Great Songs Are Still Being Written

Thank God that Great Songs are Still being Written:  I must confess that in writing about the Great American Songbook tradition, I have to forcefully remind myself that there are still talented composers and lyricists who are alive and well and doing fine work. One great example is Johnny Mandel, composer and  arranger of exquisately crafted songs .They feature lush melodic and harmonic elements comparable to the best of the great innovators who created the tradition documented in this blog. Mandel has strong jazz influences coming out of the big band tradition and is the arranger of choice of performers like Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Diana Krall and others who help maintain the American popular song presence in a world crowded with noisy and often banal songs and inelegant performances.
" Where Do You Start"  with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, is a melancholy recitation of the breakup in a lengthy relationship. One line is particularly striking as the singer reminds us " That our lives are tangled as branches on a vine, that intertwine" and the fact memories that will continue even after the departure. The closing lines are also worth reciting " I promise there will always be a little place no one will see, A tiny part within my heart that stays in love with you."
 Despite the break up, there are still some positive remnants of that long term co -existance. The words are devoid of anger but tinged with personal regret..
The song does have the effect of a intimate confession that one might have incidentally overheard-one both private and poignant in tone.
The version being featured is by Tony Bennett who has had a long and fruitful professional relationship with Johnny Mandel .Mandelalso did this lush arrangement of " Where Do You Start"  from the  album " The Art of Love"
With talents like those of Mandel and Bergmans, I'm glad there are professional quality, adult songs still being written and performed.

PERFORMANCE LINK: http://youtu.be/DBEY0UcU7WE

Arthur Schwartz-Love is a Dancing Thing

Arthur Schwartz-Love is a Dancing Thing: ( actually a title of a Schwartz song but also descriptive of his musical tribute to the themes of love and romance.)  Alec Wilder, that inveterate chronicler of The Great American Songbook traditions and repertoire has stated that "Arthur Schwartz wrote some splendid songs. They have the character and sinew of the best of theatre music" and that " He wrote with total self-assurance and high professional skill." High praise indeed from a very demanding musical critic whose " American Popular Song -The Great Innovators 1900-1950 is the most comprehensive and authoritative study of the classic American song tradition. People know and admire songs like " Dancing in the Dark" " Alone Together" " A Shine on Your Shoes" " That's Entertainment" " I see your Face Before Me" " Something To Remember Me By"
and " I guess I'll Have to Change My Plan" . Meanwhile, some  equally marvellous songs are less known which is also true of both the name and reputation of Arthur Schwartz. His principal lyric writer was Howard Dietz, about whom it was said he wrote lyrics on MGM stationery. Dietz was a publicity Director at MGM while remaining active as a witty and talented lyricist.
Arthur Schwartz was capable of writng tender and evocative love songs such as " I See Your Face Before Me " whose Howard Dietz lyrics suggest that"  It doesn't matter, where you are, I can see how fair you are,  I close my eyes and there you are, always." In a live television performance, Frank Sinatra sings with exactly  the tenderness and reverence demanded by both the words and music of the song title.

PERFORMANCE LINK:    http://youtu.be/3nh6tQH6KyA

In a similar vein, the song " Alone Together" Alec Wilder described as " A very lovely and very dramatic song, one which with less expert handling could have fallen into artiness and pretentiousness. It never does!"
This live version by Carly Simon also benefits from a pulsating, rthymic arrangement that provides extra tension and excitement to the performance. The ability of creative arrangers and orchestrators can often breath new life into songs written more than 60 years ago. The original song arrangements and performances often pale in comparison with what a Nelson Riddle, Johnny Mandel and Claus Ogerman arrangement can create. Nonetheless, the essence of what makes a memorable song still remains regardless how modernized the song  treatment may be. "They're either good notes or their not!"

