I’m not the jealous type, by any means.
Still, I find myself dreaming at times to have been either Richard Rodgers or Lorenz Hart. Just writing songs that everyone sings and loves, collecting the royalties and able to live a life of anonymity if desired. Ok, I’d even settle for being Steve Cropper…
Anyway, here’s a two cd set to demonstrate what I’m talking about. Rogers and Hart wrote tunes for various Broadway shows that became what has become known as “The Great American Songbook”. Every one of the 50 tunes on these two discs are essential to know if you are a vocalist or musician, and many of these versions are the definitive read. And even if they aren’t they’re still absolute gems, showing the strength of a song in that it can be interpreted, sung and arranged in a plethora of ways.
The collection is bookended by the lady that created the idea of songbooks, namely Ella Fitzgerald, and her “Manhattan” and “To Keep My Love Alive” are still definitive. Crooners like Bing Crosby (“Soon”) and Perry Como (“The Blue Room”) keep it straight and simple, while Sinatra also swaggers through songs that set the standard for standards with “The Lady Is A Tramp “ and “Have You Met Miss Jones”. Deep voiced Billy Eckstine and Nat “King” shine on “Blue Moon” and “This Can’t Be Love” respectively, and vo-cool singers of Mel Torme’ (“Mountain Greenery”), Chris Connor (“He Was Too Good To Me”), Peggy Lee (“Dancing On The Ceiling”) and Anita O’Day (“Johnny One Note”) show the width, breath and depth of the power of a great song, and without a doubt, every one here stands the test of time, as do these renditions.