-
JANUARY 2019www.APSSinc.org
Newsletter
VOLUME 40, NUMBER 4 Formerly New York Sheet Music Society
By Jerry Osterberg
Continued on page 3
Will Friedwald’slandmark book Sinatra! TheSong is You – A
Singer’s Artwas originally published justover twenty years ago.
Sincethat time, other writers haveoffered their thoughts aboutFrank
Sinatra, including PeteHamill, James Kaplan (twovolumes), and
TomSantopietro, although thedemand for more remainsinsatiable.
Friedwald hascome along with a revisedand expanded edition of
hisearlier comprehensive work,recognizing Frank
Sinatra’sastonishing contribution toAmerican popular music,now
based upon theperspective of an additionaltwo-decade period
ofscholarship.
For the purpose of theAPSS meeting on December8, the author
chose to viewSinatra’s music within theprism of his
collaborationwith a specific composer –James Van Heusen, akaChester
Babcock. Over theirmany years of association,beginning when
Sinatraperformed with the TommyDorsey Band during theperiod of
1940-1942, “AllThis and Heaven Too,”“Imagination,” “Polka Dotsand
Moonbeams,” and“Shake Down the Stars,” thesinger recorded more
thaneighty of Van Heusen’stunes.
When Sinatra and VanHeusen met around 1935, thecomposer was two
yearsolder than the twenty-year
old crooner, who was flushwith the success of havingwon first
place on MajorBowles Amateur Hour onradio. Performing with
TheHoboken Four, Sinatra’s lateparticipation had beenengineered by
his politicallypower house mother Dolly.Leaving the former trio
ofsingers behind, he performedin every saloon, social club,and hall
around Hobokenthat would have him. Itdidn’t hurt that he
arrivedwith his own arrangements,all commissioned and paidfor by
Dolly.
While Sinatra, burstingwith confidence about hisfuture, was
making therounds in New Jersey, he wasalso visiting the
musicpublishers in New York City,
hoping to find a new song tocatapult his singing career.Van
Heusen was working asa song plugger at RemickMusic Publishing,
waitingfor the chance to publish hisown tunes. By 1939, bothartists
would be well on theirway, Sinatra, now singingwith the Harry James
Band,and Van Heusen,collaborating with lyricistEddie De Lange,
producinghis first hit “Darn ThatDream,” written for a short-lived
Broadway musicalSwingin’ the Dream.
But the story WillFriedwald wanted to talkabout was the almost
instantconnection between Sinatraand Van Heusen and hisinfluence on
the singer:“…Van Heusen not onlyexpressed the Sinatrapersona in
song, he helpedcreate it….Sinatra didn’thave to write his own
songs,because Sammy Cahn andVan Heusen captured hisown inner
essence more thananything he could havewanted to write himself.”
“ICould Have Told You,” thelyrics by Carl Sigman,perfectly
reflected Sinatra’ssad state over his breakupwith Ava Gardner: “I
couldhave told you she’d hurtyou…but you were in loveand didn’t
want to know.”
Known for his Clip Jointpresentations, Friedwald
Two of a Kind – Francis Albert Sinatra & Edward Chester
BabcockWill Friedwald Presents: Frank Sinatra Sings Jimmy Van
Heusen
Will Friedwald
FRANK Sinatra
Photo by Rose Billings
-
Hello, APPS Members:
I sincerely wish all of you a very happy, healthy, and
prosperous2019, filled with music and song. Our 2018 season began
in October, with AlexLeonard’s great program on Harry Warren. In
November, we were treated to Amy Asch,KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler
sharing a centennial celebration of Alan Jay Lerner. Then,in
December, our esteemed journalist/historian/APSS Board Member, Will
Friedwalddelighted us with his talk and clips of Sinatra and Jimmy
Van Heusen.