PERFORMANCE LINK: http://youtu.be/D_xEiEA8pBI

As proof of the arrangers ability to quite radically alter the approach to a song, please listen to pianist Roger Kellaway and singer Trudy Desmond romp through " By Myself" , something Fred Astaire sings early in the 1953 MGM Musical " The Bandwagon" (based on an earlier. succesful Schwartz and Dietz revue of the same name.) This is a jazz inspired rendition but it is infectious and engrossing throughout. The contribution of jazz performances to the enrichment of the Great American Songbook canon cannot be overstated. Jazz performers rely very heavily on the so-called " standards" to demonstrate their own creativity, especially if they find interesting chord changes in the harmonic structure of a song.

PERFORMANCE  LINK: http://youtu.be/h_TTtLPosps

Speaking of clever arrangements, Sinatra's version of "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan" another Schwartz & Dietz song is from a Nelson Riddle arranged Sinatra album called " A Swinging Affair.'
The lyrics suggest that the lover who lost in love will perhaps once again find another girl worthy of his affection.

PERFORMANCE LINK" http://youtu.be/0Ff1vp4rp58

NOTE: Future posts will showcase some of the lesser known but equally wonderful Arthur Schwartz creative collaborations.

The Heart of Lorenz Hart

The Heart of Lorenz Hart:  Much of this blog extolls the virtues of the innovative composers who created the Great American Songbook. But the appeal of our favourite songs is also due to the specificity of the words or lyrics that are part of a seamless emotional experience. One of America's greatest songwriters, Harold Arlen, said  " Words make you think a thought. Music makes you feel a feeling. But a song makes you feel a thought !" The 1948 MGM musical about the collaboration of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart was also called " Words & Music."
Although Lorenz Hart wrote a number of songs that deal so poignantly about love, he never achieved the same exultant romantic experience about which he wrote so evocatively.. Songs like " Isn't It Romantic"  " My Romance" " My Funny Valentine" and, most prophetically " Nobody's Heart Belongs to Me ( and none ever did for Lorenz Hart.)

For example the song " My Heart Stood Still " tells of the moment when " I took one look at you, That's All I meant to do and then my heart stood still " The singer is smitten by a mere glance of a complete stranger. How romantic! ( Can such a singular moment end up on a happy note ? Some have, some haven't)


Frank Sinatra and Nelson Riddle, the great arranger and orchestrator provide a tender and respectful version of " My Heart Stood Still " . The irony is that Sinatra, unlike Larry Hart. had an over abundant series of romances and affairs that are a matter of public record and contribute to his legend as a world class romantic.

PERFORMANCE  LINK: http://youtu.be/wDjPYO5ZNnk

A more realistic view of the complexities of life and its inevitable disappointments can be found in Hart's lyrics to " This Funny World."  Here Rodgers and Hart tell of the odds of our human expectations coming to fruition. Mary Cleere Harran, a NY based cabaret singer, accompanied only by a piano player and a plaintive cello delivers the concluding and sobering news that  "This Funny World is Making Fun of You" There is such a stark contrast between the perspectives in thse two different songs - one idyllic, the other ruefully pessimistic.

PERFORMANCE  LINK;  http://youtu.be/-vhZDqdXywQ

VERNON DUKE-FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

Vernon Duke-From Russia With Love !  America has always been a melting pot taking in people  early in the Twentieth Century. These immigrants have always enriched the culture of America. For example, Irving Berlin was a young boy from Rusiia who landed on Ellis Island. For almost 90 years he provided a treasure trove of songs from theatrical shows and  films as well as hundreds of individual songs. He was self taught , poorly educated and yet he was able to write both the words and music to so many songs still cherished by people all around the world.
Vernon Duke  was also a Russian emigre to the US. But, unlike Berlin, he was classically trained and wrote symphonies, ballet scores, musical theatres songs and immersed himself in the best traditions of the song repertoire to which this blog is dedicated. April in Paris, I Can't Get Started, I Like the Likes of You, and What is There to Say are just a few of his creations. George Gershwin suggested that he change his name form Vladimir Dukelsky to Vernon Duke so it would sound more American. During World War 11, he even wrote songs for Sid Caesar in a US Navy revue called " Tars and Spars.
Perhaps his most famous song  immortalized by Frank Sinatra and others is Autumn in New York. The song highlights the glamour and sophistication of New York, a tribute to the energy and creativity of that great city. Duke even wrote the worldly lyrics showing a mastery of English to match his marvellous musical talents.

