" You'll Never Know" --Evokes fond memories of the War Years ( WW 11)
This is the final song post for this blog
For those of you old enough to remember the war years, a number of memorable songs are forever linked to those difficult and challenging times. " I'll Be Seeing You" " We'll Meet Again" come to mind as well as "You'll Never Know. That song was featured in a 1943 20th Century Fox movie " Hello Frisco" starring Alice Faye and Tyrone Power. There is a poignant aspect to the song since it was based on a poem written by a young war bride hoping that her beloved husband would return safely from the war. Adopted by lyricist Mack Gordon and composer Harry Warren, IT was sung very tenderly by Alice Faye, the blond movie girl-next-door in movies of the '30's and '40's.
As she sings" You went away and my heart went with you" it is hard not to recall the anxious moments that millions of families endured while they waited and prayed for the return of their loved ones.
Since this is the final post for this blog ,which started just a year ago, I wanted to thank the many people who took an interest in the Great American Songbook and the 100 unique songs that I was able to send your way.
Since the Songbook can be considered America's classical music, these songs will still be sung many years from now just as Mozart and Schubert songs are still being performed today.
Longevity is what defines a classic song and , to paraphrase an Ira Gershwin lyric, " It's very clear, Our songs are here to stay\Not for a year but forever and a day."
And perhaps ,we will meet again via the miracle of digital technology and the love of timeless, popular music
Max Weissengruber
LINK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXv9yderPxc
Monday, 18 November 2013
" DUKE ELLINGTON'S " SOPHISTICATED LADY"
Duke Ellington's " Sophisticated Lady" In 1933, Duke Ellington and lyric writer Mitchell Parish combined to write Sophisticated Lady an unusually constructed song that began as an instrumental showcase of Elligton's band. The lyrics, as was often the case with this prolific composer, arranger and pianist, were added after the melody was written and may have suffered from not having the music and words worked on together as in the case of so many effective song writing teams closely collaborating from beginning to end of the song creation.
As David Raksin, composer of Laura once told me, Director Otto Preminger wanted to use Sophisticated Lady as the main theme for the movie. Raksin argued that there too many memories already associated with the tune written 11 years before the movie was being finished. Preminger gave Raksin the weekend to come up with something he could accept or he would have used the Ellington/Parish song. Despite the fact Raksin just learned that weekend that his wife was leaving him, he managed to stumble through a number of melodic ideas before he hit on the essential tune which is the much cherished " Laura."
Ella Fitzgerald sings with a mature woman's understanding of the follies of so-called sophisticated lifestyles and ending of a love that flickered and died."
LINK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMig_hV1se8
As David Raksin, composer of Laura once told me, Director Otto Preminger wanted to use Sophisticated Lady as the main theme for the movie. Raksin argued that there too many memories already associated with the tune written 11 years before the movie was being finished. Preminger gave Raksin the weekend to come up with something he could accept or he would have used the Ellington/Parish song. Despite the fact Raksin just learned that weekend that his wife was leaving him, he managed to stumble through a number of melodic ideas before he hit on the essential tune which is the much cherished " Laura."
Ella Fitzgerald sings with a mature woman's understanding of the follies of so-called sophisticated lifestyles and ending of a love that flickered and died."
LINK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMig_hV1se8
" ALONE TOGETHER" --- POIGNANT LOVE SONG BY SCHWARTZ & DIETZ
"Alone Together" --Poignant Love Song by Schwartz & Dietz. For a 1932 show " Flying Colors" Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz wrote what Author Alec Wilder described as " Remarkable ,brooding ballad" and stating that he was " Simply surprised that the state of being together suggests such melancholy and that the aloneness is made more of in the melody than the togetherness, nor do I say that flippantly."
Nonetheless, it is a compelling song that more optimistically states in the bridge that " Our love, is as deep as the sea, our love, is as deep as a love can be" and concluding " And we can weather the great unknown, if we're alone.....together."
The dramatic structure and melody of the song is offset by the declaration of a sincere and undying love.
In this performance, Ella Fitzgeral teams with arranger Nelson Riddle in a driving, up-tempo version that does justice to the intense nature of the melody while stressing the nature of the singer's undying love. The rhythmic thrust maintains the tension created by both the words and the music. This is mature song writing craftsmanship.
Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U84GERCaJic
Nonetheless, it is a compelling song that more optimistically states in the bridge that " Our love, is as deep as the sea, our love, is as deep as a love can be" and concluding " And we can weather the great unknown, if we're alone.....together."
The dramatic structure and melody of the song is offset by the declaration of a sincere and undying love.
In this performance, Ella Fitzgeral teams with arranger Nelson Riddle in a driving, up-tempo version that does justice to the intense nature of the melody while stressing the nature of the singer's undying love. The rhythmic thrust maintains the tension created by both the words and the music. This is mature song writing craftsmanship.
Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U84GERCaJic
Sunday, 17 November 2013
COLE PORTER STATED " I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU"
Cole Porter stated " I Get A Kick Out Of You."" In 1934, Cole Porter introduced one of his most famous Broadway scores. "Anything Goes" , in addition to the title song he also provided " All Through The Night" Blow, Gabriel Blow" "You're The Top" as well as " I Get A Kick Out Of You."
This song is comprised of a series of step-wise statements, a technique also favored by Richard Rodgers and it is one of Porter's best known and performed songs. Like many of Porter's songs, it is as popular as much for the witty lyrics as for the melody .Jazz musicians favor this song for its looseness and a structure that encourages improvising by jazz instrumentalists.
Frank Sinatra had a natural affinity for the lyrics of Cole Porter-they were sexy, saucy and often impudent, qualities that were quite natural for Sinatra to enact.. This version is an easy-going swinging arrangement with a smaller ensemble. The way Frank stretches out the word " fabulous" at the end of the verse singing " Your " ....FABULOUS face is indicative of what is to follow inn the main chorus. Every time Sinatra sings the word " kick" as in " I get a kick" out of you" there is a loud drum accent right after the word. It helps further emphasize Porter's desire to show how much the singer really gets an emotional boost out of the person to whom the song is directed.
This is Sinatra after his signing by Capitol Records and beginning to work with Nelson Riddle and Billy May whose arrangements were much more contemporary and swinging than those of Gordon Jenkins and some earlier arrangers from the Columbia years.
LINK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-62MuHsQBk
This song is comprised of a series of step-wise statements, a technique also favored by Richard Rodgers and it is one of Porter's best known and performed songs. Like many of Porter's songs, it is as popular as much for the witty lyrics as for the melody .Jazz musicians favor this song for its looseness and a structure that encourages improvising by jazz instrumentalists.
Frank Sinatra had a natural affinity for the lyrics of Cole Porter-they were sexy, saucy and often impudent, qualities that were quite natural for Sinatra to enact.. This version is an easy-going swinging arrangement with a smaller ensemble. The way Frank stretches out the word " fabulous" at the end of the verse singing " Your " ....FABULOUS face is indicative of what is to follow inn the main chorus. Every time Sinatra sings the word " kick" as in " I get a kick" out of you" there is a loud drum accent right after the word. It helps further emphasize Porter's desire to show how much the singer really gets an emotional boost out of the person to whom the song is directed.
This is Sinatra after his signing by Capitol Records and beginning to work with Nelson Riddle and Billy May whose arrangements were much more contemporary and swinging than those of Gordon Jenkins and some earlier arrangers from the Columbia years.
LINK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-62MuHsQBk
Saturday, 16 November 2013
MEL TORME & GEORGE SHEARING -JAZZ MAGIC ON " PICK YOURSELF UP"
Mel Torme & George Shearing-Jazz Magic on " Pick Yourself Up"
Torme and Shearing performed as a duet team for a number of years and demonstrated complete compatibility and a marvellous interplay of ideas and technique. They thought and played as one voice as evidenced in the is Berlin concert version of Jerome Kerns and Dorothy Fields classic " Pick Yourself Up." Torme acts out both the Astaire and Rogers parts , including the verse before beginning the main chorus.
Then Shearing morphs into a J.S.Bach-like improvisational solo that takes off into the stratosphere before Torme joins into a spectacular series of improvised lyrics and melodic interplay.Near the end, Torme hits such a height of inspired jazz singing that Shearing throws up his hands in delight applauding Torme's inspired singing. This is singing and playing of the highest order and two jazz giants combining their talents in the same way that Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond would unite in lengthy improvised passages as in their classic performance of Kern's " All The Things You Are."
