# great american songbook



## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

a thread to share our favorites, both vocal or instrumental versions.
This one is Walter Donaldson's Little white lies, a tune I knew for a gorgeous rendition made by Red Norvo with Mingus and Tal Farlow 





and this one is a vocal version made by Marion Harris in 1930, the same year it was written


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## Metairie Road (Apr 30, 2014)

Walter Donaldson wrote some great songs. My favorite being 'My Baby Just Cares for Me' a song he wrote in collaboration with Gus Kahn. Lot's of good up-tempo versions from the 1930's, but Nina Simone's 1958 recording just about nails it.

*Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For Me*





I much prefer 1940's Ella. What an amazingly sweet voice she had.

*Ella Fitzgerald and The Delta Rhythm Boys - It's A Pity To Say Goodnight*





Sublime. 'nuff said.
*Dinah Washington - September In The Rain*





Best wishes
Metairie Road


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)




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## Norse (May 10, 2010)

This one (based on this performance) got completely stuck in my head for a couple of days after I came across it. (Cole Porter, 1934)


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Metairie Road said:


> Walter Donaldson wrote some great songs.


 I knew september in the rain and My baby just cares for me but not the other one... I have to explore his work, it seems that he was extremely prolific.
Changing author, Jerome Moross wrote Lazy afternoon that as Don Sebesky said, is "as good as anything by Franz Schubert". This version made by Lucy Reed is one of those pieces I would bring with me on the desert island:


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## mirepoix (Feb 1, 2014)

Norse said:


> This one (based on this performance) got completely stuck in my head for a couple of days after I came across it. (Cole Porter, 1934)


Arranged and conducted by Buddy Bregman - those sessions are an incredible highlight in Ella's career.


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

starthrower said:


>


Carmen's version of "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" -- by Michel LeGrand, so it's technically not Great _American_ Songbook  -- slays me every time I hear it.

Love that whole record. It also features Jimmy Rowles, the world's greatest jazz accompanist.


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

It's easy to take a pianist like *Dick Hyman* for granted, but I think these three solo-piano CDs are extraordinary:









*Dick Hyman Plays Harold Arlen: Blues in the Night*









*Face the Music: A Century of Irving Berlin*









*Cole Porter: All Through the Night*


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

JACE said:


> Carmen's version of "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" -- by Michel LeGrand, so it's technically not Great _American_ Songbook  -- slays me every time I hear it.
> 
> Love that whole record. It also features Jimmy Rowles, the world's greatest jazz accompanist.


I don't if he's the greatest but Rowles as accompanist is one of my favorites too. About LeGrand, technically he's french but it seems that many have an idea of the songbook that includes also those authors influenced by that sound, so LeGrand could be considered part of that tradition. After all it's difficult not to think of pieces like Lullaby of Birdland or September song as parts of the g.a.s.
(case in point, this perfect rendition of "A Nightingale sang in Berkeley square" made by Anita O'day, it's hard to think that it wasn't composed by an american musician)


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

norman bates said:


> I don't if he's the greatest but Rowles as accompanist is one of my favorites too.


You're right. Can't say he's "the greatest." But he is/was wonderful indeed. And not just as an accompanist either.



norman bates said:


> About LeGrand, technically he's french but it seems that many have an idea of the songbook that includes also those authors influenced by that sound, so LeGrand could be considered part of that tradition. After all it's difficult not to think of pieces like Lullaby of Birdland or September song as parts of the g.a.s.
> (case in point, this perfect rendition of "A Nightingale sang in Berkeley square" made by Anita O'day, it's hard to think that it wasn't composed by an american musician)


I hear you. "Honorary G.A.S." That makes sense.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

*"Stardust"*

"Stardust". One of my favorites is when Willie Nelson sings it (One of my favorite C & W)


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

arpeggio said:


> "Stardust". One of my favorites is when Willie Nelson sings it (One of my favorite C & W)


It's probably my favorite version too, my only pet peeve is that it's a song with a fantastic verse, so with it I would have liked it even more, but it's clear that Nelson truly loved the piece (not suprisingly, considering that it's a perfect song). A beautiful album, I remember also great versions of Moonlight in Vermont and September song. 
Considering complete versions of Stardust, my favorite is probably the one made by Nat King Cole


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## Metairie Road (Apr 30, 2014)

When Frank was just a vocalist with the band 1940.

*Tommy Dorsey Orchestra - Let's Get Away From It All*
with Connie Haines, Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers





Nat from his 'Jazz trio' days.

*Nat King Cole - Exactly Like You*





Best wishes
Metairie Road


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Re: Stardust, I love Ben Webster's version with Johnny Otis on vibes.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

The irresistible On the sunny side of the street, written by Jimmy McHugh (but there are those who say that the music was actually written by Fats waller) and Dorothy Fields, strummed on a cello 





and two classic versions made by Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet


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## JohnD (Jan 27, 2014)

The series of Songbook albums that Rosemary Clooney recorded for Concord Records are exceptional. They're available as separate CDs and six of them are collected here:


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## Vronsky (Jan 5, 2015)

Marvin Gaye -- Trouble man


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Among classic Jazz singers, *Ella Fitzgerald* and *Sarah Vaughan* have both recorded several albums devoted to composers and lyricists of the Great American Songbook (GAS). But another more recent singer to do so, and to focus also on some composers not as often anthologized is *Michael Feinstein*.

His recordings of the songs of *Jule Styne*, *Harry Warren* and *Jerry Herman *are all excellent. He's also done a couple of albums of Gershwin music. But a recording which I recently discovered is by the *Alexander String Quartet* with a clarinet guest, *Joan Enric Lluna* where they do a suite from _Porgy and Bess_ and a selection of songs by *Jerome Kern*.

*Gershwin & Kern*
Alexander String Quartet, Joan Enric Lluna










Jerome Kern, possibly the greatest melodist among the GAS composers, has been the focus by a number of recordings, but this one is special, and apt for TC. The arrangements are very well done.


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2022)

I'd have to agree with you about Jerome Kern; not only that, the sophistication of his musical skills. His use of enharmonic modulations and unusual melodic lines are all testament to this. Here's an example of what I'm talking about. Just listen to the melody line - moving from major to minor - and the way it tracks; "but now the clouds have passed; _you're here at last_".






