Divamensch

I love this song - - first I'll give you the first recording I heard, sung my love beyond all loves, Sarah Vaughan. You know how I love...

Esperanza Spalding got the Best Jazz Vocal Album Grammy for 2012 for City of Roses. The song "City of Roses" is oh so plush and sexy....

Howard and Stephanie both alerted me to the death of English actor Terrence Stamp (age 87). He was a great talent with a long career. I...

Do you love her as much as I do?

The Best Historical Album Grammy for 2011 went to ultra diva Paul McCartney for Band on the Run / Paul McCartney Archive Collection. One...

Did you know that Dame Judi Dench was the first woman to play Sally Bowles on the English stage? She was 34 - - so I suppose we can say...

I'm doing another Best Pop Instrumental Performance duo this week. The 2010 Grammy went to Jeff Beck for "Nessun Dorma," the Puccini aria...

Loni Anderson died the other day at the age of 79. She's most famous for her long ugly divorce from Burt Reynolds but it's nice to be...

EPISODE ONE This season of Project Runway is dedicated to my dear friend Francesca for sharing her Hulu subscription with me. Freeform...

In honor of the recently departed Cleo Laine, I offer three numbers from her appearance on The Muppet Show. First, a darling duet with...

My brother Howard just alerted me to the death of the extraordinary theatre director and designer Robert Wilson (83). This is how I...

This week I'm looking at two nominees for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 2009: Diva: Herb Alpert, "Besame Mucho" Mensch: Béla...

Robert and I saw Cabaret on Broadway on July 26, 2025. I had seen the previous Broadway production in the late 90s and was curious to...

My beloved Cleo Laine died last week at the age of 97. I discovered her when I was in my 20s and went hook, line, and sinker. Her voice...

Stephanie and I saw the Mark Morris Dance Group at the Joyce Theater on July 23, 2025.  It was a mixed bag of four pieces, one of them...

Hulk Hogan died the other day at the age of 71. I texted with my brother Howard, who had lived in Minneapolis for a number of years, and...

My friend Stephanie and I saw the Mark Morris Dance Group the other night. The final dance was done to recordings by Bob Wills and His...

I was shocked to see the news of the death of Ozzy Osbourne at the age of 76. Shocked because I had just used a song of his for my...

Jennifer Hudson won the 2008 Grammy for Best R & B Album for her self-titled debut album. Would you believe I bought that album? Yes...

I was saddened to read about the death of Malcolm Jamal-Warner, who died on Sunday at the age of 54. I was never a fan of The Cosby Show ...