfield, Illinois, and moved with her family to Decatur, Illinois, when she was three years old. She began to sing with the Decatur-based Bill Oetzel Orchestra at thirteen. While attending Decatur High School she appeared with Oetzel and his society band, the Ben Bradley Band, and Bill Madden's Band. After high school she moved to Chicago, changed her name to Sharon Leslie, and sang with a group led by Boyd Raeburn. Later she joined Benny Strong's band. In 1944, Strong's band moved to New York at the same time Christy was quarantined in Chicago with scarlet fever.
In 1945, after hearing that Anita O'Day had left Stan Kenton's Orchestra, she auditioned and was chosen for the role as a vocalist. During this time, she changed her name once again, becoming June Christy.
Her voice produced successful hits such as "Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy," the million-selling "Tampico" in 1945, and "How High the Moon". "Tampico" was Kenton's biggest-selling record. When the Kenton Band temporarily disbanded in 1948, she sang in nightclubs for a short time, and reunited with the band two years later in 1950.
Beginning Sept. 28, 1959, Christy began a five-week road tour of 38 performances called "Road Show". The all-star billing: Stan Kenton and his orchestra, June Christy, The Four Freshmen. Capitol recorded highlights on October 10 at Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana, for a two-disc LP, reissued in 1991 on CD.
From 1947, she started to work on her own records, primarily with arranger and bandleader Pete Rugolo. In 1954, she released a 10" LP entitled Something Cool, recorded with Rugolo and his orchestra, a gathering of notable Los Angeles jazz musicians that included her husband, multi-instrumentalist Bob Cooper and alto saxophonist Bud Shank. Something Cool was re-released as a 12" LP in 1955 with additional selections, and then entirely rerecorded in stereo in 1960 with a somewhat different personnel. Christy would later say that the album was "the only thing I've recorded that I'm not unhappy with." Something Cool was also important in launching the vocal cool movement of the 1950s, and it hit the Top 20 Charts, as did her third album, The Misty Miss Christy.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Christy appeared on a number of television programs, including the short-lived CBS show Adventures in Jazz (1949), Eddie Condon's Floor Show (1949), The Jackie Gleason Show (1953), The Tonight Show (1955), The Nat King Cole Show (1957), Stars of Jazz (1958), The Steve Allen Show (1959), The Lively Ones (1963). and The Joey Bishop Show (1967). She also appeared on the first sponsored jazz concert on television, The Timex All-Star Jazz Show I (December 30, 1957), which also featured Louis Armstrong, Carmen McRae, Duke Ellington and Gene Krupa.
Christy embarked on dozens of concert tours, playing in Europe, South Africa, Australia and Japan. She toured to such an extent that eventually it began taking a toll on her marriage. She began to pull back from touring in the early 1960s.
R.M. Cook and Brian Morton, writers of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings, appreciated the singer's body of work: "Christy's wholesome but particularly sensuous voice is less an improviser's vehicle than an instrument for long, controlled lines and the shading of a fine vibrato. Her greatest moments—the heartbreaking 'Something Cool' itself, 'Midnight Sun,' 'I Should Care'—are as close to creating definitive interpretations as any singer can come."
Christy semi-retired from the music business in 1969, in part due to her battle with alcoholism.
In 1972, she sang at the Newport Jazz Festival in New York City, where she was reunited with the Kenton Orchestra. She also performed at a handful of jazz festivals during the late 1970s and 1980s, playing with a band of all-star West Coast jazz musicians led by Shorty Rogers, as well as taking part in a number of world tours.
Christy returned to the recording studio in 1977 to record her final solo LP, Impromptu. She recorded an interview for a Paul Cacia produced an album in 1987 called "The Alumni Tribute to Stan Kenton" on the Happy Hour label. A number of other Kenton the alumni-Shorty Rogers, Lee Konitz, Jack Sheldon, among them, plus Mort Sahl - interspersed their tunes with reminiscences of the man and the years on the road.
Christy toured one final time in 1988, again with Shorty Rogers. Her final performance was sharing the stage with Chet Baker.
Christy died at her home in Sherman Oaks, California of kidney failure on June 21, 1990, at the age of 64. Her remains were cremated and scattered off the coast of Marina Del Rey.
A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening
June Christy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some are content with an evening spent home by the radio
Some like to live for the moment, some like to just reminisce
But whenever I have an evening to spend. just give me one like this
This is a lovely way to spend an evening. can't think of anything I'd rather do
This is a lovely way to spend an evening, can't think of anyone as lovely as you
Catching a breath of moonlight, humming our favorite tune
This is a lovely way to spend an evening
I want to save all my nights and spend them with you
Catching a breath of moonlight, humming our favorite tune
This is a lovely way to spend an evening
I want to save all my nights and spend them with you
The song "A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening" by June Christy is an ode to spending an evening in a peaceful and romantic way. She sings about how some people prefer to spend their evenings at the movies or at a show, while others prefer to stay at home or reminisce about the past. She then goes on to explain that for her, the ideal evening is one where she can spend time with her loved one in a beautiful setting. Christy's tender voice and passionate delivery encapsulates the beauty and simplicity of love, while the lyrics capture the sentiment of wanting to spend the rest of one's life with someone special.
As the song progresses, Christy sings about a walk through a garden or a kiss by a lazy lagoon, followed by the enjoyment of each other's company while humming a favorite tune under the beautiful moonlight. The song is a beautiful depiction of love in its simplest form, devoid of any grand gestures or materialistic expressions. Christy's dulcet tones and the beautiful orchestration creates a peaceful, wistful mood that makes the listener feel like they are in the midst of something special.
Overall, "A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening" is an enchanting song that captures the simple joys of love and spending time with a loved one. Christy's beautiful voice paired with the stunning orchestration make it a timeless classic that continues to resonate with listeners even today.
Line by Line Meaning
Some like a night at the movies, some like a dance or a show
Different people enjoy different activities in the evenings, some prefer going to see a movie while others enjoy dancing or watching a show.
Some are content with an evening spent home by the radio
Some people prefer being at home with the radio on and spending a quiet evening there.
Some like to live for the moment, some like to just reminisce
People have varied preferences about whether they want to enjoy the present moment or recall the past memories.
But whenever I have an evening to spend. just give me one like this
The artist prefers a specific type of evening and wants to spend more such evenings.
This is a lovely way to spend an evening. can't think of anything I'd rather do
The artist considers the present evening as a beautiful one and cannot think of doing anything better.
This is a lovely way to spend an evening, can't think of anyone as lovely as you
The singer admires the person they are spending this lovely evening with and finds them to be really lovely.
A casual stroll through a garden. a kiss by a lazy lagoon
Taking a relaxed walk in a garden while experiencing the natural beauty or sharing a romantic kiss near a lagoon is a perfect way to spend the evening.
Catching a breath of moonlight, humming our favorite tune
Being in the presence of moonlight and singing or humming one's favorite song with a loved one makes the evening even more beautiful.
I want to save all my nights and spend them with you
The artist wants to spend every evening with the person they are currently with, as they are their preferred and most beloved company.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harold Adams, Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marc 187
Calming tune!...Nice Vocal reminds me of Doris Day!
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Sol389, Kiara567
nice