Kern does something similar in "Never Gonna Dance" from "*Swing Time*". It's the main reason I love this song, despite it's culturally-specific references: and the dialogue is rather corny! We might say that this song is 'through-composed':






Yet another example of those enharmonic changes and the unpredictable melody line. *An absolute masterpiece*: you might use the words Linda Ronstadt once did about Cole Porter..."like a cotton reel unravelling".






I don't think people fully understood, at the time, the phenomenal musical skills which gave rise to this music.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Christabel said:


> I'd have to agree with you about Jerome Kern; not only that, the sophistication of his musical skills. His use of enharmonic modulations and unusual melodic lines are all testament to this. Here's an example of what I'm talking about. Just listen to the melody line - moving from major to minor - and the way it tracks; "but now the clouds have passed; _you're here at last_".
> 
> Kern does something similar in "Never Gonna Dance" from "*Swing Time*". It's the main reason I love this song, despite it's culturally-specific references: and the dialogue is rather corny! We might say that this song is 'through-composed'


"Long Ago, and Far Away" is one of my all time favorite songs. I agree that his harmonic movement in his songs is fairly sophisticated. Just look at "All the Things You Are", where aside from a fleeting momentary cadence, the chord progression wanders around the cycle of fifths before finally arriving at the tonic at the very end, which is one reason why it was a favorite of Jazz musicians.

There isn't a song in his entire catalog which does not have some distinguishing feature.


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2022)

Completely agree. Remember the film "Hannah and Her Sisters" when two of the sisters audition for a NY show and each of them sings two of the Kern songs we've discussed - reflecting the personal musical tastes of Woody Allen. Right there, piano accompaniment and all, we get a tiny snapshot of the uniqueness of Kern and difficulty of his musical lines for singers. It was a highlight of that film, for me, along with this: "You are Too Beautiful" at 22:49, Rodgers & Hart.


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2022)

The music we've been discussing here is not only fabulously original, intelligent and supremely musical but TOTAL CLASS is part of its DNA.


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*Kisses In The Rain John Pizzarelli* (2000, Telarc)


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2022)

Without doubt, this is the very best version of this song I've ever heard: "It Might as Well be Spring", Rodgers & Hammerstein.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

Metairie Road said:


> When Frank was just a vocalist with the band 1940.
> 
> *Tommy Dorsey Orchestra - Let's Get Away From It All*
> with Connie Haines, Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers
> ...


My dad lived near Pasadena, and took the "Red Line" all the way to the Santa Monica pier to see Dorsey's band play. Everyone thought that "skinny kid" sang really well.

I find it interesting that most of the Big Bands employed vocalists for gigs and recordings, yet the singers weren't the headliner; it was the bandleader. Singers and instrumental soloists were treated about the same . . . they'd come to the mic, or stood up where they were, and performed their solo.

It's rare these days, but not unheard of: Van Halen, The J. Geils Band, Santana come to mind.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Christabel said:


> Without doubt, this is the very best version of this song I've ever heard: "It Might as Well be Spring", Rodgers & Hammerstein.


Mel Tormé was a great singer. His recording of _Porgy & Bess_ is a classic. George Shearing did a record with *Nancy Wilson* that is something you probably would enjoy _The Swingin's Mutual_ - as is Wilson's collaboration with the *Cannonball Adderley Quintet*. These were done back to back and feature Nancy Wilson in a Jazz small band setting which is very well done. And the song selection is fantastic.


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## Guest (Jan 4, 2022)

SanAntone said:


> Mel Tormé was a great singer. His recording of _Porgy & Bess_ is a classic. George Shearing did a record with *Nancy Wilson* that is something you probably would enjoy _The Swingin's Mutual_ - as is Wilson's collaboration with the *Cannonball Adderley Quintet*. These were done back to back and feature Nancy Wilson in a Jazz small band setting which is very well done. And the song selection is fantastic.


Thank you for this; when things settle down I'll investigate. Right now life is super stressful as we're moving house, have a settlement date for this house we've just sold - and our new house isn't finished!! But the biggest stressor of all, above and beyond anything, trying to advise companies of our change of address!!

I love Mel Torme and that Concord Jazz boxed set contains about 8 CDs with Shearing and Torme. Here's another one:


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## Guest (Jan 4, 2022)

I just couldn't resist this total class act!! Again, the stunning music of Jerome Kern.


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## Guest (Jan 4, 2022)

You probably already know about this:


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## Guest (Jan 4, 2022)

And this is just superb in every way:


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## Guest (Jan 4, 2022)




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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*Today, Tomorrow, Forever Nancy Wilson* (1964, Capitol)

Great collection of American Standards including my favorite version of_ I Left My Heart In San Francisco_ (above, sorry Tony!  ).


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

SanAntone said:


> Among classic Jazz singers, *Ella Fitzgerald* and *Sarah Vaughan* have both recorded several albums devoted to composers and lyricists of the Great American Songbook (GAS). But another more recent singer to do so, and to focus also on some composers not as often anthologized is *Michael Feinstein*.
> 
> His recordings of the songs of *Jule Styne*, *Harry Warren* and *Jerry Herman *are all excellent. He's also done a couple of albums of Gershwin music. But a recording which I recently discovered is by the *Alexander String Quartet* with a clarinet guest, *Joan Enric Lluna* where they do a suite from _Porgy and Bess_ and a selection of songs by *Jerome Kern*.
> 
> ...


Sylvia McNair released a lovely album of Kern songs. She had the benefit of accompaniment by Andre Previn. I also have albums dedicated to Rodgers and Hart by Joan Morris and William Bolcom, Dawn Upshaw, and (believe it or not) The Supremes. And of course I have the eight Ella Songbooks (not including Jobim - which I should pick up).


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*please don't talk about me when i'm gone 
billie holiday*


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

Listening to earlier renditions of the Sam H. Stept/Sidney Clare tune makes you appreciate what Billie did with it even more.






*Bert Lown & His Hotel Biltmore Orchestra*
(Hotel orchestras. Boy, that's a few moons ago!  )






*Preservation Hall Jazz Band*


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

That last track got me up making red beans & rice, cajun style. haha good, too.