The Torme /Shearing performance also includes a sensitive performance of " Stardust" by Hoagy Carmichael and Mitchell Parish that demonstrates the versatility of the two musical partners to both swing hard and serenade ever so sweetly.
LINK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q97ho7npMcU
Torme and Shearing performed as a duet team for a number of years and demonstrated complete compatibility and a marvellous interplay of ideas and technique. They thought and played as one voice as evidenced in the is Berlin concert version of Jerome Kerns and Dorothy Fields classic " Pick Yourself Up." Torme acts out both the Astaire and Rogers parts , including the verse before beginning the main chorus.
Then Shearing morphs into a J.S.Bach-like improvisational solo that takes off into the stratosphere before Torme joins into a spectacular series of improvised lyrics and melodic interplay.Near the end, Torme hits such a height of inspired jazz singing that Shearing throws up his hands in delight applauding Torme's inspired singing. This is singing and playing of the highest order and two jazz giants combining their talents in the same way that Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond would unite in lengthy improvised passages as in their classic performance of Kern's " All The Things You Are."
The Torme /Shearing performance also includes a sensitive performance of " Stardust" by Hoagy Carmichael and Mitchell Parish that demonstrates the versatility of the two musical partners to both swing hard and serenade ever so sweetly.
LINK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q97ho7npMcU
Friday, 15 November 2013
MEL TORME'S FINE SONG " BORN TO BE BLUE"
Mel Torme's Own Song- Born To Be Blue" As virtuoso a singer as he was, Mel Torme was also an excellent songwriter with his Christmas Song a perennial favourite starting with " Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.....") His song Born To Be Blue with lyrics by Robert Wells is excellent and to quote Jenness & Velsey " It's closer to real blues style than most pop songs, in that it uses the flatted 3 and 6 ( intervals) a lot and also has the pattern roughly, of the blues syllogism: two short declarative phrases followed by one long summative phrase." They also conclude that " The lyric is well-integrated invoking a range of color terms that renders blue more poignant."
If there is someone who comes closer to technically perfect singing than Torme, please let me know.
First of all, he has more musical training than most singers-he can arrange songs for orchestras, play piano and is also an excellent drummer. He is the only "scat" singer in the same league as Ella Fitzgerald and as his friend and intrepid scholar Will Friedwald recounts in A Biographical Guide ToThe Great Jazz and Pop Singers, no other singer could embody the tenderest poetry of Cole Porter one minute and then a song later, ditch the words altogether to fly off into the scatosphere."
Although Torme was a perfectionist, he may have lacked the emotional and dramatic
power of Sinatra or the happy "goomba" warmth of Tony Bennett. As a jazz singer he leaves both Sinatra and Bennett in the dust , especially in his thrilling improvisational flights of fancy with George Shearing which will be featured in the next post.
Listen and enjoy vocal artistry that your unlikely to hear again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJkdMMrIyRs
If there is someone who comes closer to technically perfect singing than Torme, please let me know.
First of all, he has more musical training than most singers-he can arrange songs for orchestras, play piano and is also an excellent drummer. He is the only "scat" singer in the same league as Ella Fitzgerald and as his friend and intrepid scholar Will Friedwald recounts in A Biographical Guide ToThe Great Jazz and Pop Singers, no other singer could embody the tenderest poetry of Cole Porter one minute and then a song later, ditch the words altogether to fly off into the scatosphere."
Although Torme was a perfectionist, he may have lacked the emotional and dramatic
power of Sinatra or the happy "goomba" warmth of Tony Bennett. As a jazz singer he leaves both Sinatra and Bennett in the dust , especially in his thrilling improvisational flights of fancy with George Shearing which will be featured in the next post.
Listen and enjoy vocal artistry that your unlikely to hear again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJkdMMrIyRs
Thursday, 14 November 2013
W.C.HANDY' AND HIS " St. LOUIS BLUES"
W.C.Handy and his" St. Louis Blues" Alec Wilder , writing in American Popular Song: The Great Innovators; 1900-1950" concluded that " No American song is better known or has had more performances than St. Louis Blues. It most certainly is one of the most notable of popular music landmarks. Handy's many blues are a marvellous contribution to the body of American popular song." It is also is instructive to quote Isaac Goldberg writing about Handy's important blues development role in his book Tin Pan Alley.
