I'LL REMEMBER APRIL- 55 YEARS LATER I STILL REMEMBER THAT APRIL

" I'll Remember April"--55 years later I still remember that April.

In April of 1960, I first met Ann when she was in Nursing . Fifty-Five years later, I am glad that I can still see her every day. Early on, we decided that " I'll Remember April" would be our song. not only because of the month in question but because it is a lovely song with an unusual and haunting melody with sensitive and insightful lyrics.

Written in 1941 by Gene DePaul with words by Don Raye, the song recounts the strength of the initial April encounter, the gradual the cooling of  initial passion but the singer concludes that despite the sadness of a parting of the ways with these words "I won't forget but I won't be lonely, I'll remember April and be glad.. Bittersweet but honest sentiments. 

This performance is by Frank Sinatra and an arrangement by Axel Stordahl who accompanied Sinatra  early in his career. As always, Sinatra invests all of his dramatic powers in the song making it so believable both in the evocation of initial passion  and the recognition of the love that disappeared. The love still remembered with fondness of what was once true that long ago April.

https://youtu.be/9lj_kBFixjU 

FRANK SINATRA & DAWN UPSHAW SING 2 DISTINCTIVE VERSIONS OF RODGERS& HART'S " IT NEVER ENTERED MY MIND:

Frank Sinatra & Dawn Upshaw sing 2 distinctive versions of Rodger's & Hart's " It Never Entered My Mind."

For the 1940 show " Higher & Higher", Richard Rodgers provided a very lovely melodic line to which Lorenz Hart evoked such tender reflections like " You have what I Lack myself" immediately followed by the more colloquial verse " And now I have to scratch my back myself !" Such wordplay highlights Hart's unique ability to juxtapose the sentimental with the sardonic and yet strangely make them work with Rodgers melodic instincts. Alec Wilder, the inveterate archivist and avatar of The Great American Songbook stated that Hart's more energetic and unpredictable writing style eclipsed Oscar Hammerstein's more prosaic " And comfortable armchair philosophy" as found in " Climb Every Mountain" or You'll Never Walk Alone." As for Rodgers. Wilder said that " Rodgers songs have revealed a higher degree of consistent excellence, inventiveness and sophistication than those of any other writers I have studied" including Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin and Cole Porter. Fine praise indeed.
Dawn Upshaw, a classically  trained singer has mastered the nuances and naturalness inherent in the American popular song idiom and accompanied only by a piano, she delivers all of the plangent qualities of the song.
Frank Sinatra, accompanied by an orchestra arranged and led by Nelson Riddle, gives an equally somber and expressive performance proving that good song material is capable of a myriad of interpretations while still retaining the essential elements embedded in the song itself.

Upshaw version;
https://youtu.be/tE9qF9MBzs8?list=PLCvqEw1Hw0l1b5fCl73jbua4PsETpGiyg


Sinatra version
https://youtu.be/1fleh1LBFGA

RUSSIAN LULLABY -ELLA FITZGERALD SINGS IRVING BERLIN

" Russian Lullaby "--Ella Fitzgerald sings Irving Berlin.  Irving Berlin was born in Russia but emigrated to America as a young boy. This is a tender song that evokes his earliest memory of the country of his birth and it is sung very tenderly by Ella Fitzgerald.
Since Russian followers of the Great American Songbook make up the largest group of my blog subscribers, I wanted to show my appreciation for their interest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_1nagBrG54

"LET'S FALL IN LOVE"-UPBEAT SINATRA VERSION

"Let's Fall In Love"-  Upbeat Sinatra Version.

Arlen and lyricist Ted Koehler were commissioned by Columbia Pictures to write songs for a movie to be called " Let's Fall In Love."   On the train heading west to Hollywood, the songwriters. The porter on the train was using a set of chimes to call patrons to dinner. Since there was no piano on board, Arlen borrowed the chimes so he could play around with a tune he had been developing.