*bourbon street parade (paul barbarin) preservation jazz hall band
*


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

Back in the 1960s I watched a TV show count down the 10 top popular songs of the 20th century. This may have been a Time Life special. These were all pre-rock - in fact, the list doesn’t include any post 1950 songs. All are certainly deserving of consideration.

Guesses?


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

jegreenwood said:


> Back in the 1960s I watched a TV show count down the 10 top popular songs of the 20th century. This may have been a Time Life special. These were all pre-rock - in fact, the list doesn't include any post 1950 songs. All are certainly deserving of consideration.
> 
> Guesses?


So many to pick from and hard to gauge taste in the 60s but here's some that I would name:

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
You're the Top
I'll Be Seeing You
April in Paris
How Deep is the Ocean
Somewhere Over the Rainbow

I dunno - could be anything ...


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

SanAntone said:


> So many to pick from and hard to gauge taste in the 60s but here's some that I would name:
> 
> Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
> You're the Top
> ...


Somewhere Over the Rainbow was on the list.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

SanAntone said:


> Among classic Jazz singers, *Ella Fitzgerald* and *Sarah Vaughan* have both recorded several albums devoted to composers and lyricists of the Great American Songbook (GAS). But another more recent singer to do so, and to focus also on some composers not as often anthologized is *Michael Feinstein*.
> 
> His recordings of the songs of *Jule Styne*, *Harry Warren* and *Jerry Herman *are all excellent. He's also done a couple of albums of Gershwin music. But a recording which I recently discovered is by the *Alexander String Quartet* with a clarinet guest, *Joan Enric Lluna* where they do a suite from _Porgy and Bess_ and a selection of songs by *Jerome Kern*.
> 
> ...


Feinstein's Below 54 (Studio 54 that is - now a Broadway theater) is a very popular cabaret in NYC. I saw him in concert many years ago. That's where I first heard the lyrics to Cole Porter's "Can-Can," now my third favorite of his "list songs" after "You're the Top" and "Let's Do It." Alas, I cannot find a recording that includes all of them.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Sadly it appears as though *Christabel* has quit the forum. I suspect it was because of a thread which spawned some moderator activity against several members.

She (I believe Christabel was a woman) was interested in musical theater and Sondheim and the Great American Songbook and her absence will be noted in those threads.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

SanAntone said:


> So many to pick from and hard to gauge taste in the 60s but here's some that I would name:
> 
> Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
> You're the Top
> ...


Some hints - no Porter, Berlin, or Rodgers.

About half the songs do not follow the traditional 32 bar AABA format.

I'll post the list tomorrow.


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

jegreenwood said:


> Back in the 1960s I watched a TV show count down the 10 top popular songs of the 20th century. This may have been a Time Life special. These were all pre-rock - in fact, the list doesn't include any post 1950 songs. All are certainly deserving of consideration.
> 
> Guesses?


Ok, these are what I consider some of the most covered standards (at least by jazz cats) -

_As Time Goes By
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
Misty
Time After Time
Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered
My Favorite Things
You Stepped Out Of a Dream
Everytime We Say Goodbye
For All We Know
The Good Ship Lollipop_ 

SanAntone is right, could be anything.


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*devil may care diana krall* (1955, Bob Dorough, Terrell P. Jr. Kirk)


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

ando said:


> *devil may care diana krall* (1955, Bob Dorough, Terrell P. Jr. Kirk)


first recording -






*Les Elgart & His Orchestra (1955)*


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*love is good for anything that ails you bernadette peters and company*
*Pennies from Heaven Soundtrack*
by Cliff Friend and Matty Malneck, 1937


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*let's face the music and dance fred astaire*
1936, Irving Berlin


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*oh! lady be good ella fitzgerald*
1924, George and Ira Gershwin


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

ando said:


> Ok, these are what I consider some of the most covered standards (at least by jazz cats) -
> 
> _As Time Goes By
> Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
> ...


OK - the list and a correction. The sponsor was Bell Telephone.

The songs were:

Stardust (which came in first - I don't recall the order of the rest)
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Stormy Weather
Blues in the Night
Someone to Watch Over Me
Summertime
All the Things You Are
St. Louis Blues
September Song
Body and Soul

Why I still remember this after over 50 years is a mystery to me. It was probably one of the first lists I'd come across.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

jegreenwood said:


> OK - the list and a correction. The sponsor was Bell Telephone.
> 
> The songs were:
> 
> ...


I almost chose All the Things You Are but went with Smoke Gets in Your Eyes instead. Nice to see a couple of Harold Arlen songs, Blues in the Night and Stormy Weather make the list.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

SanAntone said:


> I almost chose All the Things You Are but went with Smoke Gets in Your Eyes instead. Nice to see a couple of Harold Arlen songs, Blues in the Night and Stormy Weather make the list.


I don't object to Stardust being ranked No. 1. Heck, the *verse *is better than almost any other song I can think of.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

jegreenwood said:


> I don't object to Stardust being ranked No. 1. Heck, the *verse *is better than almost any other song I can think of.


Stardust is a great song - but I prefer one of his others, Skylark.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

SanAntone said:


> Stardust is a great song - but I prefer one of his others, Skylark.







This is the recording I go to.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

jegreenwood said:


> This is the recording I go to.


Carmichael based the melody on a solo by Bix Biederbecke, and Johnny Mercer wrote the lyrics (supposedly it took him almost a year). All in all a great effort.


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

jegreenwood said:


> OK - the list and a correction. The sponsor was Bell Telephone.
> 
> The songs were:
> 
> ...


Very mid 20th Century.


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*did you ever see a dream walking? bing crosby*
music by Harry Revel, lyrics by Mack Gordon


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Since there was a mention of the most covered standards, this is a great one with Ben Webster and Hank Jones. It feels like a full-body massage.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

Manxfeeder said:


> Since there was a mention of the most covered standards, this is a great one with Ben Webster and Hank Jones. It feels like a full-body massage.


Thanks! I hadn't listened to the album for some time, so I played it this morning.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

There are several artists that come to mind when I think of more modern covers of American Classics. *Ringo Starr* recorded an album of classics way back in 1970. *Paul McCartney* recently released an album, Kisses On the Bottom, and _Rod Stewart_ went that route decades ago.

