Sunday, 25 November 2018

I REMEMBER YOU   BY TONY BENNETT This tender ballad was written by composer Victor Schertzinger and lyricist extraordinarejohnny Mercer. It cherishes the memory of a loved one  pointing out that " And when the angels ask me to recall, the thrill of it all, I will tell them I remember you." 
The arrangement is by Johnny Mandel. the masterful arranger and film composer of Emily, The Shadow of your Smile and the theme from M.A.S.H. 

 https://youtu.be/Yslez7Ds0xM

Tuesday, 20 November 2018

Serenata   is an elegant song bt Leroy Anderson ( Blue Tango, Belle of the Ball ,sleigh Ride) all introduced by the Boston Pops. The lyrics were by Mitchell Parrish who wrote a number of songs with Hoagy Carmicheal  ( Stardust, Stars Fell on Alabama and Sophisticated Lasdy with Duke Ellington. This version is sung by Nat Cole accompanid by another great piano player George Shearing.

 https://youtu.be/RLcz_C-K4mI
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

Sunday, 18 November 2018

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

Sunday, 28 October 2018

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

Sunday, 7 October 2018

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