I offer a version by Dawn Upshaw , a classically trained American singer who can sing popular music from the Great American Songbook as the video amply demonstrates. In addition, there are some beautiful images of New York to accompany the performance. The lengthy verse at the beginning sets up the rest of the piece which is Duke's hymn to Manhattan.

PERFORMANCE LINK: http://youtu.be/qRBllJt7rNQ

Arlen & Mercer-A Marriage in Songwriting Heaven

Arlen and Mercer-A Marriage Made in Songwriting Heaven:  In 1941, Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer first collaborated on " Blues In The Night" from the movie of the same name. Both were professional singers and were equally addicted to the world of jazz and blues. Alec Wilder revealed that it was their " Love of the lonely and sentimental, the witty and the warm and the bittersweet, all parts of the ethos of popular music, that tended to make them work together like a single mind."

In the 1943 movie " The Sys The Limit" Arlen and Mercer wrote two memorable songs for Fred Astaire. The first was " My Shining Hour" , a pure hymn-like melody much like earlier songs written by Jerome Kern ( They Didn't Believe Me"  " Till The Clouds Roll By" etc.
In a 2006 Live Concert, Barbra Streisand honours the simple but evocative melody by omitting any vocal histrionics  and embraces the tender emotionality of Mercer's lyrics. NOTE: Early in her career, Streisand sang with Arlen and she continues to show her affinity for his music in recordings like " "Come Rain or Come Shine " another Arlen/Mercer collaboration from " St. Louis Woman."

PERFORMANCE LINK: http://youtu.be/V03hG81ESXM

From the same movie" The Sky's The Limit"  Arlen and Mercer wrote " One More For My Baby ( And One More For  The Road") . Astaire sang it an an angry up-tempo fashion, dancing wildly and ends up smashing the bar room mirror.
But it's Sinatra's definitive interpretation while slightly inebriated that allows him to recount his woes to the lonely bartender.

This is a live television version and more intense than his classic 1958 recording on Capitol's  "Only The Lonely". It is Sinatra's ability to feel and re enact the essence of Mercer's lyrics that marks his unique interpretive art.

PERFORMANCE LINK:  http://youtu.be/SSWrNfqjDBE

Cole Porter You were The TOP !

You're The Top !   So goes a famous line from Cole Porter's song of the same name. Cole Porter, unlike many of his contemporaries and competitors, came from a highly privileged background, educated at private schools and Yale . Courtesy of a wealthy family, he was able to travel widely in Europe as a young man. Despite his travels in high society, he was a serious craftsman who, like Irving Berlin, wrote both words and music. He mastered the art of " list songs" in which he would compare many apparently unrelated matters. In "Your The Top"  he compares the person being lionized in the song by rhyming " " You're a Shakespeare sonnet, You're a Bendel Bonnet, You're Mickey Mouse "  Other comparisons include " You're The National Gallery, You're Garbo's salary,
You're cellophane !"  Many of  Porter's songs, to quote one of his own lyrics float " On gossamer wings"  conveying a breezy elegance and self-mocking character.
The clip from the 1956 movie version of his musical " Anything Goes " features Bing Crosby, Mitzi Gaynor, Donald O'Coonor and Zizi Jeanmaire romping through the lengthy list telling each other how great they are.
PRFORMANCE LINK:  http://youtu.be/WLY2BylN6oA


But there was also a more reflective side in his more tender love songs. " After You Who " laments how empty life would be without one's loved one. It features a lengthy introductory verse that sets the stage for a  description  of how the singer  feels at the loss of that special someone. It is sung tenderly by John Barrowman in the style of a Broadway leading man . The performance suits the reflective nature of the piece.