*Michael Feinstein, Harry Connick Jr., Barbra Streisand*, and *Michael Bublé* are frequently in the genre.

But there's a couple of albums from *Mandy Patinkin* that always stick with me . . . His more gentle songs are so very gentle, and his manic songs are extraordinarily manic


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

pianozach said:


> There are several artists that come to mind when I think of more modern covers of American Classics. *Ringo Starr* recorded an album of classics way back in 1970. *Paul McCartney* recently released an album, Kisses On the Bottom, and _Rod Stewart_ went that route decades ago.
> 
> *Michael Feinstein, Harry Connick Jr., Barbra Streisand*, and *Michael Bublé* are frequently in the genre.
> 
> But there's a couple of albums from *Mandy Patinkin* that always stick with me . . . His more gentle songs are so very gentle, and his manic songs are extraordinarily manic


I haven't listened to the Rod Stewart series of records, he did at least three maybe more, of the Great American Songbook. Several Rock and Pop singers have gone this route: Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Willie Nelson, there's others. Of course there's Bob Dylan's three excellent records devoted to the Frank Sinatra catalog. I especially like his versions since he uses a modified country band sound with steel guitar.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

pianozach said:


> There are several artists that come to mind when I think of more modern covers of American Classics.


My personal favourite is Bryan Ferry's As time goes by from 1999:











 As Time Goes By
 The Way You Look Tonight
 Easy Living
 I'm In The Mood For Love
 Where Or When
 When Somebody Thinks You're Wonderful
 Sweet And Lovely
 Miss Otis Regrets
 Time On My Hands
 Lover Come Back To Me
 Falling In Love Again
 Love Me Or Leave Me
 You Do Something To Me
 Just One Of Those Things
 September Song

As Time Goes By is the tenth solo album by the British singer Bryan Ferry. Fifteen jazz standards, in an instrumentation representative for café-dansants of the thirties, sung by one of the best crooners in the pop/rock business. It could have been an absolute snore fest, it actually is one of my all-time favourite albums (just under top ten). As one critic put it: "the results are both predictable and thrilling, musically tasteful but as emotionally raw as good manners will allow." All songs are great, but some are even greater than others, such as As Time Goes By, Miss Otis Regrets, September Song, and especially the gorgeous I'm In The Mood For Love and Where Or When (two of my all-time favourite songs). An exquisite album.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

SanAntone said:


> I haven't listened to the Rod Stewart series of records, he did at least three maybe more, of the Great American Songbook. Several Rock and Pop singers have gone this route: Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Willie Nelson, there's others. Of course there's Bob Dylan's three excellent records devoted to the Frank Sinatra catalog. I especially like his versions since he uses a modified country band sound with steel guitar.


Linda Ronstadt had the benefit of Nelson Riddle's band (and mostly his arrangements, although as I recall Riddle dies during the recording of the third album). I saw Ronstadt and Riddle at Radio City Music Hall, and it was wonderful. Riddle did a masterful arrangement of "Desperado" as an encore.

The Willie Nelson album is great too.

There are some classical singers who have successfully crossed over (mostly American it seems to me - Kiri Te Kanawa does not cut it as Eliza Doolittle). I enjoy albums by Sylvia McNair and Dawn Upshaw.

Also the careers of Mandy Patinkin and Barbra Streisand started on Broadway, so I don't really consider them crossovers. They are both great singers, though.


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*Darn That Dream* music by Jimmy Van Heusen, lyrics by Eddie DeLange.






*nancy wilson*
Love her hushed, almost confessional then unexpectedly plaintive turn on it.






*benny goodman & his orchestra featuring mildred bailey*
The first published version.






*gerry mulligan, chet baker, carson smith, larry bunker *
The male vocals that come in halfway through almost wreck it and Chet had better nights but Mulligan lifts it to the heavens. Nice horn tandem.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

Billie Holiday's version.


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*cole porter assortment*






*anything goes helen reddy*
Sang from the American Songbook? Sounds good, though. 






*everytime we say goodbye annie lennox
*






*too darned hot ann miller & company
*






*you can do no wrong judy garland*
Not a well known Porter song but Judy sells it!






*anything goes ethel merman*
Only one.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

ando said:


> *cole porter assortment*
> 
> . . . .
> 
> ...


That Annie Lennox track is my second favorite from _Red, Hot + Blue_. This one is my favorite:






And here's another one and only:






I saw this _Anything Goes_ the week that it opened. I left walking on air. My most joyous theatergoing experience of all time.


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

jegreenwood said:


> And here's another one and only:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My God, she was awesome! Thanks.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

^ If you're interested, Sutton Foster recreated her 2011 Tony award winning performance in the role last year in London. Not sure where you're based, but it was filmed and will be shown in U.S. theaters in March. Sutton's voice can't match Patti's but she's a better dancer.


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*jerry herman run...*






*i don't want to know liza minelli*






*it only takes a moment john barowman
*






*time heals everything bernadette peters*






*before the parade passes by barbra streisand*

*and, of course*






*hello dolly louis armstrong & company*


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

There are better versions, IMO, of "Before the Parade Passes By" - *Bette Midler* and *Carol Channing* to mention two. But it was a great post, Jerry Herman is fantastic.


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

SanAntone said:


> There are better versions, IMO, of "Before the Parade Passes By" - *Bette Midler* and *Carol Channing* to mention two. But it was a great post, Jerry Herman is fantastic.


 Thanks. Herman is pretty good. I posted, probably, the most famous version of _Parade_. Loads of good versions out there including this (as an encore) -






*audra macdonald*


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*standards keith jarrett trio* (2001, Warner Vision Australia)

*Gary Peacock*, bass
*Jack DeJohnette*, drums
*Keith Jarrett*, piano

Jarrett usually featured standards alongside original compositions with his trios. This is one of my favorite live sets of standards. Glad I got a chance to see them live. Not sure if Jarrett will ever play in public again. Peacock passed on in 2020.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

I've long had the albums _Standards 1_ and _Standards 2_ in my collection. Never saw them live though.


