Anita O'Day/ChristinaThompson
Lioness Stalks Her Prey
Sweet Georgia Brown
Bomp-ba-ba-ba-bomp,
solo drums announce
a gal
likened to
a lioness named
Sweet
Georgia
Brown.
A sultry voice springs forth,
from within a woman
bound to tell
Brown’s story.
Bomp-bomp-bomp-ba-bomp,
drum continues
to speak
of a girl
with ungraceful
feet, but nonetheless,
Georgia claimed her,
never retained her
like a wild cat
roaming
the country side
in search of
her next kill.
Pause-
drums wait,
Lioness crouching low
beneath tall grass…
Suddenly- boom, boom, boom,
interject the sounds
from wind, brass, bass sections,
as the chase begins.
The singer’s sultry voice tone louder,
louder,
louder,
proclaims Sweet Brown puts to shame
the other gals and all her pals around.
She grabs her prey,
while voice turned loose,
obtains her dues.
Cresendo crests,
A strip-tease sound
that fleshes out the woman,
the lioness -
Sweet
Georgia
Brown.
The Woman Sings
Let’s Fall in Love
Let’s fall in love…
Stage lights dim.
Panning of the audience
reveals shadows on faces.
Piano and bass silhouettes
wait, ready to ignite notes.
A slender brunette woman,
wearing untraditional jazz
attire – skirt and blazer,
steps on stage.
Why shouldn’t we fall in love?
Spotlight shines
on Lah-uh-uh-uv’s face-
a little known paradise.
Her smile beams white
reflected off teeth tightly bound together
like her distinct voice –
speechlike, conversational,
timbre alto saxophone.
No vuh-vuh-vibrato.
Now is the time for it
Audience applauds,
as the woman
bows,
a humble motion.
1-2-3-4
sounds her voice,
As notes soar.
A hip beat.
She plays the audience with
arms stretched wide,
keeping tempo with
masculine instruments,
she controls.
The woman sings -
Let’s fall in love
Jezebel of Jazz
Peel Me a Grape
I’m gonna tell you a story
‘bout Queen Jezebel’s ways.
One day,
her husband,
King Ahab,
cried ‘cause he
didn’t get his way.
He wanted another man’s grapes.
So,
Queen Jezebel
peeled the man’s grapes -
false testimony,
lies,
no tact,
no groove,
no sex appeal.
She tried to please
Her man.
Not Jezebel of Jazz.
Nuh-nuh-nuh-no.
Jazz knows how to move
Her man,
the right way -
Take her advice -
You’ve got to wine her,
dine her,
don’t try to fool her,
bejewel her,
hop when she hollers,
skip when she snaps,
show her you lah-uh-uh-ve her,
kid glove her,
cut her a rose,
make her tea with the petals,
never out think her,
mink her.
So,
You wanna be
an agreeable Chap?
Don’t cry.
Don’t steal.
Don’t lie.
Instead -
when she’s hungry,
peel her a grape.