Written as an afterthought so Judy Garland would have a song of her own to sing in Wizard of Oz, “Over the Rainbow” emerged as one of the great anthems of the Great Depression-a melancholy tribute to hope. Harburg, Wizard of Oz, 1939), from “The Great Depression”, Chapter 7.
The California Ramblers had the most important recording when it was new. The heart of the Jazz Age pulsates in this quintessential “flapper song,” a tribute to the independence and appeal of young women during the decade-long party of the Roaring Twenties. Lewis, Joe Young, 1925), from “The Flapper and the Jazz Age”, Chapter 6. It was an early conversational duet by Ada Jones and Billy Murray, early recording stars, but for more recent recordings, try Julie London or Vic Damone. The most important of the “cuddling songs” from the early years of the twentieth century-both innocent and sweetly sexy. Hauerbach, 1908), from “Starting the Century”, Chapter 5. Cuddle Up a Little Closer (Karl Hoschna, A.O.I recommend Jolson’s version from 1927, but also Frank Sinatra with Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman at the 1938 Carnegie Hall jazz concert. Al Jolson also sang it in The Jazz Singer, the first important talkie. One of the greatest of all the “Pollyanna songs” because beneath its sunny optimism there lingers a trace of melancholy. Blue Skies (Irving Berlin, Betsy, 1926), from “Recordings, Radio, and Talkies”, Chapter 4.No one gives you the song’s flavor more fully and satisfyingly than Fats Waller-a great composer, a great pianist, and a great entertainer. This song is about a rent party during the Harlem Renaissance. Johnson, Andy Razaf, 1938), from “Harlem’s Renaissance”, Chapter 3. The Joint Is Jumpin’ (Thomas “Fats” Waller, J.C.An exception-William Bolcom and Joan Morris on the album, Girl on the Magazine Cover. It was written as a contrapuntal duet-what Berlin called a “double song”-but it’s rarely performed that way. Pack Up Your Sins (Irving Berlin, Music Box Revue, 1922), from “Harlem’s Renaissance”, Chapter 3.For a studio recording, I recommend Ella Fitzgerald’s. The best way to capture the song’s hardboiled romanticism is to find the long track from the original movie, readily available on both DVD and CD. Lullaby of Broadway (Harry Warren, Al Dubin, Gold Diggers of 1935, 1935), from “ Broadway’s Melody”, Chapter 2.I like Michael Feinstein’s recording accompanied only by his own piano playing. Gene Kelly rescued the song from anonymity when he performed it An American in Paris. Love Is Here To Stay (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, The Goldywyn Follies, 1937), from “The City’s Clangor”, Chapter 1, City Songs and American Life, 1900-1950.
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