PERFORMANCE LINK:   http://youtu.be/bo_vDfI1Px8

An even more famous impassioned love song is " I've Got You Under My Skin"   It pulls no punches in telling of the depth of emotional feeling and how the singer has been transfixed by the overwhelming appeal of the love object. Frank Sinatra's version is made even more engrossing bythe driving, incessant rhythm of Nelson Riddle's masterful arrangement, the searing trombone solo by Milt Bernhart and the consummate phrasing and articulation of Sinatra himself. This is a classic Capitol Records performance from the 1950's. This was the era when Sinatra gained full command of his voice and was supported by the finest musicians, arrangers and recording personnel on the West Coast.

PERFORMANCE LINK:  http://youtu.be/tJ6z3h6domU

Blues in the Night: The Harold Arlen Legacy

Blues in the Night ( Or at any time of the  day )  Of all the great songwriters who created the enduring American Popular Songbook, Harold Arlen was the most embedded in the jazz and blues world. Certainly Gershwin had his Rhapsody in Blue but that was a classical interpretation of valid blues elements and it was purely an orchestral and piano version. The blues have to be sung. Without  lyrics, the Rhapsody in Blue cannot convey the sadness, despair and heartache that comprise the essence of the lamentations inherent in the blues tradition. Despite the Black American origins of the blues, Harold Arlen, a white Jewish composer, immersed himself in the jazz and blues music as a Buffalo NY teeneager in the 1920's. His father was a noted cantor, the singer who illuminates Jewish religious services. Arlen said that his father was the best theme and variations singer he ever heard with much of his singing totally improvised. He would often incorportae minor musical motifs in the Hebraic tradition as well as snippets of some of his son's own songs. Arlen as a pianist and singer was much given to improvising and even his written music has a looseness and unpredictability that is characteristic of all improvisational passages.
Blues in the Night is a series of twelve-and eight-bar phrases between two separate segments with two measures written to be whistled. If Arlen captured the urban blues tradition, Lyricist Johnny Mercer was the rural poet laureate who wrote of small towns in the South and a longing for a more traditional American way of life. Right from the beginning which exclaims " My momma done told me-when I was in knee pants -my momma done told me Son " .   She explains to her son that " A woman's a worrisome things who'll leave ya to sing the Blues in the Night." Mercer also supplies lyrics for a female singer to say exactly the same thing about a man who'll also leave her to sing the Blues in the Night.
To represent the male and female versions of the song who better than Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. In my opinion, these two artists have done more than anyone else to preserve and elevate what is most compelling about the Great American Songbook.
Sinatra's version is rueful and laconic as he recounts his momma's admonition not to have his heart broken by a two-faced woman. The Nelson Riddle arrangement stays in the background and occasionally emerges to accentuate a certain vocal passage.  You also can hear the whistling phrases as they were written by Arlen.

PERFORMANCE LINK:  http://youtu.be/Kn_WgvXZEFs
 

In contrast, Ella Fitzgerald provides a live wailing version backed by Count Basie and jazzman Zoot Sims . Ella is the undisputed queen of  vocal improvisation which is highlighted throughout this exciting version.

http://youtu.be/3IG8dNZIcvQ
PERFORMANCE LINK:

To further portray the versatilty of Ella Fitzgerald's artistry, listen to her offer a different version of the song done in a recording studio. It may be more restrained but it proves that you can shout or whisper the blues. Each singer  brings his or her own experience and temperment to such a personal expression of bone-weary emotion..

PERFORMANCE LINK http://youtu.be/niOkDUnyBnA

A Matter of Style- Can a operatic style do justice to the Classic AMerican Songbook ?

A Matter of Style: Can an operatic approach do justice to the Classic American Song Book ?
 One rarely hears of pop singers attempting the more demanding Grand Opera arias . There are challenging technical demands as well as language hurdles and perhaps a belief that such songs do not lend themselves to the American popular song traditions we have been discussing.
 Obviously, opera or concert performers have all of the technical and vocal capabilities to perform the repertoire but can they do justice to the freedom and interpretive qualities inherent in a Gershwin or Rodgers and Hart song ?
Eileen Farrel was able to bridge the two musical " solitudes"as an acclaimed opera and concert singer and one who ably performed the standards. Leontyne Price, a magnificant diva, also sang credibly with jazz pianist Andre Previn. Other operatic performers often sound stilted and have the effect of singing as if their corsets were too tightly bound. They may sing the notes correctly. But one of the hallmarks of superior popular singing is the freedom to alter melody, harmony and rhythm-in fact to add personal interpretive elements instead of a slavish devotion to what is printed on the sheet music.  Let me provide a challenging example.