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

Couldn't find a nice copy of the LindaRondstat/Nelson Riddle album, _*What's New*_, to post but this promotional concert fits the bill if only for some of the band solos - and, of course, the performances of the two headliners -






setlist

I've Got A Crush On You
What's New
Keeping Out Of Mischief Now
Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry
Falling In Love Again
Someone To Watch Over Me
Hey Daddy
Mr. Sandman
Kalamazoo
Dream
Choo-Choo- Ch'Boogie
I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You
Lover Man Where Can You Be
Good Bye


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

Enjoying this Ella Fitzgerald tribute concert by Patti Austin and The Frankfurt Radio Big Band, who give very entertaining performances of what turned out to be mostly standards from the American Songbook. Good copy.


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*Love Me or Leave Me* music by Walter Donaldson with lyrics by Gus Kahn






*Nina Simone*


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*Cry Me A River* by Arthur Hamilton






*Michael Buble*


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*Get Happy* music by Harold Arlen, lyrics written by Ted Koehler






*Judy Garland & Company*


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

ando said:


> Couldn't find a nice copy of the LindaRondstat/Nelson Riddle album, _*What's New*_, to post but this promotional concert fits the bill if only for some of the band solos - and, of course, the performances of the two headliners -
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I had that video on VHS. My recollection is they performed only in L.A. and NYC (where I saw them). I wish the video included their encore "Desperado."

The album _What's New_ was released on DVD-A. Too bad I don't have a surround set-up.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

ando said:


> Enjoying this Ella Fitzgerald tribute concert by Patti Austin and The Frankfurt Radio Big Band, who give very entertaining performances of what turned out to be mostly standards from the American Songbook. Good copy.


Sampled the video. She has the chops. I see Tidal has a Ella tribute album with Patti and the WDR Big Band.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

ando said:


> *Cry Me A River* by Arthur Hamilton
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I have several recordings of that song, a favorite of mine. Interestingly, two are are on albums released by rock artists: Joe Cocker and Richard Thompson (on this track providing guitar accompaniment to Judith Owem's vocal).






The title of this album derives from Thompson's response to a _circa _1999 poll conducted by Playboy of the greatest pop songs of the millennium. Thompson took the question literally; his list started with "Sumer Is Icumen In."


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

Have yet to listen to his interpretation of standards. Some seem intriguing, though.


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*Things Ain't What They Used To Be* Mercer Ellington

Got so weary of bein' nothin',
Felt so dreary just doin' nothin'
Didn't care ever gettin' nothin', felt so low
Now my eyes on the far horizon can see a glow
Announcin' things ain't what they used to be.
No use bein' a doubtin' Thomas,
No ignorin' that rosy promise;
Now I know there's a happy story yet to come.
It's the dawn of a day of glory: millennium
I tell you things ain't what they used to be.






*ella fitzgerald*






*duke ellington band*






*marian macpartland trio*






*steve gadd band*






*boogaloo joe jones
* my favorite version, haha


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Boogaloo Joe plays some funky chit!


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

ando said:


> Have yet to listen to his interpretation of standards. Some seem intriguing, though.


Here's the 6th track off that album


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

pianozach said:


> Here's the 6th track off that album


 Great interpretation. He sounds as good as he did back in the 70s. Thanks. Here are a couple of fun (recent) versions of _*Sit Down*_...






*jennifer nettles*






*tj lloyd & company*


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

^ Great song. I couldn't find a recording from the 1976 all-black revival, where the mock-gospel aspect was played to the hilt. (There were four encores of the coda in the performance I saw.)

Instead I'll post another Frank Loesser ditty. "Brotherhood of Man," from the Pulitzer Prize winning [!?] _How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying_. The revival starred Harry Potter - I mean Daniel Radcliffe, and this song contains some of the most energetic dancing you will ever see. The introduction is by the two actors who starred in the previous Broadway production.


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

jegreenwood said:


> ^ Great song. I couldn't find a recording from the 1976 all-black revival, where the mock-gospel aspect was played to the hilt. (There were four encores of the coda in the performance I saw.)
> 
> Instead I'll post another Frank Loesser ditty. "Brotherhood of Man," from the Pulitzer Prize winning [!?] _How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying_. The revival starred Harry Potter - I mean Daniel Radcliffe, and this song contains some of the most energetic dancing you will ever see. The introduction is by the two actors who starred in the previous Broadway production.


Hell of a number. Thanks.


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*Optimistic Song* by Herbert Stothart & Harold Arlen

Always loved this one. Felt more like a ditty than fully realized tune. Of course, it's from one of the lighter moments in _The Wizard of Oz_ after Dorothy's run in with The Wicked Witch of the West. 





*Original Soundtrack Recording*

Professional singers usually pair it with other tunes to make a larger statement.






*optimistic voices/lullaby of broadway bette midler*






*optimistic voices/no love dying cécile mclorin salvant *


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*what'll i do* irving berlin






*Nat Cole Trio*






*George Fly*






*Dan Delaney*






*Judy Garland*






*Ruby Braff and Ellis Larkins*


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

Someone had to have had this idea today. 

*Spring Is Here* *Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart*

Once there was a thing called spring
When the world was writng verses
Like yours and mine.

All the lads and girls would sing
When we set a little tables
And drank May wine.

Now April May and June
Are sadly out of tune
Life has stuck the pin in the baloon.

Spring is here!
Why doesn't my heart go dancing ?
Spring is here!
Why isn't the waltz entrancing?
No desire, no ambition leads me,
Maybe it's because nobody needs me.

Spring is here!
Why doesn't the breeze delight me?
Stars appear,
Why doesn't the night invite me?
Maybe it's because nobody loves me.
Spring is here I hear






*Millie Vernon* (new to me, but a new favorite!)






*Cannonball Adderley*






*Audra Macdonald*






*Ralph Bowen Quartet*






*Chet Baker*


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*Lerner & Loewe*

composer Frederick Loewe and librettist Alan Jay Lerner






*almost like being in love natalie cole*






*it's a bore andré previn* (forgot how well Previn could tickle the ivories!)






*i've grown accustomed to her face dean martin*






*get me to the church on time matt dusk* (he does the rarely sung intro)






*there but for you go i frank sinatra*


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

My favorite welcome to spring song.


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

jegreenwood said:


> My favorite welcome to spring song.


My God, that's perfect.


