Here's That Rainy Day  One of Jimmy Van Heusen's  finest ballads, lyrics by Johhny Burke. This is a wonderful big band arrangement by the Metropole Orchestra and trumpeter, Bobby Shew .The arrangement combines string elements with classic big band instrumentation creating the best of both orchestral worlds-the symphonic and jazz traditions. 

https://youtu.be/3kj2twcc41A 

FUN TO BE FOOLED

Lena Horne sings that "It's Fun to be fooled" with love.  Composed by Harold Arlen with two of his favorite lyricists Ira Gershwin and E.Y Harburg, the song was for a 1934show called Life Begins at 8:40. The lyrics celebrate the ecstasy of initial love while prudently recognizing that such moments might always last 
The moral: Grab what you can from love since it's such fun to be fooled , at least for a while. Sung by Lena Horne, it's just one of a number of Arlen songs she has performed ever since they met when she was a 16 year old girl at the legendary Cotton Club. She also starred in the Arlen / Harburg musical " JAMAICA ." 


https://youtu.be/xeZLiwcvrLg

As long s I Live-  A Harold Arlen Cotton Club song favoured by Jack Viertel, a polymath of all things dealing with musical theatre. In the songwriting match-up between Arlen and George Gershwin, Viertel comes down on the side of Arlen. His reasoning: Gershwin was more obvious and predictable in his compositions although still "brash and thrilling."  Arlen was much less predictable and capable of injecting surprising but endearing elements in his songs. One such trope Viertel described as " Unexpected melodic tags Arlen sometimes attaches at the very end, just when you thought the song was over ( If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow why, oh why , can't I ?" is certainly the most famous one of those tags.)"The song has often been sung terribly by me (Viertel) to my wife Linda." In addition to Arlen singing his own song in a most ebullient manner, this version is by Maxine Sullivan, a veteran Cotton Club performer. She has an easy swinging manner and is backed backed by a small jazz group. How fitting.  Arlen was deeply rooted in the jazz idiom ever since he led small jazz groups as a teenager in Buffalo, New York.
If you, like Viertel and I, deeply love Arlens' songs, obey Jack Viertels' admonishment to sing this particular song like Harold ( and Maxine did.) " It spreads joy."

 https://youtu.be/CFguuUiQ6RQ     Arlen

https://youtu.be/i0dpHzlhntA          Sullivan



 

There's a lull in my life  Another movie song for Alice Faye by Harry Revel and Mack Gordon. Nat King Cole performed the song and this is his daughters tribute to her father and this song from the 1930;s.
There is a sumptuous tringarrangement to support the song and the singer and, certainly, her Dad would heartily approve of her version. 

https://youtu.be/xZMYbWgXbt0

"Stay as sweet as you are" Harry Revel. composer and Mack Gordon, lyricist , wrote a number of movie songs for Alice Faye, the darling of 20th Century Fox. She had a wonderful marriage with Phil Harris, singer/comedian on the Jack Benny Show . This lovely song asks that the lady in question not change anything at all because " Your divine, you ! "
Sung with great tenderness by Mel Torme who hated the term " The Velvet Fog" but there was pure velvet in his voice and presentation. 

 https://youtu.be/5MsmwoT_o2Y

Bob Fosse dances in Kiss Me Kate film. Since the Fosse/Verdon TV series is now underway,  It's fun to see him as one of the three dancers pursuing Ann Miller in the number  From This Moment On. He never achieved any significant fame as a dancer but his early experiences led to great acclaim as a choreographer and director. ( He's wearing the yellow hat)

 https://youtu.be/YTBrVuEvZbg

Rodgers & Harts' YOUR NEARER. It's a tender, ruminative song that reflects on some of the many things that remind the singer of a loved one. It concludes that  " Even when you leave me and when you're away, You'll know your nearer, For I love you so." 
It was written by Rodgers & Hart for the 1940 film " Too Many Girls" and sung by Lucille Ball in the movie. This performance features Shirley Horn, a wonderfful singer and pianist who is able to convey the essence of a song while accompanying herself on the piano. 

https://youtu.be/Dv6sMNVY0i8 

Someone to watch over me:  George and Ira Gershwins' iconic love request. It features a long verse or introductory section that sets the mood and subject for what will follow. ending in that plaintive request for " Someone to watch over me." Sung by elegant Ella with a marvellous arrangemnt by Nelson Riddle, it is an example of what I consider to be the greatest of all the VERVE produced songbooks and largely due to the inventive and highly varied Riddle arrangements.

https://youtu.be/gDhF-PsDuCw 

Love and the weather can't be depended upon. Another song that links this disappointment of love with the failure of April to actually deliver the promise of spring.Both words and music are by Irving Berlin that prolific American popular songwriter.
It is sung by Jo Stafford whose warm and entrancing voice conveys the belief that love and the weather can't be depended upon. 

https://youtu.be/u0SEnpF2aOU

April Fooled Me ( As it often does)  The long awaited coming of Spring often ushers in a late snow fall upsetting the robins and cardinals already on our patio. This song by Jerome Kern had lyrics added by Dorothy Fields after Kern had died. Sung in a tribute to the lyrics of Dorothy Fields, it concluded that the singer was failed both by what was not realy love and a false spring. Conclusion: Love and the weather can't be depended upon ( actually the title of another popular song) subject of my next blog post.


https://youtu.be/qne5QDELJoI