We have a wonderful 2019 season planned for you and I am very
excited toannounce that this month we will present the sensational
Peter and Will Anderson. Ihave seen them perform many times at
Symphony Space and 59 East 59th Street, andwas very excited when
they agreed to do one of their marvelous shows for us. Many ofour
members have a told me that they love the pre-show opening acts,
which bring usyoung singers who love the great songs of the
American Songbook. Our opener inJanuary is Mark William, who made a
stunning cabaret debut at The Green Room 42 andwill be back there
on January 25th. You won’t want to miss our meeting on January
12th,featuring Mark William and The Anderson Twins - you will find
lots of additionalinformation about the program in this
Newsletter.
Our “Member Exchange” Table has been very successful, and many
members lookforward to finding free treasures of sheet music, books
and CD’s. If you have anythingto contribute, please bring your
donations to the meeting for the Table.
Please continue to spread the word about the American Popular
Song Society, bringfriends to the meetings, encourage them to join,
and be sure to renew your ownmembership. We will continue to bring
you remarkable programs, but we need yoursupport and we are hoping
to continue to increase our membership.
Again, a very Happy New Year and I lookforward to seeing you on
January 12th at TheMusician’s Hall at Local 802 from 1:00
to4:00PM.
PAGE 2 AMERICAN POPULAR SONG SOCIETY JANUARY, 2019
President’s Message...Linda Amiel Burns, President
Linda
President:Linda Amiel Burns
Vice Presidents:Joan AdamsSandi Durell
Treasurer & Membership:Glen Charlow
Secretary:Marilyn Lester
Board Of Directors:Elliott AmesBill Boggs
Glen CharlowSandi DurellWill FriedwaldMichael LavineMarilyn
LesterSandy MarroneJerry OsterbergAndrew PoretzJudy StewartTom
Toce
Membership Mailing Address:American Popular Song Society
P.O. Box 5856Pikesville, MD [email protected]
(212) 315-3500 (Linda A. Burns)
American PopularSong Society
MEETING LOCATION: Local 802 – Musicians’ Hall322 West 48th
Street. Program: 1:45 – 3:30PM.
Come early to look thru Sheet Music & CD’s & stuff, all
FREE.
N E W S L E T T E REditor/Publisher: Jerry Osterberg
[email protected] Editor: Marilyn Lester
[email protected] Editor: Joan
[email protected]
Graphic Designer: Glen [email protected]
[email protected]
Linda Amiel Burns, Anais Reno, Will Friedwald
p.s. Due to an increase in expenses, we hadto raise the
membership dues only 5.00. So asingle yearly membership is now 60.
and couplesare 80. We make every effort to keep these feeslow. Of
course if you want to join at the Angel,Patron or Benefactor
levels, that's alwaysanother option of membership.
Best wishes,
Photo by Rose Billings
-
arrived with several videoexcerpts from Sinatra’s filmand
television appearances,among them: a scene in whichthe very young
vocalist issinging one of his first hits:“Polka Dots andMoonbeams;”
“Come FlyWith Me” in which “…someexotic views…” becomes“…some
exotic booze…”;“You, My Love,” from themovie Young at Heart, sungby
Sinatra and Doris Day;“Look to Your Heart,”performed by Eva Marie
Saintfrom the television productionof Our Town; “Tender Trap”from
the film of the samename; the Academy Awardwinning song “High
Hopes,”Sinatra surrounded by a bandof admiring kids; “Call
MeIrresponsible,” performed onBob Hope’s TV program; and
a wonderful clip of Sinatra,Bing Crosby, and DeanMartin, singing
“Style” fromRobin and The Seven Hoods.
The combination of suchrare footage from WillFriedwald’s
extraordinaryarchives, his droll narration,and an informed
audiencepredisposed to knowing evenmore about Frank Sinatra
thanthey already knew, made foran especially interesting
andenjoyable afternoon.
