WILLOW WEEP FOR ME-ONLY GREAT SONG BY ANN RONNELL

Willow Weep For Me- Only Great Song By Ann Ronnell: In 1932, Ann Ronnell wrote both the words and music for " Willow Weep For Me." Although, she co wrote " Whose Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf" and other songs for Holywood films, her major reognition is based on the blue-inflected Willow Weep For Me.
Alec Wilder. musicologist and passionate student of classic American popular song has remarked that " It
is an exceptional song, on a par with Hoagy Carmichael's ( jazz-influenced) experiments and a truly fascinating song."  At the time, Ann Ronnell ( Rosenblatt) was romantically involved with George Gershwin and there is an undocumented Tin Pan Alley rumour that Gershwin wrote the music and credited Ann with the composer's credit. Nonetheless, her rigorous musical training and significant film writing experience suggest she was more than capable of writing "Willow Weep For Me."
The song has a number of vertical leaps in its melodic line in the main chorus but in the release or mid-section, it follows a meandering and more restrained  vocal line before returning to a repeat of the main theme, ending with the plaintive plea  " Bend O' Willow and Weep For Me"

In the now legendary 1958 Sinatra album " Only The Lonely" , Sinatra sings a number of  songs  like " Willow Weep For Me" as well as " Blues in the Night" One For My Baby ( And One More For the Road") " Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry"  and the title song.
Nelson Riddle, the arranger has stated that this was his favourite Sinatra album because he had more time than usual ( one week I believe) in which to carefully arrange and orchestrate the songs , working . as always, in close collaboration with Sinatra . The singer always had the last word on any of his Capitol and subsequent recordings and this album is one of Frank Sinatra's most restrained and respectful musical undertakings.

LINK:  http://youtu.be/SSUnOei0msk