Harold Arlen's "Somehere Over The Rainbow"  was voted the favourite popular song of the Twentieth century. It's promise of finding happiness resonates especially with the American spirit of optimism and a belief in a promising future. Over the years, I personally have talked about the song with several hundred people. Without exception either by age , sex or ethnicity, everyone responds positively at the mere mention of the song never mind hearing it. Yes , the movie " The Wizard of Oz"  accounts for the wide spread popularity of the song but it also stands on its own as a wonderful marriage of melody and sentiment. Listen to American born Renee Fleming, the reigning operatic diva sing with the Beijing Symphony. ( Also note how joyously the audience responds as soon as Reneee Fleming announces the name of the song.) The lush and expansive orchestration is what one would hear in any Twentieth century opera or art song and the interplay between singer and orchestra is masterful.
Her voice is unmatched in terms of power and range and the dynamic shifts she undertakes are arresting. Renee Fleming even takes liberties with the melody and in her concluding segment  creates her own particular cadenza to conclude the song. Although her approach is quite different than the equally satisfying interpretations of Ella Fitzgerald or Judy Garland, she does justice to what Arlen and his lyricist E.Y. Harburg have provided in their collaboration. Renee Fleming's performance demands an attentive hearing.

PERFORMANCE LINK   http://youtu.be/NY30HTziUA4

POSTSCRIPT:   I just discovered another wonderful version of the " Rainbow" song. It's by Audra McDonald who herself is a highly trained singer with classical chops. But here she is accompanied not by a symphonic orchestra but by a single acoustic guitar. Yet more proof that there are a great  number of ways that a song can be sung if  talented and committed singers put both their hearts and minds into a personal interpretation of a song.

PERFORMANCE LINK :  http://youtu.be/y9_vZJK7LIc

Richard Rodgers-A Master of Melody:

Richard Rodgers- A Master of Melody:  Writing initially with Lorenz Hart and subsequently with Oscar Hammerstein Jr., all of his considerable output was designed for the theatre. Generally speaking, songs written for a theatrical production have more sophistication and flair than songs written independently with perhaps an eye towards the Hit Parade.
Rodgers was mainly interested in creating a melodic flow which has endeared him to singers who cherish a strong " singing line" to showcase their own interpretive abilities.

A case in point is " My Funny Valentine" a  song  written for a 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical called " Babes In Arms". It is not widely known that the " Valentine" in question is the name of the main male character in the show. Most people assume that the Valentine referred to in the lyrics is the love object of the singer even though some of the lyrics describing him are hardly flattering. For example " Is Your Figure Less Than Greek ? Is Your mouth a little weak  ?"  When you open it to speak are you smart ?"
I'm sure that the song would never achieved its great popularity if the male lead's name happened to be Alphonso. "  My Funny Alfonso " is not an inviting song title but might work for a sitcom .

FIRST VERSION: This is sung by Eileen Farrell, a noted opera and art song interpreter but one who has captured a true American idiom, expression and phrasing. She posssesses a voice of great power and distinction but never descends to the arch and formal declamations of of most opera singers who try to sing American popular songs. Unlike most interpreters of the song, she evokes a distinctive and powerful blues feeling especially in the introductory section or verse.

PERFORMANCE  LINK:
http://youtu.be/Ym5JETLpCnA
SECOND VERSION:   This version is by Tony Bennett who represents the main stream popular song tradition begun by Bing Crosby and exemplified by Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald recordings. He has a different but equally affecting singing style than the more dramatic presentation by Eileen Farrell. I have heard a number of different versions of this song by Bennett but I like this for its straighforward and respectful treatment of this classic Rodgers and Hart ballad.

