Music

“The Moon Was Yellow” – Music by Fred E. Ahlert, Lyrics by Edgar Leslie, 1950.

Teresa Kay Williams – Voice
Kevin Bales – Piano
Trey Wright – Guitar
Marc Miller – Bass
Marlon Patton – Drums, Sound Engineer, Mixing, Mastering & General Wizardry

The first time I heard this song, I fell in love; and I mean madly in love.  I knew I had to sing it.  But with an already booked recording date looming, I wondered…could I bring something to this song?  Is it too soon?

I brought the song to the session, and except for Kevin , the guys had never heard it.  After the first run through, and while batting around arrangement ideas, Marc suggests “What about a Tom Waits’ian, demented circus kind of feel?”  “That’s it!  That’s it! That’s exactly it!” I said.

Marlon counts it off and from there the song took on a life of its own.  I remember from the vocal booth hearing the tempo – it is slower than I planned.  So, I closed my eyes and listened.  I listened to Marc and Marlon lay down that groove.  I listened to the intermittent lush ‘n twang of Treys’ guitar.  I listened to the playfulness of Kevin’s piano.   And 8 bars later….I leaned in and began to sing.

This is the first song from our session together and I hope you enjoy our dark, blue and somewhat haunting take on this beautiful, far too seldom covered tune, “The Moon Was Yellow”.