There's a lull in my Life  This is a gorgeous song written by Harry Revel with lyrics by Mack Gordon. It was introduced by Alice Faye in a 1930's musical film and was a favourite song of Nat Cole. Here it is his daughter Natalie who is accompanied by a most imaginative string arrangement. One is struck by the poignant expression of loss with the lines " "The ache in my heart"  causing that lull in someone's life-a void or and an empty shell.

 https://youtu.be/xZMYbWgXbt0

Belle of the Ball    As an Austrian, I am always entranced the swoop and energy of a waltz. Leroy Anderson, the Amercan composer of the Blue Tango, Sleigh Ride, Serenata and other famous Boston Pops showpieces.. He composed this delightful tune celebrating the Belle of any Ball-those dashing ladies who captured all the attention on the dance floor. It actually was on the flip side of The Blue Tango record , a hit song from the early 1950's.

https://youtu.be/3rqnyU2ufuM

When The World Was Young
This is a tender and reflective song composed by French composer Philippe Gerard. TheEnglish lyrics are by Johnny Mercer, that most American lyricists.
This version with Mel Torme, George Shearing and The Boston Pops really captures the essence of the French "chanson" and Mercer's words use many French expressions.

 https://youtu.be/NwqEs2ID-SQ

INDIAN  SUMMER    A 1930 song by Victor Herbert who was essentially an operetta composer who wrote in a Viennese musical style like Rudolph Friml, Sigmund Romberg and Franz Lehar. According to Alec Wilder, the intrepid analyst of classical American popular song, this is the only song Herbert wrote that was devoid of European influences and most melodic . It was based on a piano piece to which Al Dubin provided the graceful lyrics.
Indian Summer is a purely American song and is sung by singer/guitarist John Pixxafrelli with a wonderful accompaniment by pianist George Shearing. The harmonies could have been written by French impressionist Maurice Ravel or Claude Debussy or even the English composer Frederick Delius. 

https://youtu.be/wHx2hW8LUQg

Autumn in New York- A tribute in song to that most glorious of the seasons.
The music and words  are by Vernon Duke ( born Vladimir Dukelsky in Minsk, Russia. He was a celebrated Russian composer of classical music, ballets, symphonies and concerti who emigrated to the USA. He began to write challenging and sophisticated [poplu;ar somgs encouraged by George Gershwin who also suggested a name change less foreign han his Russian namesake.
 The soprano Dawn Upshaw recorded an album of Duke songs ,includingapril In Paris and Autumn in New York.

 https://youtu.be/UXpqUUSHFNE

A Time for Love   Another fine movie ballad by Johnny Mandel who also wrote The Shadow of Your Smile. Emily and the theme from M.A.S.H, Mandel has a great gift for melody and sublime harmonic sense and its a shame he did not spend a lot of time on composing because his first love was in arranging and orchestration. Jane Monheit is an acclaimed jazz and pop singer with great sensitivity and feeling in her singing. This arrangement is further testimony of the importance of an arrangement to bring out the best in a song and the singer.

https://youtu.be/w0ZaORnciR0

Porgy and Bess Orchestral Suite  More than any of Gershwin's songs or larger instrumental creations. the Folk Opera Porgy and Bess may be Gershwin's crowning achievement.
There are songs of the everyday life of the citizens of Catfish Row, magnificent arias like I Loves you Porgy.
Bess you is my woman now, Summertime and I'm On my Way etc.
Robert Farnon brings our the jazz and blues elements in these songs in a way that the original orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett were unable to do to the same extent. The harmonic sophistication of Farnon is on full dis[lay.
If you have 34 minutes to listen to magnificent American music, that will be musical time well spent.

https://youtu.be/k5nkQimVVLM