coyleart

I'm Johnny Mercerized

Which is to say, I'm blown away by the beauty and cleverness of his words and amazed at the number of popular songs he penned.

This year is the centennial of his birth (November 18, 1909) and so there have been many tributes and opportunities to find out more about him. I am finally beginning to see just how many songs in my repertoire have Johnny Mercer lyrics (I Though About You, Autumn Leaves, Skylark, I Remember You, My Shining Hour, Come Rain or Come Shine) and how many more there are that I've fallen in love with and want to learn (I'm Old Fashioned, Moon River, Too Marvelous for Words, Charade, Midnight Sun). And I don't know if I'll ever sing it, but of course I'm partial to "Laura."

Clint Eastwood produced a documentary, "Johnny Mercer: The Dream's on Me," that aired last week on TCM. Follow this link to the documentary on TCM's website. There are showings coming up next week and next month, so check the dates and set your TiVo. Johnny Mercer was a really soulful singer too, there's just no end to what he could do creatively.

harper's bazaar archive

I found some fun inspiration at the Harper's Bazaar 140 year Archive site - Avedon photography, Erte covers, Andy Warhol illustrations and more.

Laura Coyle at Ray's on the River Friday (11/6/09)

Here are a few pictures taken by my husband from a gig at Ray's on the River last fall. I'll be singing there again this Friday, November 6th from 8pm until midnight and if you're in Atlanta, come hear us. Ray's is one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta.

The food, cocktails and atmosphere provide a perfect Friday evening setting and I will be playing with a top-notch band of some of my favorite players. Matthew Kaminski, organist for the Braves, is on piano, Micah Cadwell is on guitar and L.A.Tuten is on bass. Come join us Friday!

Visit my website at lauracoylejazz.com and join the mailing list! If you are making plans for music at your holiday party, this is the night to come and hear what we do. We have some weekend dates open on the calendar for December and would love to set the holiday mood with jazz music at your soiree.

from the files: mid-atlantic states map

Maps are just one of my favorite things to draw, and since we recently road-tripped to DC, I've been remembering this map I did maybe 8 years ago for Frommers Budget Travel Magazine. I finally had a chance to go looking for it in my files. Here's a detail:

This time we actually made it to Monticello in Charlottesvile, but we'll have to go back another time to get some crabs on the Chesapeake bay. I've got more Laura Coyle illustrated maps on view in my portfolio.

from the files: happy halloween

A halloween treat bag design, one of my favorites for Papyrus. This was part of a collection from several years ago. The spiders were covered in flocking. Spiders, flocking, very festive. This Halloween, I'll be dressed as a witch and singing standards at Joey D's Oak Room (Saturday, 7-11 pm) - maybe I'll bring along one of these bags and see if I get any treats.

from the files

Here's a Laura Coyle icon set - an assignment from Threads Magazine a few years back. I like sewing notions a lot, they make for some lovely little subject matter.

William Willis

I don't know how I stumbled upon this painter, but I'm enjoying what I see and I hope someday I'll run across some of his work in person. Here's a link to a review of an exhibition of William Willis paintings. In a comment below the review, the artist himself writes, "You hit the nail on the head. It is the process - not the images."

ready, set, etsy shop!

Take a gander at the coyleart etsy shop: coyleart.etsy.com for vintage cookbook inspired artwork! More to come.

with this music, i thee wed

I thought I'd share this link to a story on WNYC radio's Soundcheck show (link below). The subject is choosing wedding music, something that caught my attention. While I'm not covering Kiss or Motley Crue at weddings, my band and I provide some great jazz standards that are perfect for setting a romantic mood. It's hard to argue that the classics aren't just perfect for the big day.

By the way, I'm guest vocalist with the Tom Olsen trio at Joey D's Oak Room tomorrow (Saturday 10/24) for details, check my website at lauracoylejazz.com

man shops globe

I read about this on Oh Joy!, a favorite design blog. Just passing this along: take a look at the Sundance Channel's show "Man Shops Globe" to see Keith Johnson, buyer from Anthropologie, as he combs the Paris flea markets for the next amazing products at Anthropologie. For those without Sundance, the website has loads o' clips to enjoy.