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Last broadcast on Sun, 5 Apr 2009, 21:00 on BBC Radio 2.
Synopsis
The show that celebrates the art, craft and inspiration of the popular song. With music from Blossom Dearie, Tony Desare and songwriter Jack Lawrence, who died last month.
This Week's Show
Well, he had a very good innings but it was with considerable sadness that we bid farewell, this week, to Jack Lawrence for, though we never met, he’d become quite a friend through the medium of computerised communication. We hope the little collection of recordings we assembled were representative enough to give you an idea of Jack’s writing talents. If you’d like to explore more of his quite prodigious output, we can do no better than recommend his own website, still up and running at the link above. We’ll certainly miss Jack and his extraordinary memory: He was able to illuminate so much of the atmosphere of a Tin Pan Alley that has all but gone now.
Jeff Harnar’s “American Songbook” series of Cabaret Concerts is bringing to this country some of America’s finest Cabaret Artistes, from K T Sullivan and Maureen McGovern to Andrea Marcovicci and Maude Maggart. Among the boys are Steve Ross (whose stint has just finished) to Tony DeSare, about to start on April 7th at The Pizza On The Park in London. We would exhort anyone interested in good songs well sung to support this enterprise: We shall certainly be doing so, so may see you there. You can find full details of upcoming shows by clicking the link above.
And of course you can have a taste of Tony DeSare ‘s artistry at the end of this week’s show – to which, if you wish, you can listen again on this site!
Recommendations
Some very good bargains are arriving from the record companies at the moment: Hard on the heels of our tribute to Blossom Dearie comes a double CD we could have done with: “Blossom Dearie – Four Classic Albums Plus”; it gathers together one very early instrumental album that Blossom recorded in Paris in 1955 with bass & drums; two Verve albums from 1956/7 with Ray Brown, Herb Ellis & Jo Jones; and the lovely “Once Upon A Summertime” one from 1958 with Mundell Lowe, Ray Brown & Ed Thigpen. It’s on AVID AMSC 967 – full info from Avid Group, see link above.
Next up, another favourite lady chanteuse – Miss Dinah Shore. She’s presented on a new double CD from the recently founded Retrospective label that covers her early career from 1939 to 1949. There’s plenty to enjoy here, including as it does, many chart hits like “I’ll Walk Alone”, “Blues In The Night”, “The Gypsy”, “Buttons And Bows” etc, etc. It’s beautifully re-mastered and the number is RTS 4135.
At Tony DeSare’s web address, (see above), you can learn about his movements and his new album, which we’re happy to recommend: On the Telarc label (CD 83689), it’s called “Tony DeSare Radio Show” and takes the form of a ‘40s American broadcast. Tony accompanies himself on piano in many of the numbers and the programme of songs is adventurous, with Phil Collins, Chuck Berry and Bob Dylan in there with Harold Arlen, Ray Charles and Hoagy Carmichael as well as four by Tony himself.
Tony DeSare
Tracklist
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Blossom Dearie — Moonlight Saving Time
Avid, AMSC 967 -
The Pied Pipers — In The Moon Mist
Jasmine, JASCD 412 -
Dinah Shore — Yes, My Darling Daughter
Retrospective, RTS 4135 -
Doris Day — A Sleepy LagoonConcord, 3104 -
The Ink Spots — It’s Funny To Everyone But MeJasmine, JASMCD 2562 -
Bing Crosby — SymphonyJonzo, JZCD 40 -
Pat Boone — With The Wind & The Rain In Your Hair
Connoisseur, SDVSOP CD 328 -
Bobby Darin — Beyond The SeaAtlantic, 82627-2 -
Rosemary Clooney — Tenderly
Hallmark, 705942 -
Matt Monro — From Russia With LoveEMI, 0946 384521 2 6 -
Dick Van Dyke & Cast — Me Ol’ Bam-Boo
Ryko, RCD 10702 -
Annie Ross — So Long Frank Lloyd Wright
Reprise, K 54080 -
Tony DeSare — All Or Nothing At All
Telarc, CD 83689
Broadcast
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Sun 5 Apr 200921:00
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