PERFORMANCE LINK:  http://youtu.be/XNhD0LthMRc

Gershwin's Got Rhythm

Gershwin's Got A Lot of Rhythm:. His is probably the most recognized name among the major innovators who created the Great American Songbook. In addition to the hundreds of songs he wrote with brother Ira as lyricist, Gershwin wrote extended classical works like Rhapsody in Blue. Concerto in F, An American in Paris and his greatest extended work, the magnificent folk opera  Porgy and Bess.
His major acclaim was gained during the depression. His cheerful style of writing helped lift the spirits ofthe American public in much the same way as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers films portrayed a world far removed from the economic woes affecting Americans at that time.

Songs like " I  Got Rhythm "  Fascinating Rhythm" Clap Y'o Hands" and " Swanee"  all reflect his preoccupation with hard driving, upbeat songs and are among his most popular works.
But he also was capable of writing more delicate and reflective songs like " How Long Has This Been Going On?" I,ve Got a Crush on You"  "Embraceable You" and  " But Not For Me."

This versatility is demonstrated first by " Fascinating Rhythm"  showing Gershwin at his most aggressive preocuupation with the beat that makes you tap your feet.

In this version, Fred and Adele Astaire are accompanied by Gershwin himself on piano. Listen to the jazzed up syncopation and rhymic verve of his playing. His insistent and percussive playing reflect Gershwin in full flight throwing any musical caution right out the window. 

PERFORMANCE LINK:
http://youtu.be/6BTM07B0U64

The Gentler Side of Gershwin:  George and Ira Gershwin also wrote a considerable number of songs that reflected a gentler and wistful mood, ballads that deal with various aspects of the male/female relationship. For example, " But Not For Me"  tells of a failed love relationship where " " "They're Writing Songs of Love but NOT for me". Traditionally, this song is often performed in a mournful and melancholy style. However, Rod Stewart, in his exploration of the Great American Songbook has put a fresh and upbeat face on this standard. He confesses the failure of his love affairs but is not totally crushed. One can sense that he will persist and eventually find his desired life partner. Since George Gershwin was a cheery and optimistic man, I think he would applaud Stewart's more positive and light hearted delivery of Ira's lyrics.
The great thing about the Great American Songbook catalogue is that the songs do lend themselves to a wide variety of approaches as Rod Stewart ably demonstrates in " But Not For Me"

PERFORMANCE LINK:  http://youtu.be/MMglhENOIVc

EARLY EXCELLENT SONGS

There have always have been excellent American songs.

This blog is devoted to the flowering of a unique musical art form that began with the advent of Jerome Kern and his contemporaries. But people have asked whether great American songs had preceded the innovators who are the main subject of the blog. The answer is a resounding YES!  In the Mid nineteenth century, Stephan Foster wrote wonderful formal melodies like  Beautiful Dreamer and Jeannie With The Light Brown Hair. He also wrote minstrel type,black oriented numbers like De Camptown Races, Oh Susanna and Old Black Joe.
Ragtime was a unique music form that made syncopation a major factor in subsequent songwriting. Unfortunately, Ragtime was a largely instrumental music form, generally performed without lyrics although Scott Joplin in particular was popular before the turn of the century. The movie The Sting
benefitted greatly from the Scott Joplin rags played throughout the film.
There is one early example of an outstanding song that bears examination and careful listening. Poor Butterfly was written in 1916 by Raymond Hubbell with lyrics by John Golden. Alec Wilder, a demanding musical critic as well as a composer himself thought that the song " Was one of the loveliest ballads I've ever heard. There is not a word of criticism I can conceive of for it." This is from a man who played through more than 17,000 individual sheet music pieces in the course of writing his book which has been identified in the introduction .