JANUARY, 2019 AMERICAN POPULAR SONG SOCIETY PAGE 3
Two of a Kind...Continued from page 1
THE MARTUCCI SWING ORCHESTRAShout, Sister, Shout! The
Incredible
Boswell SistersDon’t Tell Mama, New York City -
November 2, 2018By Joe LangWhen the Boswell Sisters, Connie,
Martha and Helvetia (Vet), came onto
the scene in New York City in 1931, their unique approach to
group harmonysinging was recognized as something special. They took
the art of groupharmonizing to places where none had been before.
The influence of thejazz that was ubiquitous in their hometown of
New Orleans was evident, andthey set a new standard for groups that
followed.Katie Martucci and her Swing Orchestra, featuring the
vocals of Martucci,
Vanisha Gould and Caroline Kuhn have recently been recreating
the style ofthe Boswells, effectively capturing the Boswell sound.
The ten-song programthat they presented at Don’t Tell Mama was a
satisfying look back at thisimportant group.The singers were
supported by a spirited aggregation comprising Will
Greene on alto and tenor saxes, Kai Sandoval on trumpet, Gustavo
d’Amicoon soprano sax, Chris McCarthy on piano, Jared Engel on bass
and EladioRojas on drums.Getting the Boswell sound down pat is not
an easy task, but this trio of
singers did it superbly. From the opening notes of “Practice
What YouPreach” to the closing strains of “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down
and Write Myself
a Letter,” they had the audience, one that included Kyla Titus,
granddaughterof Vet Boswell, and co-author of The Boswell Legacy,
totally engaged and fullof enthusiasm for the Boswell music, and
the three ladies who were singingit.
Martucci proved to be an informative and charming
spokesperson,explaining the challenges of recreating the
arrangements conceived by theBoswells. She even spoke about taking
a song never recorded by theBoswells, “After You’ve Gone,” and
arranging it in their style, something thatshe accomplished to nice
effect.As they performed familiar songs like “Cheek to Cheek,” “The
Object of My
Affection,” “St. “Louis Blues,” “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” and
“EverybodyLoves My Baby,” it was apparent how singular the
Boswells’ approach wasto the material. The only group
contemporaneous to the Boswells that hadanything resembling their
approach was the Rhythm Boys with the PaulWhiteman Orchestra, but
the Boswells took it to another level ofsophistication.It was also
fun hearing the Boswell versions of a couple of pop tunes of
the day, “Was That the Human Thing to Do?” and “If I had a
Million Dollars.”Unlike the songs mentioned above, they have had
little continuing presenceother than among the musicians and
singers who specialize in the older jazzstyles. As the show
concluded, it was apparent that Martucci and her cohorts had
dazzled the audience, and that they have only tapped the surface
of the richlode of material available in the Boswell Sisters
recordings. Let’s hope thatthey continue to mine it.
Jimmy Van Heusen
Swiss born Anais Reno, accompanied by Matt Baker,presented a
delightful opening to the afternoon’s program.Only fifteen and a
student at the LaGuardia High School ofPerforming Arts, Reno is a
serious singer with a maturevoice and an excellent stage presence.
Earlier this year sheplaced second in Michael Feinstein’s annual
Great AmericanSongbook Competition in Carmel, Indiana. In addition,
Renohas performed with Vince Giordano’s Band, at Jim Caruso’sCast
Night at Birdland, and will be doing her third solo showat 54 Below
next Spring. As if this isn’t enough, two of herclassical
compositions were performed at the New YorkPhilharmonic Very Young
Composers Program. She wasnine years old at the time. Besides Matt
Baker, Reno hasworked with both Tedd Firth and Billy Stritch.
If you missed her appearance last month, go to herwebsite to
hear her renditions of “Sway,” “I Got NothingBut the Blues,” “At
Last,” and “Embraceable You.”
