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Top Hat, White Tie And Tails
"Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" is a popular song written by Irving Berlin for the 1935 film ''Top Hat'', where it was introduced by Fred Astaire. The song title refers to the formal wear required on a party invitation: top hat, white tie, and a tailcoat. Popular recordings in 1935 were by Fred Astaire and by Ray Noble and his Orchestra (vocal by Al Bowlly and The Freshmen). Other notable recordings *The Boswell Sisters recorded the song on October 8, 1935 for Decca Records. *Carroll Gibbons with the Savoy Orpheans (1935) *Fred Astaire included the song in the album ''The Astaire Story'' (1952) *Mel Tormé included the song in the album ''Mel Tormé Sings Fred Astaire'' (1956) *Louis Armstrong - for his album ''Louis Under the Stars'' (1958) *Ella Fitzgerald – ''Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook'' (1958) *Fred Astaire recorded the song again in 1975 and it can be found on the album ''The Complete London Sessions''. *Tony Bennett - '' Steppin' Out'' (1993) *Cherry ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russia, Berlin arrived in the United States at the age of five. He published his first song, "Marie from Sunny Italy", in 1907, receiving 33 cents for the publishing rights,Starr, Larry and Waterman, Christopher, American Popular Music: From Minstrelsy to MP3, Oxford University Press, 2009, pg. 64 and had his first major international hit, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", in 1911. He also was an owner of the Music Box Theatre on Broadway. For much of his career Berlin could not read sheet music, and was such a limited piano player that he could only play in the key of F-sharp; he used his custom piano equipped with a transposing lever when he needed to play in keys other than F-sharp. "Alexander's Ragtime Band" sparked an international dance craze ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Boswell Sisters
The Boswell Sisters were an American close harmony singing trio of the jazz and swing eras, consisting of three sisters: Martha Boswell (June 9, 1905 – July 2, 1958), Connie Boswell (later spelled "Connee", December 3, 1907 – October 11, 1976), and Helvetia "Vet" Boswell (May 20, 1911 – November 12, 1988). Hailing from uptown New Orleans, the group blended intricate harmonies and song arrangements featuring effects such as scat, instrumental imitation, ‘Boswellese’ gibberish, tempo and meter changes, major/minor juxtaposition, key changes, and incorporation of sections from other songs. They attained national prominence in the United States in the 1930s during the twilight of the Jazz Age and the onset of the Great Depression. After the trio split in 1936, Connie continued as a solo vocalist in radio, film, and later television for an additional quarter century. The trio's "unique singing style and ground-breaking arrangements fused 'blackness' and 'whiteness' in m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cherry Poppin' Daddies
The Cherry Poppin' Daddies are an American swing and ska band established in Eugene, Oregon, in 1989. Formed by singer-songwriter Steve Perry and bassist Dan Schmid, the band has experienced numerous personnel changes over the course of its 30-year history, with only Perry, Schmid and trumpeter Dana Heitman currently remaining from the original founding lineup. The Daddies' music is primarily a mix of swing and ska, contrastingly encompassing both traditional jazz-influenced variations of the genres as well as contemporary rock and punk hybrids, characterized by a prominent horn section and Perry's acerbic and innuendo-laced lyricism often concerning dark or political subject matter. While the band's earliest releases were mostly grounded in punk and funk rock, their later studio albums have since incorporated elements from many diverse genres of popular music and Americana into their sound, including rockabilly, rhythm and blues, soul and world music. Initially drawing both ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Steppin' Out (Tony Bennett Album)
''Steppin' Out'' is an album by Tony Bennett released in 1993. A tribute to Fred Astaire, the album continued Bennett's commercial comeback; like the previous year's ''Perfectly Frank'', it achieved gold record status in the United States. In 1994, it won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance. A music video for " Steppin' Out with My Baby" received airplay on MTV. Track listing # " Steppin' Out with My Baby" (Irving Berlin) – 2:53 # " Who Cares?" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 3:17 # "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" (Berlin) – 2:38 # "They Can't Take That Away from Me" (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin) – 3:36 # " Dancing in the Dark" (Howard Dietz, Arthur Schwartz) – 3:23 # "A Shine on Your Shoes" (Dietz, Schwartz) – 2:22 # "He Loves and She Loves" (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin) – 3:30 # "They All Laughed" (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin) – 2:14 # "I Concentrate on You" ( Cole Porter) – 3:03 # "You're All The World to Me" ( Burton Lane, Alan Jay Lerner) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tony Bennett
Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birth name that are on permanent public display in several institutions. He is the founder of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, New York. Bennett began singing at an early age. He fought in the final stages of World War II as a U.S. Army infantryman in the European Theater. Afterward, he developed his singing technique, signed with Columbia Records and had his first number-one popular song with " Because of You" in 1951. Several tracks such as "Rags to Riches" followed in early 1953. He then refined his approach to encompass jazz singing. He reached an artistic peak in the late 1950s with albums such as ''The Beat of My Heart'' and ''Basie Swings, Bennett Sings''. In 1962, Bennett recorded his signature song, "I Left My ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Irving Berlin Songbook
''Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Song Book'' is a 1958 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, with a studio orchestra conducted and arranged by Paul Weston, focusing on the songs of Irving Berlin. It was part of the popular and influential ''Songbook'' series. Grammy Awards At the inaugural Grammy Awards, ''Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Song Book'' was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Fitzgerald won the Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance, Female for her performance on the album. Reception In a review for AllMusic, Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. wrote: "For fans who have enjoyed other songbook recordings, this reissue is a must-have; for those unfamiliar with Fitzgerald's songbook work, this is an excellent place to start." David Adler of All About Jazz called the album "essential in any music library," and commented: "Ella Fitzgerald's talent speaks for itself, as does Berlin's. The compatibility of these two American lege ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, intonation, and a "horn-like" improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing. After a tumultuous adolescence, Fitzgerald found stability in musical success with the Chick Webb Orchestra, performing across the country but most often associated with the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. Her rendition of the nursery rhyme "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" helped boost both her and Webb to national fame. After taking over the band when Webb died, Fitzgerald left it behind in 1942 to start her solo career. Her manager was Moe Gale, co-founder of the Savoy, until she turned the rest of her career over to Norman Granz, who founded Verve Records to produce new records by Fitzgerald. With Verve she recorded some of her more widely noted works, particularly he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Louis Under The Stars
''Louis Under the Stars'' is a 1958 album by Louis Armstrong, arranged by Russell Garcia. The album was recorded on the same day as Armstrong's 1958 album ''I've Got the World on a String''; the previous day he had finished recording ''Ella and Louis Again'' with Ella Fitzgerald. Reception ''Billboard'' magazine reviewed the album in their November 5, 1958, issue and wrote that "The great artist gives a brace of standards his wonderful and soulful, gravel-voiced treatment...The combination of talents puts this package in the top flight category". Scott Yanow reviewed the album for Allmusic and wrote that "Although the accompaniment is pretty straight and unadventurous, it is enjoyable to hear Satch's interpretations of such songs as "Have You Met Miss Jones," "I Only Have Eyes for You," "Home," and "East of the Sun." Many of his trumpet solos in the medium-tempo material are brief but dramatic, and his singing is typically expressive and good-humored". Track listing # "Top ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Louis Armstrong
Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several eras in the history of jazz. Armstrong was born and raised in New Orleans. Coming to prominence in the 1920s as an inventive trumpet and cornet player, Armstrong was a foundational influence in jazz, shifting the focus of the music from collective improvisation to solo performance. Around 1922, he followed his mentor, Joe "King" Oliver, to Chicago to play in the . In Chicago, he spent time with other popular jazz musicians, reconnecting with his friend Bix Beiderbecke and spending time with Hoagy Carmichael and Lil Hardin. He earned a reputation at "cutting contests", and his fame reached band leader Fletcher Henderson. Henderson persuaded Armstrong to come to New York City, where he became a featured and musically influential band soloist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mel Tormé Sings Fred Astaire
''Mel Tormé Sings Fred Astaire'' is a 1956 album by Mel Tormé, recorded in tribute to Fred Astaire. This was Tormé's second recording with Marty Paich and his Dek-Tette. Track listing # "Nice Work If You Can Get It (song), Nice Work If You Can Get It" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 3:12 # "Something's Gotta Give (Johnny Mercer song), Something's Gotta Give" (Johnny Mercer) – 4:00 # "A Foggy Day" (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin) – 2:47 # "A Fine Romance (song), A Fine Romance" (Dorothy Fields, Jerome Kern) – 3:04 # "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin) – 3:29 # "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" (Berlin) – 3:11 # "The Way You Look Tonight" (Fields, Kern) – 2:25 # "The Piccolino" (Berlin) – 2:38 # "They Can't Take That Away from Me" (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin) – 3:04 # "Cheek to Cheek" (Berlin) – 3:01 # "Let's Face the Music and Dance" (Berlin) – 2:22 # "They All Laughed (song), They All Laughed" (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin) – 2:30 Personne ... [...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] |
The Astaire Story
''The Astaire Story'' is a 1952 album by Fred Astaire. The album was conceived of and produced by Norman Granz, the founder of Clef Records (and later Verve Records), who was also responsible for the Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts, at which all of the musicians on the album had performed. Content and reception The album's song selection provides an overview of Astaire's singing career although Astaire also demonstrates his tap dancing on three tracks and there is one informal instrumental Jam session. Some later LP and CD re-issues add two versions of Oscar Peterson's instrumental "The Astaire Blues." Oscar Peterson spoke warmly of the sessions that produced ''The Astaire Story'' in his autobiography, noting that vocally, Astaire was naturally attuned to jazz phrasing, and that Astaire enjoyed playing the drums at home. Astaire gave each of the musicians on the album a gold identification bracelet, inscribed "With thanks, Fred A". Ray Brown lost his bracelet, Alvin Stoll ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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