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## ando (Apr 18, 2021)

*Frank Loesser*






*baby, it's cold outside betty carter & ray charles*






*slow boat to china philip seymour hoffman *






*luck be a lady frank sinatra* (who else?? )

more singing actors?






*a woman in love marlon brando & jean simmons*

the man, himself


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

More Loesser - My Heart is So Full of You from The Most Happy Fella






Giorgio Tozzi and Sharon Daniels






Liz Callaway. She and my sister-in-law played on the same tennis team.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

jegreenwood said:


> More Loesser - My Heart is So Full of You from The Most Happy Fella
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I accompanied a production of *The Most Happy Fella*. Two pianists in the pit. Worked pretty well.

Some sophisticated music there, although the storyline is a bit whack. Oddly written antagonist. Most of the music isn't really all that memorable, mostly because it's written in a post-Romantic opera style. But the music is pretty. I enjoyed playing it.

I've accompanied one or two or three or four productions of *Guys & Dolls* as well. One of those times we had a sizeable pit orchestra, probably 8 or 10 players, but due to the lack of room, my back was to the conductor, and I watched him in a mirror set up on the upright piano, so all the conducting appeared to be Left-Handed.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

pianozach said:


> I accompanied a production of *The Most Happy Fella*. Two pianists in the pit. Worked pretty well.
> 
> Some sophisticated music there, although the storyline is a bit whack. Oddly written antagonist. Most of the music isn't really all that memorable, mostly because it's written in a post-Romantic opera style. But the music is pretty. I enjoyed playing it.
> 
> I've accompanied one or two or three or four productions of *Guys & Dolls* as well. One of those times we had a sizeable pit orchestra, probably 8 or 10 players, but due to the lack of room, my back was to the conductor, and I watched him in a mirror set up on the upright piano, so all the conducting appeared to be Left-Handed.


There was a two-piano production on Broadway back in the 90s. In my extremely limited NY theatre working experience, I worked with both the Tony and the Joey from the Broadway cast.

The original Broadway cast album was interesting. Columbia released two versions, a traditional one LP version and a three LP version, which included the entire show. My dad had the one-LP version, and it remains one of the earliest albums I listened to - a lot. Another was _My Fair Lady_., which opened the same year.

Not too long ago I picked up the CD - which contains the complete show.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

jegreenwood said:


> Not too long ago I picked up the CD - which contains the complete show.


I have both, buying the complete version later. But does anyone else find it odd that while operas are routinely recorded completely (including those works with spoken dialog) whereas musicals cast recordings rarely preserve the entire show? My guess is that there is a smaller market for Broadway shows (and to produce a complete show cast album would cost probably twice as much) compared to the sales of operas.

Or maybe there is a bias against musicals with the thinking that they are too insubstantial to warrant a complete recording, losing too much without the stage action. Granted many are - but I wish there were more complete recordings of the acknowledged great shows, and those classics by Gershwin, Rodgers and Hart/Hammerstein, Porter, Kern, from the past.

IMO it is a matter of preservation as much as pure entertainment.

I have collected libretti of many shows, and some piano vocal scores - but full scores are almost non-existent other than the rental for performance.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

SanAntone said:


> I have both, buying the complete version later. But does anyone else find it odd that while operas are routinely recorded completely (including those works with spoken dialog) whereas musicals cast recordings rarely preserve the entire show? *My guess is that there is a smaller market for Broadway shows (and to produce a complete show cast album would cost probably twice as much) compared to the sales of operas.*
> 
> Or maybe there is a bias against musicals with the thinking that they are too insubstantial to warrant a complete recording, losing too much without the stage action. Granted many are - but I wish there were more complete recordings of the acknowledged great shows, and those classics by Gershwin, Rodgers and Hart/Hammerstein, Porter, Kern, from the past.
> 
> ...


_My Fair Lady_ was a massive hit album. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Fair_Lady_(Broadway_cast_recording) (Columbia Records, which financed the entire production to get the rights, must have made a fortune.) I suspect other cast albums from that era sold well too. It's hard to understand why they didn't release an expanded version, as the show has one of the best librettos every written (thank you, Mr. Shaw).

By the way, Columbia, on occasion, also released full performances of stage plays on LP. Somehow in 1956, Goddard Lieberson recognized that _Waiting for Godot_ would become one of the seminal plays of the century, but lord knows who bought it on its original release (with Bert Lahr and E.G. Marshall). They also did _Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf_. Those were the two I owned in LP format. As I recall, there were others.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

jegreenwood said:


> _My Fair Lady_ was a massive hit album. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Fair_Lady_(Broadway_cast_recording) (Columbia Records, which financed the entire production to get the rights, must have made a fortune.) I suspect other cast albums from that era sold well too. It's hard to understand why they didn't release an expanded version, as the show has one of the best librettos every written (thank you, Mr. Shaw).
> 
> By the way, Columbia, on occasion, also released full performances of stage plays on LP. Somehow in 1956, Goddard Lieberson recognized that _Waiting for Godot_ would become one of the seminal plays of the century, but lord knows who bought it on its original release (with Bert Lahr and E.G. Marshall). They also did _Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf_. Those were the two I owned in LP format. As I recall, there were others.


Yes, I know some hit shows from the '50s and '60s sold very well. But two things have happened since then: 1) the cost of producing a new musical on Broadway has risen so much that there are both fewer new original shows and 2) only those projects which almost guarantee a positive return are even contemplated. Young, unproven, teams are relegated to Off-Off-Broadway or workshops in order to try out their material.

In the 1980s in NYC, BMI or ASCAP (I can't remember which, but I think it was BMI) used to have a program (I don't know if they still do) to groom new composers, writers, and lyricists, for creating musicals. I was briefly in one, I made the first cut, but because my idea for a show was very sketchy and I didn't have any collaborators, wasn't invited to participate. But this was a great way for teams to gain some experience and try out their work.

