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It's A Blue World (Mel Tormé Album)
''It's a Blue World'' is an album by Mel Tormé that was released by Bethlehem Records. Reception The ''Billboard'' review in 1955 wrote that the material was mostly standards and that Tormé "renders them in a mellow, jazz-wize manner, and sales should be good among the hipsters". AllMusic stated: "Tormé invested the songs with warmth and confidence. Recorded and released around the time he turned 30, ''It's a Blue World'' marked a turning point in Mel Tormé's recording career." In his 2023 book ''Let's Do It - The Birth of Pop Music: A History'', Bob Stanley noted the similarities between ''Blue World'' and Frank Sinatra's ''In the Wee Small Hours'', released earlier the same year. He went on to praise the record for its "twilight feel, dusk at the end of a warm summer's day". Track listing # "I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)" (Duke Ellington, Paul Francis Webster) – 3:23 # "Till the Clouds Roll By" (Jerome Kern, P. G. Wodehouse) – 2:54 # "Isn't It Romantic?" (Lorenz ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mel Tormé
Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed "The Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for "The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire") and co-wrote the lyrics with Bob Wells. Early life Melvin Howard Tormé was born in Chicago, Illinois, to William David Torme, a Jewish immigrant from Poland, and Betty Torme (née Sopkin), a New York City native. He graduated from Hyde Park High School. A child prodigy, he first performed professionally at age four with the Coon-Sanders Orchestra, singing "You're Driving Me Crazy" at Chicago's Blackhawk restaurant. He played drums in the drum-and-bugle corps at Shakespeare Elementary School. From 1933 to 1941, he acted in the radio programs ''The Romance of Helen Trent'' and ''Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy''. He wrote his first song at 13. Three years later his first published song, "Lament to Love", became a hit for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mack Gordon
Mack Gordon (born Morris Gittler; June 21, 1904 – February 28, 1959) was an American composer and lyricist for the stage and film. He was nominated for the best original song Oscar nine times in 11 years, including five consecutive years between 1940 and 1944, and won the award once, for "You'll Never Know". That song has proved among his most enduring, and remains popular in films and television commercials to this day. "At Last" is another of his best-known songs. Biography Gordon was born in Grodno, then part of the Russian Empire. He emigrated with his mother and older brother to New York City in May 1907; the ship they sailed on was the S/S ''Bremen''; their destination was to his father in Guttenberg, New Jersey. Gordon appeared in vaudeville as an actor and singer in the late 1920s and early 1930s, but his songwriting talents were always paramount. He formed a partnership with English pianist Harry Revel, that lasted throughout the 1930s. In the 1940s he worked with a str ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wonderful One
"Wonderful One" is a popular song recorded by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra on January 25, 1923 in New York and was released as Victor 19019-B. The record reached no. 3 on the ''Billboard'' chart. The song was also recorded as "My Wonderful One". Background The music was written by Paul Whiteman and Ferde Grofé, the lyrics by Theodora Morse (also known as Dorothy Terris), based on a theme by movie director Marshall Neilan, "Adapted from a Theme by Marshall Neilan". The song was published in 1922 by Leo Feist in New York as a "Waltz Song" which was dedicated "To Julie". The song is a well-known jazz and pop standard, recorded by many artists, including Gertrude Moody, Edward Miller, Martha Pryor, Helen Moretti, John McCormack who released it as Victor 961, and Pete Bontsema in 1923. Henry Burr recorded the song in 1924, Jan Garber in 1936 and Glenn Miller and his Orchestra in 1940. The Paul Whiteman Orchestra recorded the song three times, in an acoustical version in 1923, an ele ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billy Rose
Billy Rose (born William Samuel Rosenberg; September 6, 1899 – February 10, 1966) was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. For years both before and after World War II, Billy Rose was a major force in entertainment, with shows such as ''Billy Rose's Crazy Quilt'' (1931), ''Jumbo'' (1935), '' Billy Rose's Aquacade'' (1937), and ''Carmen Jones'' (1943). As a lyricist, he is credited with many songs, notably "Don't Bring Lulu" (1925), "Tonight You Belong To Me" (1926), "Me and My Shadow" (1927), "More Than You Know" (1929), "Without a Song" (1929), " It Happened in Monterrey" (1930) and "It's Only a Paper Moon" (1933). Despite his accomplishments, Rose may be best known today as the husband of famed comedian and singer Fanny Brice (1891–1951). Life and work Rose was born to a Jewish family in New York City, United States. He attended Public School 44, where he was the 50-yard dash champion. While in high school, Billy studied shorthand under John Robert G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mort Dixon
Mort Dixon (March 20, 1892 – March 23, 1956) was an American lyricist. Biography Born in New York City, United States, Dixon began writing songs in the early 1920s, and was active into the 1930s. He achieved success with his first published effort, 1923's "That Old Gang of Mine". His chief composer collaborators were Ray Henderson, Harry Warren, Harry M. Woods and Allie Wrubel. His composing output declined in the late 1930s, and he retired early in life to reside in Westchester County, New York. Among his lyrics are: " That Old Gang Of Mine" (1923), "Bye Bye Blackbird" (1926), "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover" (1927), "Nagasaki" (1928), "Would You Like to Take a Walk?" (1930), "I Found a Million Dollar Baby (in a Five and Ten Cent Store)", "You're My Everything", and "River, Stay 'Way from My Door" (1931), "Flirtation Walk" and "Mr and Mrs is the Name" (1934) and " The Lady in Red" (1935). Dixon is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He died in Bronxville, New York ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
I Found A Million Dollar Baby (in A Five And Ten Cent Store)