Editor’s Note: Used by permission of Jersey Jazz
-
PAGE 4 AMERICAN POPULAR SONG SOCIETY JANUARY, 2019
DJANGO REINHARDT: KING OF THE JAZZ GUITARBy Marilyn Lester
Just as Miles Davis once said ofDuke Ellington, that once a year
allmusicians should put down theirinstruments and pay him homage,
soshould guitarists do the same for DjangoReinhardt. Reinhardt, a
Belgian-bornRomani-French jazz guitarist andcomposer, was one of
the first jazz talentsto emerge from Europe. His influence onjazz
and jazz guitar has assured him hisplace among the greats, as one
of themost enduringly significant musicians ofthe twentieth
century.
What is most astounding aboutReinhardt is that he had only two
goodfingers on his left hand (at the age of 18he was badly burned
in a fire). Yet hisplaying was fluid and lightning fast,owing to
his ability to devise his owntechnique on the instrument. With
noformal training, this musical geniusapplied his first two
workable fingersrapidly up and down the guitar neck. Theother two
digits of the left hand,permanently curled towards the palm dueto
damaged tendons, were used on thefirst two strings of the guitar
for chordsand octaves. His technique can be seen inthe 1938 short
film, Jazz Hot. Reinhardtthus created an entirely new style ofmusic
in the 1930s and 40s, which cameto be known as “gypsy jazz.”
Django Reinhardt was born in 1910in Belgium, but grew up in a
Romanicaravan enclave on the outskirts of Paris,living what was
then a traditional gypsy
lifestyle. He became attracted to music atan early age,
demonstrating an aptitudefor it at the outset. When he was
twelve,he was gifted with a banjo-guitar, whichhe learned to play
by copying the stylesof the musicians he watched. He beganhis
musical career almost immediately,playing at age 13 with the
accordionistGuerino at a dance hall on the RueMonge. The teenage
Reinhardt beganplaying with several other musicians andbands,
eventually recording for the IdealCompany with accordion players
JeanVaissade, Maurice Alexander and VictorMarceau, and with the
singer MauriceChaumel. Since Reinhardt neither readnor wrote at the
time, his name appearsas Jiango Renard on the record
labels.However, he was already gaininginternational attention;
Britishbandleader Jack Hylton traveled toFrance to hear him play,
offering him ajob, which he ultimately could not takebecause of the
fire.
As he developed musically,Reinhardt listened to and was
influencedby the recordings of Eddie Lang, JoeVenuti, Louis
Armstrong and DukeEllington. It was Ellington who wasresponsible
for Reinhardt’s first and onlytour in the United States at the
close ofWorld War II. The Duke had heardReinhardt play in Europe
before the war,and was impressed. He made his debutwith the
Ellington Orchestra at the
Cleveland Music Hall in the autumn of1946. He closed out the
tour performingin two concerts with Ellington atCarnegie Hall,
where he took six curtaincalls on the first night. Reinhardt
then
played an engagement at Café SocietyUptown, backed by the
resident band,before returning to France in February1947-–never to
return to the US again.
In the decade before World War II,however, Reinhardt, with jazz
violinistStéphane Grappelli, formed the Quintetof the Hot Club of
France in 1934, withRoger Chaput (guitar), Louis Vola (bass)and
eventually Django’s brother Joseph(guitar). A small record company
calledUltraphone recorded their first efforts,which caused a
sensation on both sidesof the Atlantic. During the war years,
with Grappelli in England, Reinhardtplayed and recorded
(avoiding the fate ofmany of his gypsy brethren at the handsof the
Nazis), substituting HubertRostaing’s clarinet for the violin.
Afterthe war and the US tour, Reinhardtcontinued to actively play
and record, butfound it difficult to adjust to post-warEurope. In
1951 he retired to the smallvillage of Samois sur Seine. In May
of1953 he collapsed suddenly, dying of amassive brain hemorrhage at
age 43.
Over his career, Reinhardt composedabout 100 songs. He was a
masterimproviser,
and rarely (if ever) played a solo thesame way twice.
Generations of jazzguitarists have been influenced by hiswork.
Festivals in his honor take placeglobally every year. His name has
cometo stand with the most rarified of the jazzworld as both a
technician and creativegenius, earning him the bona fide title
oftrue “legend.”