I feel strongly that the American musical as a genre has the capacity to rise to the level of the best operas - if only there was a supportive environment for producing the work. It is especially tragic since the nature of contemporary opera has become such a niche style, often far too experimental to have any life after the premier production, or appealing to mainly the avant-garde.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

SanAntone said:


> Yes, I know some hit shows from the '50s and '60s sold very well. But two things have happened since then: 1) the cost of producing a new musical on Broadway has risen so much that there are both fewer new original shows and 2) only those projects which almost guarantee a positive return are even contemplated. Young, unproven, teams are relegated to Off-Off-Broadway or workshops in order to try out their material.
> 
> In the 1980s in NYC, BMI or ASCAP (I can't remember which, but I think it was BMI) used to have a program (I don't know if they still do) to groom new composers, writers, and lyricists, for creating musicals. I was briefly in one, I made the first cut, but because my idea for a show was very sketchy and I didn't have any collaborators, wasn't invited to participate. But this was a great way for teams to gain some experience and try out their work.
> 
> I feel strongly that the American musical as a genre has the capacity to rise to the level of the best operas - if only there was a supportive environment for producing the work. It is especially tragic since the nature of contemporary opera has become such a niche style, often far too experimental to have any life after the premier production, or appealing to mainly the avant-garde.


Both ASCAP and BMI have workshops. In fact, my theater company's one mega-hit, Best Musical Tony Award winning transfer had roots in the BMI workshop. _Avenue Q_. (Probably not what you had in mind.]

There are some wonderful, serious musical that make it to Broadway. In several cases, their power is not revealed until a revival makes it to Broadway. Such was the case last fall with _Caroline, or Change_.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

I have a theory as to why recordings weren't released for entire Broadway shows, even though it was pretty common for entire operas to be released in box sets.

It was simply a matter of medium capacity; LPs were pretty much limited to far less than 30 minutes per side, indeed, original LPs had a capacity of around 23 minutes per side, leading to a situation where the producer had to cut the music down to 46 minutes of music. So . . . no dialogue, and minor songs and reprises were the first to be cut. I'll also note that a lot of the tempos had been bumped up considerably.

I remember that my mom had purchased the original LP release of HAIR, and years later, when CDs became a thing, it was again released, with some of the missing songs added.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

jegreenwood said:


> Both ASCAP and BMI have workshops. In fact, my theater company's one mega-hit, Best Musical Tony Award winning transfer had roots in the BMI workshop. _Avenue Q_. (Probably not what you had in mind.]
> 
> There are some wonderful, serious musical that mak it to Broadway. In several cases, their power is not revealed until a revival makes it to Broadway. Such was the case last fall with _Caroline, or Change_.


Congratulations! I am happy to hear those programs are still active.

Jeanne Tesori and Tony Kushner are hardly untested new young writers, even in 1999. Also, that show did have short runs both Off and on Broadway in the early 2000s, and in London afterwards, so it isn't a "new" show. But it sounds interesting.

Revivals of classic shows, shows based on movies, or even cartoon characters, those built around a collection of Rock, R&B, or Pop songs - these are mainly what gets staged nowadays.

Even Sondheim had to workshop his several shows during the second half of his career, and his last show (Road Show) never made it to Broadway despite going through a ten year gestation period and three major overhauls.

As is true for most areas of the performing arts, the real creative new stuff is found outside of the mainstream/longstanding traditional venues. It is true for music (both non-Classical and Classical), musical theatre, and dance.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

SanAntone said:


> Congratulations! I am happy to hear those programs are still active.
> 
> Jeanne Tesori and Tony Kushner are hardly untested new young writers, even in 1999. Also, that show did have short runs both Off and on Broadway in the early 2000s, and in London afterwards, so it isn't a "new" show. But it sounds interesting.
> 
> ...


In fact _Caroline, or Change_ was nominated for the Best Musical Tony, but losing to _Avenue Q_. As for Sondheim revivals, _Merrily We Roll Along_ will return to NYC next season with Daniel Radcliffe in the lead. This is Marianne Elliot's production, which I saw in London, and guess what - she got the show to work.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

jegreenwood said:


> In fact _Caroline, or Change_ was nominated for the Best Musical Tony, but losing to _Avenue Q_. As for Sondheim revivals, _Merrily We Roll Along_ will return to NYC next season with Daniel Radcliffe in the lead. This is Marianne Elliot's production, which I saw in London, and guess what - she got the show to work.


Sondheim has another revival, this year there'a an Off-Broadway production of _Assassins_. I saw recently that the cast recording is out.










Btw, I found the cast recording of _Avenue Q_ on Spotify - listening to it now.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

SanAntone said:


> Sondheim has another revival, this year there'a an Off-Broadway production of _Assassins_. I saw recently that the cast recording is out.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


*Assassins*. Another one I've done. Both director and music director. A stellar production. Had a great cast. A "2nd season" thing, where I had to stage it on the set of MISTER ROBERTS. That production had to make the side of the ship, the crane, and the opening to the storage all removable, but the giant stage left cabin had to stay. It provided me with a gallows, an electric chair room, and a pan-American Fair, so it worked out great.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

SanAntone said:


> Sondheim has another revival, this year there'a an Off-Broadway production of _Assassins_. I saw recently that the cast recording is out.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I saw that production of _Assassins_. It was during the Omicron surge and several of the actors were out, so they had to reallocate roles a bit.

I did skip the revival of _Company_ now on Broadway. Bobby becomes Bobbie (a woman). It too derives from London, where it was a hit. Katrina Lenk plays Bobbie. She deservedly won a Best Actress Tony for _The Band's Visit_, a very worthwhile musical (winning 10 Tonys overall), even if derived from a film. However, the consensus was she did not have the voice for Bobbie.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

By the way, I went back to _Avenue Q_ near the end of its 15 year run (5 years on Broadway followed by 10 years off-Broadway). What in 2003 had been clever and innovative (and very funny) had become tired and passé. In 2003 it was a topical show, but in 2018 it was no longer topical.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

jegreenwood said:


> By the way, I went back to _Avenue Q_ near the end of its 15 year run (5 years on Broadway followed by 10 years off-Broadway). What in 2003 had been clever and innovative (and very funny) had become tired and passé. In 2003 it was a topical show, but in 2018 it was no longer topical.


Some shows that were edgy when they premiered can go stale because they're "dated".

We're in the process of choosing our *Teen Summer Musical*, and one of our many choices is *Rent High School Edition*. Great name recognition in terms of selling tickets to get butts in the seats, but this slice-in-time piece doesn't resonate the way it did when AIDS was reaching pandemic levels, and was an assured death sentence.