By the time they had arrived in Los Angeles, the title tune was almost finished. It is a positive affirmation of the desirability of falling in love and Frank Sinatra captures the youthful exuberance often needed by moviegoers living out the depression era.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=061kkZU8gPY

ILL WIND -DRAMATIC COTTON CLUB NUMBER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaShvVW1w5U

" Ill  Wind"-Dramatic Cotton Club Number.   Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler created calssic songs for Harlem's Cotton Club Revues in the 1930's.
Celebrated black performers like Ethel Waters, Lena Horne, The Nicholas Brothers, Maxine Sullivan plus band leadersl like Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway. Black artists could perform there but were not accepted as patrons. It was an exotic venue quite different from downtown night spots andwas frequented by all number of celebrities, politicians and gangsters who owned the club.
A paramount movie called " The Cotton Club" captured the excitement and danger of the times and LOnette McKee provides a sensual and compelling performance of the ill wind that often blew through and outside the Cotton Club.

PIANIST LARA DOWNES PLAYS BILLIE HOLIDAY INSPIRED SONG " BODY & SOUL"

Pianist Lara Downes plays the Billie Holiday inspired song  "Body & Soul."   In 1930, composer Johnny Green wrote an exquisite ballad which was interpolated in a Broadway revue " Three's A Crowd," Coleman Hawkins, a noted tenor sax player recorded the song which popular song archivist Alec Wilder said " Hawkins brought to Green's melody, a rhapsodic exuberance that astonished the ear." Wilder also felt that Body And Soul " Has one of the widest ranges and one of the most complex releases and verses."
  Billie Holiday, the iconic jazz singer who was born 100 year ago, made this as much of a vocal standard as Coleman Hawkins instrumental jazz version
Steinway Artist, Lara Downes, became entranced by Holiday's singing at a very early age and, in addition to her extensive classical training and concertizing, Lara Downes has always retained an intense and comprehensive interest in exploring all manner of American musical traditions.
In this recording, Lara Downes plays with great clarity and sensitivity in such a challenging song , again proving that classical piano training and discipline can adorn popular songs . Lara is aided by a wonderful arrangement by Jed Distler who brings a majestic and respectful approach to Green's  sweeping melody and rich harmonic architecture.
Great music can happen if one begins with a memorable song , an arrangement that honors and extends the essence of the song and  an instrumentalist who adds their unique expressiveness and interpretive power to the performance.
For this performance, we can thank Johnny Green, arranger Jed Distler and Lara Downes for bringing her love of Billie Holiday ( and all that Billie stood for) in her pianistic tribute.

NOTE: This blog does not normally profile instrumental versions of popular songs. Lyrics are so important in conveying the story dimension  However, it was easy to make an exception in this case given the Holiday and Johnny Green song connection ( and the fact that I know and love Lara and her talent. ) Since most people may be familiar with the words of the main strain of the song, they are invited to sing along with Lara.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLvRPOcxk5U

PENSATIVA -GREAT BOSSA NOVA INSTRUMENTAL

Pensativa-Great Bossa Nova Instrumental:   Although this Great American Songbook blog usually deals with songs that have lyrics to tell a story, I must make an exception in the case for Pensativa by Claire Fischer, as played by Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass. There are several reasons: Fischer was a graduate composition student at Michigan State University during my own studies there. I have also been transfixed by the insinuating rhythm of the Bossa Nova Style and, finally, the arrangement is by Rick Wilkins, someone with whom I went to high school in Hamilton, Ontario and who I still see from time to time in Toronto.
Now to the music itself. First there is an elegant fluglehorn solo by Guido Basso, a master of melodic playing with a rich, burnished tone. This is followed by a guitar sole by Ed Bickert who has been identified by both Jim Hall and Paul Desmond as a major jazz soloist. Finally, Rick Wilkins, arranger and tenor player provides a flowing and imaginative solo  with the orchestra.
What always excites me is near the end when Rick creates an orchestral section that features a striking interplay between two orchestral sections playing in different  registers that complement each other while answering and also challenging the other group. It is one of the most innovative piece of sectional writing I have heard played by a large jazz ensemble.

Please listen closely for all the little bits of magic throughout and see if you also find this is remarkable arranging and playing by a wonderful jazz ensemble.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSJ6zhHD8c0