Django Reinhardt 1940
Django Reinhardt November 1946
Stephane Grappelli and Django
-
Linda Amiel Burns, APSS President, is celebrating four decades
ofThe Singing Experience. Several APSS members have taken
thisworkshop, some more than once. For those of us who have, we
canassure you that you’ll feel like a pro by the night of the
performance.Although many students have never sung in public
before, thesupportive environment has prepared them well for their
debut. CallLinda at 212-315-3500 to sign up. The Singing Experience
Cable TVshow continues on MNN Time Warner: Channel 56 or RCN:
Channel111. The program broadcasts are every Sunday at 5:00 PM.
Youcan also see your fellow NYSMS members on YouTube at any
time.
Midday Jazz Midtown continues Wednesdays (1:00 PM to 2:00 PM)at
Saint Peter’s Church (East 54 Street (entrance) @ Lexington
Ave),NYC, Hosted by Ronny Whyte. January 2, Geoffrey Keezer
-piano,Gillian Margot – singer; January 9, Mauricio DeSouza &
Bossa Brazil– drums, Bob Rodriquez – piano, Dave Kingsnorth – bass;
January16, Daryl Sherman – Singer/pianist, Harvie S. – bass;
January 23,Art Lillard’s Heavenly Big Band; January 30, Takaaki
Otomo – piano,Noriko Oeda – bass, Ronen Itzik – drums. Suggested
donation: $10.Parking: Icon Parking, East 51 St, between Third and
Lexington Ave.$15 including tax for five hours with
validation@Saint Peter’sReception Desk.
www.saintpeters.org/jazz/midtownjazz.htmwww.ronnywhyte.com.
Marissa Mulder and Jon Weber are back again…this time at
theBeach Café, on January 12 @ 9:30 PM.The show, A Cup of Kindness,
will feature the songs of LeonardCohen, Johnny Burke, Joni
Mitchell, Pink, and Stephen Sondheim.Beach is located at East 70th
Street & Second Avenue. For additionalinformation and
reservations call 212-988-7299 or writewww.thebeachcafe.com.
Congratulations to APSS member Steve Ross for attracting
theattention of Alex Traub of The New York Times! The extensive
profileand interview appeared on December 13, and can be accessed
by
JANUARY, 2019 AMERICAN POPULAR SONG SOCIETY PAGE 5
Member News...
Send Member News to Osterbergg@aol .com no la ter than the 15th
of each month for the next issue.
If you have any member news, or other items you would like to
haveconsidered for this newsletter, please send it by e-mail to the
co-editor, Jerry Osterbergg: [email protected]. It will be subject
toediting, depending on size and content, and please remember
thatwe try to go to press two weeks before each monthly meeting.
Weoften get very good items that get to us after the newsletter has
beenprinted and mailed.
clicking on
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/13/nyregion/the-last-of-the-old-school-cabaret-artists.html
Speaking of Steve Ross, he’s just announced his first Master
Classsessions for 2019, beginning on Sunday, January 20, and
continuingSaturday, January 26, and Sunday, January 27. All classes
are heldfrom 1:30 to 4:30 PM at take place at Steve’s residence,
255 West84th Street, Apt. 12D. The fee is $90 for the three-hour
session. Foradditional information and to reserve, please call Dena
Kaufman at917-848-4797 or write her @ [email protected].
Twin Cities singer/pianist/impresario and APSS member Les
Blockreports that the Johnny Mercer Centennial radio series,
created byLes and radio host David Cummings, has been accepted by
theLibrary of Congress as a permanent addition to its Recorded
SoundReference Center. The program was originally broadcast in a
seriesof ten, one-hour segments, on KFAI-FM in 2009. It’s a
remarkablecollection of interviews for the subject of the lyrics of
Johnny Mercer.Among those who Les and David spoke with were
Margaret Whiting,Tony Bennett, Kay Starr, Barry Manilow, Nancy
Wilson, MonicaMancini, Johnny Mathias, Daryl Sherman, Herb
Jeffries, DiahannCarroll, Steve Allen, Andy Williams, Jack Lemmon,
Dave Frishberg,and David Allyn. The entire program can be accessed
throughGoogle It is a fascinating bit ofhistory.