Of course, the "_*School*_" editions are edited versions. Sometimes it's actually for the better, with fatty and superfluous scenes, songs, scene change music, and instrumental sections trimmed or excised, sometimes down to eliminating a half bar of music (I'm looking at YOU *Les Miz HS Ed*.)

But often the cuts are hamhanded and insensitive to the source material. I'm not familiar with the HS version of *Rent*, but I imagine that trimming away any "offensive" material might just destroy the whole point of the show.

So I *Googled* it:



> *NYTIMES:* "The main changes are the deletion of some profane dialogue and lyrics as well as a song, "Contact," that is sexually explicit. In "Rent," that song accompanies the death of Angel, a gay drag queen with AIDS; in the high school version, his death unfolds in an earlier song."


A blog source gets more specific:



> *Tom: *I am directing RENT School Edition in the fall, so I wanted to see what had been changed. There were some strange cuts made. I understand cutting for content if you are trying to sell to a high school market, but some of the cuts seem arbitrary. They cut 2 bars of music near the end of FINALE B. It is the two bars of instrumental where Angel walks out and joins the cast before the final "No day but today".
> 
> I wish the full version had been available. We would be doing the original version if it were released instead of the one with all the edits.
> 
> Here is the list of changes I have so far. Warning - this is a long post!


_*Tom*_ lists cuts and changes, like "Oh, s***" becomes "Oh, no", or the elimination of lines like "I need a drink" and "I used to be a junkie". Lyric changes like "Hold an erec***n" becomes "make a connection" and "To *******, *******, *****, cross dressers too" becomes "To homos, lesbians, cross dressers too".

It seems like they cut all direct references to drugs/needles, to Mimi sleeping with anyone, and any scenes which involved same-sex couples kissing. They cleaned up some language both for cursing and for pejoritive slang terms. But some of the changes do seem quite arbitrary, such as cutting one of the reprises out of the Finale.

The thing is, these changes cut out parts of the art that helped to make the show such a success in the first place - that rawness, the ability to discuss awkward things because they happen.

But to bring my comment around to your specific example, *Avenue Q: School Edition* cuts most of the profanity, sexual themes are removed from the script and score, and two songs (*"My Girlfriend Who Lives in Canada"* and *"You Can Be As Loud as the Hell You Want"*) are removed. The scenes with the Bad Idea Bears have been trimmed and amended to focus less on drinking. A few character names have been changed. I think they may have replaced _*"Internet Is For Porn"*_ with another song, *"Social Life is Online"*, which may simply be the same song with altered lyrics.

Of course, *Avenue Q *is one of the most delightfully offensive shows that ran in a mainstream New York theatre. The show tackled significant issues in today's society, including racism, homophobia, and classism, with some too-close-to-home biting satire. It was offensive ON PURPOSE.

:devil:

As for our *Teen Summer Musical*, a few shows we asked for the rights to have been denied, so we're now taking a scattershot approach as time has become rather short for starting our pre-production. We're now "inquiring" about several shows:

*Rent School Edition
Catch Me If You Can
The Drowsy Chaperone
Jekyll & Hyde
Singin' In the Rain
The Wedding Singer
Kinky Boots
1776
High School Musical
The Lightning Thief
*
I should point out that our 2020 TSM was *The Pirates of Penzance* _(hey! no royalties!)_, but it was live-streamed only, and all the 10 main characters were in cubicles on our specially constructed outdoor stage that was 6' deep and 60' wide. The 10 ensemble members were outside as well, but on the OTHER side of the building, all masked and wearing face shields. I conducted from 25' away from the cubicles, and the ensemble watched me via CCTV. The backing track was half virtual, and half real instruments.

Our 2021 TSM was *Les Miz*. Our staging was minimal, as we didn't know what sort of "guidelines" we'd be looking at by the time we opened, as they seemed to change from week to week. We had to change venues three times as situations changed. Staging was socially distanced, but days before we opened guidelines were relaxed enough that the performers could be unmasked WHILE ONSTAGE ONLY, and Eponine actually got to die in Marius' arms, instead of her dying "over here" while Marius watched helplessly from "over there". Our original "guidelines" dictated the maximum numbers of performers that could be onstage at any time, so our cast size was smaller than we would have preferred.

As for our list of 2022 choices, we may have to take what we can get. They may approve all, some, or even just one. I'm rooting for the rock opera *The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical*.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

*Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?*
Mandy Patinkin

Patinkin really knows how to build tension.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

From the lyricist who gave us _"_Over the Rainbow" and "Lydia, the Tattooed Lady." The only recording I own is by Judy Collins. She brings a beautiful voice, but insufficient feeling.

Trivia question: name TWO movies that use "Lydia, the Tattooed Lady."


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

Off the top of my head, at the moment I can only recall Groucho singing it, and while I do love me some Marx Brothers, their films kinda run together in my mind, so I can't recall which one.

The other film is tugging at my hippocampus - I can hear it whispering from behind my temporal lobe, _"Remember me? Remember me?"_ 

This is what I get for having a brain full of monkeys.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

pianozach said:


> Off the top of my head, at the moment I can only recall Groucho singing it, and while I do love me some Marx Brothers, their films kinda run together in my mind, so I can't recall which one.
> 
> The other film is tugging at my hippocampus - I can hear it whispering from behind my temporal lobe, _"Remember me? Remember me?"_
> 
> This is what I get for having a brain full of monkeys.


_At the Circus. _It’s only used briefly in the other one, which won the Academy Award for Best Actor.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

pianozach said:


> Off the top of my head, at the moment I can only recall Groucho singing it, and while I do love me some Marx Brothers, their films kinda run together in my mind, so I can't recall which one.
> 
> The other film is tugging at my hippocampus - I can hear it whispering from behind my temporal lobe, _"Remember me? Remember me?"_
> 
> This is what I get for having a brain full of monkeys.


MGM cross-marketing.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

LOL.

And, hey, ain't *Kate Hepburn* a vision of loveliness?


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## Ludwig Schon (10 mo ago)

pianozach said:


> *Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?*
> Mandy Patinkin
> 
> Patinkin really knows how to build tension.


Great actor, too. Loved him in Paul Auster’s The Music of Chance


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