After high school my musical tastes changed somewhat. I began to get very interested in bluegrass music and traditional forms of folk and blues, and in jazz music (especially pre-1950s jazz). And I began to fall in love with the great songwriters of the so-called "Great American Songbook" era. If you've been following this series, you've noticed I mention Hoagy Carmichael a lot, as well as Irving Berlin, the Gershwins, and Cole Porter. I love these songsmiths. They wrote the music our parents listened to (and which my generation often mistakenly despised), interpreted and re-interpreted by crooners and jazz singers by the thousands.
Hoagy Carmichael started publishing music in the 20s. "Stardust" was 1928. His music often invokes an idealized lazy afternoon in the South (as with, for example, two of his most famous song, "Lazybones" and "Georgia on my Mind"). While other songwriters of the period were often aiming at urban sophistication, Carmichael's world was rural and Southern. There is a folksiness about his music that sets him apart from his peers.
Well, I've featured one of his songs in every installment of this series thus far, and I'm not about to stop now. One of my favorites is "The Nearness of You," with lyrics by Ned Washington. Hoagy first released this song in 1937, so I should have included this one in the last installment. But it's not too late to correct the oversight. Here is Norah Jones with a cozy rendition, one of her pandemic video shares:
So that song was first published in 1937. Moving on to the real subject of this post, 1938 was a good year for Hoagy as well. Here's Two Sleep People, sung by Fats Waller. Heart and Soul, sun by Bea Wain with the Larry Clinton Orchestra (both songs with lyrics by Frank Loesser). And finally, we have Hoagy himself singing I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes). That's 3 examples of the greatness of Hoagy!
In the meantime, some important things were happening in the world of jazz. Benny Goodman's orchestra played at Carnegie Hall, for one thing. And Ray Noble wrote and recorded Cherokee, for another.
Also in 1938, the great actor Walter Huston recorded Kurt Weill's September Song.
"Jumping" was a big deal in '38. Though Basie introduced the song in 1937, Benny Goodman gave us his rendering (at Carnegie Hall) of One O'Clock Jump. Basie, not to be outdone, brings out Jumpin' at the Woodside. And meanwhile Slim and Slam (who introduced us to Flat Foot Floogie last year) recorded Jump Session. Oh and by the way, Slim & Slam also gave us Tutti-Fruti in '38. They were awesome!
But there's so much more good music for this year! Duke Ellington comes through with I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart. But you want lyrics? Connee Boswell, late of the Boswell Sisters, gave us her version of the same. And I like to include a Louis Armstrong tune in every installment of this series: how about Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen. And let's not forget Sidney Bechet's Hold Tight, Hold Tight (I Want Some Seafood,Mama). While we're at it, we might as well include The Andrews Sisters' version of the same.
Let's sample a little Western Swing before moving along to our song of the year.
- San Antonio Rose by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
- Ragtime Cowboy Joe by Pinky Thomlin (Believe me, it's so good, don't skip this one!)
- Red Hot Fannie by the Hoosier Hot Shots
And maybe some Blues?
- Lula Mae, by Tampa Red
- Goin' Down in Galilee, by Kokomo Arnold
Which brings us to the feature song of this year. I don't think there can be any other choice:
And this is my other favorite rendition by another great singer that left us too soon, the great Eva Cassidy.
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