Johnny Mathis: Yellow Days (Andalucia)

[joelf]

This is around the tempo I would take it at, or even slower.

Johnny deserves his props, too---one of the genuine stylists...

[mr. beaumont]

Love it.

Johnny's "Open Fire, Two Guitars" is easily in my top 10 favorite records of all time.

[joelf]

Mathis sings it in E. I play it in F, which may be a bit high for solo guitar---cool for a group rendition though. (I play too many songs in F anyway, probably b/c that's often my vocal key). Solo guitar to me lays well in sharp keys like A, where you can pedal. I probably play in that key too much too. Gotta put new water on the flowers sometimes.

I had a great teacher once, John Foca. He was a pianist who was a jazz accordion whiz as a teen/20-something, then became a club date keyboardist with 'The Make-Believes'. Brooklyn boy. He's the guy I credit for my love for and knowledge of so many standard tunes. He knew 'em all! Imagine being 21 like me then, and being exposed to even lesser-known gems like Cole Porter's Ace in the Hole. He made sure we became that kind of musician, and succeeded.

I clearly remember John introducing me and the other 'delinquents' that knocked on his door at midnight---after he'd taught for 8 hours---to this song. We'd talk music and life and bust balls. He was a great man. We'd be trying to figure 'it' out, and ask him every night 'What's the answer'. His reply invariably was 'You have to give of yourself'.

I tell you, I had some yellow days, per this lyric, myself...