The band was playing a smooth jazz piece that had been composed by the late king of Thailand, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

John di Martino– “Somewhere Somehow,”

“Somewhere Somehow” (2015)

A few months ago, I walked into a fine little bar in Chiang Mai, Thailand, called North Gate Jazz Coop.  The band was playing a wonderful, silky smooth jazz piece. I sat down, ordered a beer, and enjoyed the music.

When the band came to the end of the piece, they announced that it was a composition by the late, revered king of Thailand, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej – a piece called “Somewhere Somehow.”

By a King, Fit for a King

The recording at the above link is from the album “A TRIBUTE TO KING OF JAZZ by John di Martino Vol. I.”  The album, created as a tribute to the King’s musical talent, featured acoustic rearrangements by di Martino of the king’s compositions.  

King Bhumibol Adulyadej

Thailand’s late king was an accomplished musician and a huge fan of jazz. He played the saxophone, trumpet, clarinet, guitar, and piano.

He also composed music, including numerous fine jazz pieces.    

Shortly before his coronation in 1950, he started a jazz band, which over the years played throughout Thailand.

In 1964, he received a “Certificate of Bestowal of Honorary Membership”  from The University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.                    _{(Image source)}

John di Martino

Di Martino is a New York-based jazz pianist, producer, and arranger. Owing to his wide range of musical ventures, he has been called a “shape shifter.”

He works prodigiously and travels extensively, and has been nominated for and received numerous awards.   _{(Image source)}

Somewhere … Within the lonely wide world
There must be a place
That's cozy, my little world

Somewhere ... Beneath the empty sad sea
There must be a pearl
A treasure that's meant for me
There's a rainbow, Somewhere in the sky
And a skylark whistling up on high

Somewhere ... Along the way that I roam
There must be a girl, and a home
My happy world

Somehow ... Within the lonely wide world
I'll find just the place that’s cozy, my little world
Somehow … Beneath the empty sad sea
I'll find just the pearl
The treasure that's meant for me
I'll find rainbow, Somewhere in the sky.
And a skylark whistling up on high

Somehow ... Along the way that I roam
I'll find just the girl, and the home
My happy world
I will find happiness in this wide world.
Lyrics by H.M.K. Bhumibol Adulyadej, courtesy of Patarasaya Rerkrut – YouTube
Reference – Store.ais.co
Reference – Wikipedia
Reference – Wikipedia
Reference – JohndiMartino.com note – I could not find a verified source which identified the king as the author of the lyrics. Nor could I discover who had translated them. Any errors in the above categorizations are unintended, and I welcome any information regarding proper credits.

Into your ears … through 5 channels

 The various posts are categorized into 5 channels _{(Right-Click to see details)}
         1 – “Music to Your Ears” (MTYE)
         2 – “Cover Versions”
         3 – “Honor Roll”
         4 – “Documentaries”
         5 – “Mock’n’Roll”

More “Music to Your Ears” ...

          Previous posts in this series – "MTYE posts 1–20"  

Links to my other series ...

          Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 1"
          Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 2"

          Great Lyrics, a compilation – “Part One – My Lyrics Posts 3~30”
          Great Lyrics, a compilation – “Part Two – My Lyrics Posts 31~60”  

          Vocab-Ability – "Introduction to Vocab-Ability"  
          Vocab-Ability – "Index"  to all Chapters and Sections  

          Notes from Under the Tatami Mats – "Part One – Notes 1~50"  
          Notes from Under the Tatami Mats – "Part Two – Notes 51~87"