" Willian Christopher Handy " the father of the blues" is not the inventor of the genre: he
is its Moses, not its Jehovah. It was he who, first of the musicians, codified the new spirit
in African (Negro) music and sent it forth upon its conquest of the North.
The " rag" has sung and danced the joyous aspects of Negro life.
The "blues," new only in their emergence, sang the sorrows of secular existence
Goldberg also said " Handy was the first to set jazz down upon paper-to fix the quality of the various 'breaks" as these wildly filled in pauses were named. With a succession of " blues' he fixed the genre."
The " blues " undoubtedly is the most purely indigenous American popular music invention. Other innovations in popular song were also created through harmonic and melodic devices which essentially were drawn from European and formal compositional roots. Even Duke Ellington's jazz pieces drew heavily upon the modern " French" harmony of Ravel and Debussy.
" St. Louis Blues" is quite unique since it is written in four distinct segments. It starts with the
usual 12 bar sections each with different lyrics. The third section is in the form of a tango reflecting early Spanish New Orleans. with the lyric stating" St. Louis Woman, wid her diamin' rings" . This "Spanish" segment is most unusual and instantly memorable.The final section is another 12 bar blues chorus. Not all recorded versions follow the sheet music since the song does inspire performers to take liberties with both the music and lyrics.
Bessie Smith, known as the" Empress of The Blues" is featured in a dramatized filmed segment in which she portray a sad and broken woman, living example of what Isacc Golberg had said what the blues were all about " The sorrows of secular existence" especially for Afro-Americans before and during W.C Handy's era.
Bessie is accompanied by an small orchestra and a chorus which lends an essence of the spiritual tradition in a song that is anything but spiritual in tone or intent. Bessie Smith's own life was filled with the sadness and despair echoed in the song and her performance does reflect what the blues is all about.
A more reflective version is provided by Maxine Sullivan who led a much different life than Bessie Smith which is evident in her more relaxed yet poignant style.. Two black women with different histories find commonality in an immortal W.C.Handy composition.
BESSIE SMITH LINK:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Who6fTHJ34
MAXINE SULLIVAN LINK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_aai_ItJ7E
" Willian Christopher Handy " the father of the blues" is not the inventor of the genre: he
is its Moses, not its Jehovah. It was he who, first of the musicians, codified the new spirit
in African (Negro) music and sent it forth upon its conquest of the North.
The " rag" has sung and danced the joyous aspects of Negro life.
The "blues," new only in their emergence, sang the sorrows of secular existence
Goldberg also said " Handy was the first to set jazz down upon paper-to fix the quality of the various 'breaks" as these wildly filled in pauses were named. With a succession of " blues' he fixed the genre."
The " blues " undoubtedly is the most purely indigenous American popular music invention. Other innovations in popular song were also created through harmonic and melodic devices which essentially were drawn from European and formal compositional roots. Even Duke Ellington's jazz pieces drew heavily upon the modern " French" harmony of Ravel and Debussy.
" St. Louis Blues" is quite unique since it is written in four distinct segments. It starts with the
usual 12 bar sections each with different lyrics. The third section is in the form of a tango reflecting early Spanish New Orleans. with the lyric stating" St. Louis Woman, wid her diamin' rings" . This "Spanish" segment is most unusual and instantly memorable.The final section is another 12 bar blues chorus. Not all recorded versions follow the sheet music since the song does inspire performers to take liberties with both the music and lyrics.
Bessie Smith, known as the" Empress of The Blues" is featured in a dramatized filmed segment in which she portray a sad and broken woman, living example of what Isacc Golberg had said what the blues were all about " The sorrows of secular existence" especially for Afro-Americans before and during W.C Handy's era.
Bessie is accompanied by an small orchestra and a chorus which lends an essence of the spiritual tradition in a song that is anything but spiritual in tone or intent. Bessie Smith's own life was filled with the sadness and despair echoed in the song and her performance does reflect what the blues is all about.
A more reflective version is provided by Maxine Sullivan who led a much different life than Bessie Smith which is evident in her more relaxed yet poignant style.. Two black women with different histories find commonality in an immortal W.C.Handy composition.
BESSIE SMITH LINK:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Who6fTHJ34
MAXINE SULLIVAN LINK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_aai_ItJ7E
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