Hubbell was inspired by Puccini's opera  Madame Butterfly  which tells the story of an ill fated romance between a young Japanese girl and an American sailor who ultimately abandons the girl to her everlasting regret and longing. In the version by Tony Bennet, he sings a lengthy introduction or verse that establishes the situation subsequently developed in the main and concluding sections. It is a pognant tale accompanied by a sublime melody that compares well with any ballad writen in the rest of the century. Unfortunately Hubbell never wrote anything of equal merit although he did write many songs  for shows that were produced. The combination of the words that tell the sad tale and the melody that echoes those sentiments is a perfect marriage of words and music.
Tony Bennet demonstrates his sensitivity and compassion for the unhappy heroine in the version that is being featured.
Performance : Tony Bennet Poor  Butterfly
LINK http://youtu.be/mQh1_ZGzudQ  

Irving Berlin- A True American

Irving Berlin- America's Music Master

Irving Berlin embodies the essential spirit of America-its optimism and its belief that America is a land of opportunity for those willing to try regardless of the odds. Coming from Russia as a young immigrant, he became a self-educated composer writing both music and lyrics for an untold number of songs. He made it a habit to write a complete song with both music and lyrics every single day and he lived  for more than a hundred years. His versatility was unmatched writing for the musical theatre, Hollywood films and a great many individual songs  not associated with any stage or film production.

Two songs in particular reflect his ability to capture such diametrically opposed moods. The first is " Shaking The Blues Away" . It is an infectious toe tapping number that suggests you can get rid of the blues by just shaking or dancing them away. Only an America, steeped in the every day life of its people, could have written a song with such energy, verve and clever colloquial language.
It is performed by Doris Day from the movie " Love Me or Leave Me" a performer who herself is the embodiment of  wholesome Midwestern virtues and a much underrated singer as Andre Previn has remarked.

Performance Link:  YouTube.com---Shaking The Blues Away  Doris Day
http://youtu.be/W5lWaGqz8s4

Suppertime
In stark contrast to the unrestrained exuberence of  " Shaking The Blues Away"   " Suppertime"  is the tragic lament of a mother whose husband has been the victimof a lynch mob. In the original stage production of " As Thousands Cheer"   the mother sits mournfully in her kitchen while behind her is a  mounted silhouette figure of a body dangling from a tree. Performed, as it was in the original production by Ethel Waters , the great singer and actress, it is a heart rending portrayal of a women who must tell her children at suppertime why " Her man ain't coming home no more." Ethel Waters performance is spell binding in its ability to depict the agony and despair of a family victimized by such an unprovoked act that  is another aspect of  American life so opposite from the optimistic spirit of "  Shaking The Blues Away"  It is further evidence of Berlin's ability to capture so many facets of the American experience and to do often in just 32 bars of words and music.

Performance Link:   YouTube.com--- Suppertime  Ethel Waters
http://youtu.be/Y5Zvjjbc-Hk

Introduction to Blog

Introduction & Purpose-Classic American Popular Song blog

Beginning in the 1920's, a unique art form burst on the American music scene. America always had a flourishing musical tradition featuring ragtime, spirituals and work songs, blues and Appalachian folk traditions. However, European music forms played a dominant influence on earlier American song traditions with operetta and clasical art songs guided by a more formal and restrained stylistic output. But America was changing-it had helped win World War 1, it was emerging as an industrial giant and mass immigration and increased urbanism all pointed to the need for songs tha treflected the unique character and restlessmess now pervading the country.
With the arrival of Jerome Kern, the Godfather of a unquely American song tradition, a new era had arrived on the musical scene. Alec Wilder, author of the authoritative book American Popular Song: The Great Innovators  1900-1950, wrote that Kern's music was " The first that was truly American. He was the first to find a new form of melodic writing unlike that of his predecessors or contemporaries."
NOTE:  Wilder examined more than seventeen thousand songs in the course of his exhaustive analysis  of what constituted original and innovative song writing and the more than seven hundred songs he felt were of the highest quality. His explanations of why these were singled out were  based on a thorough musical foundation as well as his life long admiration for what has been called Classic American Popular Song or The Great American Songbook.

Performance
The first example of Kern's musical output is " All The Things You Are " with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein Jr.
http://youtu.be/dnkS7oMP2Xk

It was written for a 1929 musical " Very Warm for May."   It has a magestic melodic sweep that is the equal of any Twentieth century opera aria or classical art song.
It is sung by Tony Martin who sings with a passionate restraint and elegant phrasing that does justice to bothe the remarkable melody and the heartfelt words of Hammerstein.