"I Found a Million Dollar Baby (in a Five and Ten Cent Store)" is a popular song. The music was written by Harry Warren, the lyrics by Mort Dixon and Billy Rose. The song was published in 1931, though a song using the same title, with a similar lyric by Rose and different music, had been published five years earlier. It was introduced in the Broadway musical ''Billy Rose's Crazy Quilt,'' which opened in May, 1931, where it was sung by Fanny Brice. Many versions of the song were recorded in 1931. The biggest hit was by Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians, with a vocal by Clare Hanlon, released by Victor Records as catalog number 22707. The next-most-popular version was by Bing Crosby, recorded on June 12, 1931 and released by Brunswick Records as catalog number 6128 and a version recorded by the Boswell Sisters and Victor Young's Orchestra also had some popularity. The song has since become a pop standard, recorded by many additional people (see below). 1926 Song By Billy Rose Billy Rose ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frederick Hollander
Friedrich Hollaender (in exile also Frederick Hollander; 18 October 189618 January 1976) was a German film composer and author. Life and career He was born in London to a Jewish family, where his father, operetta composer Victor Hollaender, worked as a musical director at the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Young Hollaender had a solid music and theatre family background: his uncle Gustav was director of the Stern Conservatory in Berlin, and his uncle Felix Hollaender was a well-known novelist and drama critic, who later worked with Max Reinhardt at the Deutsches Theater. In 1899 Hollaender's family returned to Berlin. His father began teaching at the Stern Conservatory, where his son became a student in Engelbert Humperdinck's master class. In the evening he played the piano at silent film performances in local cinemas, developing the art of musical improvisation. By the age of 18 he was employed as a répétiteur at the New German Theatre in Prague and also was put in charge of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Johnny Burke (lyricist)
John Francis Burke (October 3, 1908 – February 25, 1964) was an American lyricist, successful and prolific between the 1920s and 1950s. His work is considered part of the Great American Songbook. His song "Swinging on a Star", from the Bing Crosby film ''Going My Way'', won an Academy Award for Best Song in 1944. Early life Burke was born in Antioch, California, United States, the son of Mary Agnes (Mungovan), a schoolteacher, and William Earl Burke, a structural engineer. When he was still young, his family moved to Chicago, Illinois, where Burke's father founded a construction business. As a youth, Burke studied piano and drama. He attended Crane College and then the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he played piano in the orchestra. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1927, Burke joined the Chicago office of the Irving Berlin Publishing Company in 1926 as a pianist and song salesman. He also played piano in dance bands and vaudeville. Car ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polka Dots And Moonbeams
"Polka Dots and Moonbeams" is a popular song with music by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke, published in 1940. It was Frank Sinatra's first hit recorded with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. The song is one of the top 100 most-frequently recorded jazz standards with arrangements by Gil Evans and others and notable recordings by Bill Evans, Chet Baker, Blue Mitchell,Dave Gregg. "Off the record" (music review column), ''Joplin Globe'' (Joplin, MO), May 21, 1967, ''Showtime'' magazine section, page 9: ''"... Blue can play with tenderness without slopping over into mawkish sentimentality. Just listen to his treatment of the gorgeous ballad, 'Polka Dots and Moonbeams.' " ''. Wes Montgomery, Sarah Vaughan (for the 1957 album '' Swingin' Easy''), Bud Powell, Lester Young, Gerry Mulligan, Lou Donaldson, Dexter Gordon and many others [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 20th century. With George, he wrote more than a dozen Broadway shows, featuring songs such as "I Got Rhythm", "Embraceable You", " The Man I Love" and " Someone to Watch Over Me". He was also responsible, along with DuBose Heyward, for the libretto to George's opera ''Porgy and Bess''. The success the Gershwin brothers had with their collaborative works has often overshadowed the creative role that Ira played. His mastery of songwriting continued after George's early death in 1937. Ira wrote additional hit songs with composers Jerome Kern, Kurt Weill, Harry Warren and Harold Arlen. His critically acclaimed 1959 book ''Lyrics on Several Occasions'', an amalgam of autobiography and annotated anthology, is an important source for studying t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George Gershwin
George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ''Rhapsody in Blue'' (1924) and ''An American in Paris'' (1928), the songs " Swanee" (1919) and "Fascinating Rhythm" (1924), the jazz standards "Embraceable You" (1928) and "I Got Rhythm" (1930), and the opera ''Porgy and Bess'' (1935), which included the hit " Summertime". Gershwin studied piano under Charles Hambitzer and composition with Rubin Goldmark, Henry Cowell, and Joseph Brody. He began his career as a song plugger but soon started composing Broadway theater works with his brother Ira Gershwin and with Buddy DeSylva. He moved to Paris, intending to study with Nadia Boulanger, but she refused him, afraid that rigorous classical study would ruin his jazz-influenced style; Maurice Ravel voiced similar objections when Gershwin inq ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
How Long Has This Been Going On?
"How Long Has This Been Going On?" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, for the musical ''Funny Face'' in 1927. History According to Ira Gershwin in his book ''Lyrics on Several Occasions'', after the premiere of ''Funny Face'' in Philadelphia he received a call from the then professional manager of Shapiro, Bernstein and Co. asking him to remove the song because ''“It doesn't mean anything”'' and because ''“Well, we've bought a song with the same title and we're about to publish it. Yours doesn't get you anywhere, so how about taking it out of the show?”'' Eventually the song was deleted as Ira Gershwin indicates, ''“Well, he had'' his ''wish. A couple of weeks later on the road (either in Atlantic City or Washington) ''"How Long..."'' was out, replaced by "''He Loves and She Loves''"”. Replaced by "He Loves and She Loves" in ''Funny Face'', it was eventually introduced in the musical '' Rosalie'' (1928) by Bobbe Arnst as Mary O'Brien ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
