DENNIS LIVINGSTON
WEBSITE LINK: www.dennislivingston.com
BIO
I write songs and special material for those who ply the world of cabaret, blues and jazz. I don't sing, I don't accompany, I just write songs - words and music or, if I'm collaborating, whatever is needed.
My songs are known for their witty lyrics, memorable tunes and story-driven themes. Presentations in recent years have been given in the following showcases by such singers as Barbara Brussell, Scott Coulter, Brandon Cutrell, Sandi Durrell, Sue Matsuki and Pam Tate in New York; Brian De Lorenzo and Will McMillan in Boston; and Kristy Glass in Washington, DC.
* Four ASCAP-MAC Songwriter Showcases in New York
* Three New Songwriter events at the NY Sheet Music Society
* Three annual productions of Boston Sings Boston produced by Centastage in Boston
* Twice at the TRU Faces Cabaret sponsored by Theater Resources Unlimited in New York
* Twice at Stop The Presses! put on by the Washington, DC, Cabaret Network
* The 2008 & 2009 Cabaret Songwriters Showcases presented by the Boston Association of Cabaret Artists
My songs have also been performed in their own shows by such leading entertainers as Dane Vannatter & Sophia Bilides (Boston), Lua Hadar & Vandana Bali (San Francisco), Anthony Santelmo, Jr. (NY), Beverly Cosham (Washington, DC), Steven Nash (Portland, OR), Gregory Wiest (Munich, Germany) and David Bauci (Melbourne, Australia), among others.
I have also written the words and music for two one-act family musicals. One, THE CRETACEOUS CABARET tells the story of how the dinosaurs came to learn they were headed for extinction. Another show, THE WEAVER AND THE SEA, is based on a Sufi teaching tale about a young woman's search for meaning in the face of tragedy.
My dad, Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Jerry Livingston, wrote the music for many standards of the 1930s-1950s, including "The Talk Of The Town," "Mairzy Doats," "The Twelfth of Never," and the score for Disney's CINDERELLA, among other films. FROM TIN PAN ALLEY TO SILICON VALLEY: THE MUSIC OF JERRY AND DENNIS LIVINGSTON is a revue I conceived that features songs written in different eras by father and son.
Printed sheet music of my songs, arranged for piano and voice, is available upon request. You can hear full, studio-produced demos of my songs, read lyrics & see more info about each number at my website.
LIST OF SONGS
Sooner Than Someday (Words by Bob Levy)
This danceable rumba provides the backdrop for the frustrated musings of someone impatient for a friendship to become something more.
Why Haven't I Heard From You? (Words by Bob Levy)
This midtempo, dark tango notes that there are so many ways to get in touch these days - but what if the person on the other end doesn't want your attention?
Dangerous Women (Words by Bob Levy)
A tango-samba beat to a tune about women who drive men mad with passion, lust and a need to empty the garbage.
It's Time For Roses
A romantic ballad about the struggle to make a commitment.
An Ordinary Day
This is my contemplative response to 9/11, when I thought about the commonplace miracles that stitch together what we take for granted as ordinary days most of the time in this lucky country, in a world in which "ordinary" days are at a premium for too many.
Such A Curious Feeling
A romantic, uptempo comic song to a bossa beat that asks the musical question: is love just a matter of brain chemistry?
I Want It All Back (Words by Trent Walker)
A soulful, blues number with a moderate swing tempo about the longing to restore a relationship that's ended.
A Misty Day In Istanbul
Midtempo, moody ballad about the breakup of an affair in a city rife with images of the dustbin of history.
Springtime In Boston
All Boston has gotten for a "my kind of town" song is poor Charlie trying to surface from the subway, dirty water and a few mocking numbers from the past. Until now. This uptempo Latin number tells you about why it's worth enduring winter for the short, but glorious spring in the beautiful city by the Charles.
The Storyteller
The real Alice looks back as an elderly woman to the time when she inspired Lewis Carroll to write his Wonderland stories and wonders - what was THAT all about?
The Path To My Kingdom
Words placed on a mid-19th century Shaker "spirit" drawing by Polly Ann Reed are set to a lilting, hymn-like original melody in versions for either voice with piano accompaniment or a capella.
We're Just Better Off Apart
A classic blues number that applies a contemporary bite to dealing with an affair that's reached a dead end.
If I Could Tell You (Set to a poem by W.H. Auden)
A mid-tempo song that uses varied musical styles in a setting of Auden's poem about the power of Time to take away all that we cherish.
Too Many Books!
An uptempo, jazzy comic number about the perils of collecting too many books (or anything else) in a city apartment that's too small to hold them.
Panthalassa
A contemplative, Debussy-like song about life in the prehistoric world-ocean ("Panthalassa").
I'm Seeing My Children For Christmas
Midtempo story-song about a divorced parent at Christmas time - funny, sad, serious and nothing but the truth about what goes in many "blended" families during the holidays.
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