Board member Marilyn Lester is now the Executive Director of
thenew nonprofit American Songbook Association (an outgrowth of
theCabaret Scenes foundation). The mission is publishing the
magazine,bringing the music into the schools and providing quality,
low-costperformances to senior citizens, students and all who love
songbookmusic. Please check out
www.americansongbookassociation.org
Do you seek an elusive song? If you do, write APSS Board
memberSandy Marrone @ [email protected] or call 856-829-6104. Youcan
also visit Sandy in New Jersey to see thousands and thousandsof
sheets of music, most of which can be yours very reasonably. Sheis
a marvelous resource and a super-great lady! Having heard fromonly
a few of our members over the past year or so, Sandy wants toremind
you that she’s still at it, adding to her collection every day,
andalways willing to part with sheet music at especially fair
prices for us.Sheet music was the reason we were founded thirty
plus years ago,after all, and she’s only a phone call or e-mail
away. Sandy continuesto be willing to offer free appraisals with no
expectation of having rightof first refusal and can provide
unbiased advice as to how and whereto sell music. It’s not a
secret, pass it on please.
-
October 13, 2018Alex Leonard presents Harry Warren
November 10, 2018Alan Jay Lerner with Amy Asch,
KT Sullivan and Mark NadlerDecember 8, 2018
Celebrating Frank Sinatra on his birthday withclips and
songs
January 12, 2019The Anderson TwinsFebruary 9, 2019
Barbara Cook show by Shana FarrMarch 9, 2019
Ron FasslerApril 13, 2019
Celebrating Jazz MonthMay 11, 2019
Songwriter ShowcaseJune 8, 2019
Richard Skipper Celebrates June 8th in Song
P.O. Box 5856 • PIKESVILLE, MD 21282
Did you know every issue of this newsletteris in COLOR online at
www.APSSinc.org
American PopularSong Society
2018 - 19 Season
JANUARY 12thTHE ANDERSON TWINS
The Anderson Twins are thrilled to join us for a concert.They
will be accompanied by Parisian guitarist FelixLemerle. They will
delve into the songbooks of GeorgeGershwin, Richard Rodgers, Cole
Potter, Irving Berlin,Jerome Kern, Hoagy Carmichael, and Jimmy
VanHeusen. The American Popular Songbook hasprovided them with
endless imagination andmeaningful structure throughout their
performingcareers. The twins owe a great bit of gratitude to
thesebrilliant composers for their inspiration. Peter Anderson-
tenor sax, clarinet; Will Anderson - alto sax, flute,clarinet;
Felix Lemerle - guitar.
Mark William opens the program. See below...
Mark is thrilled to share his loveof the American popular
songwith all of us! He recently madehis solo nightclub debut at
TheGreen Room 42 with thecritically-acclaimed worldpremiere of Come
Croon With Me,and will return for an encoreperformance on
January 25th at7pm. Tickets are
availableat www.thegreenroom42.comMark was named one of the
topten cabaret acts of 2018 byTheaterPizzazz and TimesSquare
Chronicles. He also headlined the Highline ChamberEnsemble this
past New Years Eve at The McKittrick Hotel, homeof Sleep No
More. Favorite stage credits include Mame, starringLeslie Uggams,
Jerry's Girls, starring Susan Anton and KleaBlackhurst, the
China/Singapore tour of My Fair Lady, …CharlieBrown (Linus), and
Mary Poppins (Valentine). Mark has performedat other NYC venues
including: United Palace, Birdland, andFeinstein’s/54 Below. Thanks
always to Preston & RichardRidge, and to the APSS board for
this opportunity. For Papa ~Proverbs 16:3.
January’s OpenerMark William
