Gavin James • At Last

This morning I reviewed the latest from Irish singer/songwriter Gavin James, and mentioned I first discovered him via a clip of him singing "At Last", the classic song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the 1941 film, 'Orchestra Wives'. It was performed in the film and on record by Glenn Miller and his orchestra, with vocals by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday. The song is perhaps most closely identified with the outstanding recording made almost two decades later, when Etta James had a huge hit with the song in 1960. Fast-forward more an fifty more years, and I come across this YouTube video, and find myself another singer/songwriter with whom I form a bond. This is Gavin James singing "At Last" at a Tower Records in Dublin, Ireland.

I guess this is me getting an early start to the Valentine's Day festivities. To learn more about Gavin James, visit his official website. You can also 'follow' him on Twitter, and 'like' him on Facebook. For more about his music, you can check out my thoughts on his first full-length album, 'Live at Whelans' from earlier.

You'll Never Know • Songs of Warren & Gordon

Clockwise: Rosemary Clooney, Julie London, Etta James, and Doris Day.

Harry Warren and Mack Gordon were both very successful songwriters, and when they came together, they made magic. There is a rich catalog of songs from which to choose, so I just picked four of my favorites to share with you. I will start with a song written for the 1943 film, 'Hello, Frisco, Hello'. In the movie, "You'll Never Know" was sung by star Alice Faye. It was one of nine songs nominated for for an Oscar, and went on to win the 1943 Academy Award for 'Best Original Song'. Fast forward 9 years, and the song was recorded by Harry James Orchestra, with featured vocalist Rosemary Clooney. I have long found Clooney's voice to be heavenly, so I couldn't resist using her recording now. This is "You'll Never Know", by Rosemary Clooney with the Harry James Orchestra.

Our next song was published in 1945, and originally sung by Dick Haymes in the film 'Diamond Horseshoe'. "The More I See You" has been sung by countless other artists since, and we are all the better for it. The song has a gorgeous melody, and is rich with emotion. In 1959 singer/actress Julie London released the song as part of her album, 'Your Number Please'. London added her own touch to the song, a breathy sexiness that is tough to resist. This is Julie London singing "The More I See You".

"Serenade in Blue" was introduced in the 1942 film 'Orchestra Wives' by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, dubbed by Pat Friday for actress Lynn Bari. It was written as a Big Band number, with lush orchestrations. It was recorded by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra, with featured vocalist Ray Eberle with backing vocals by The Modernaires. That recording was the 11th best selling song of the year. It quickly became a standard, sung by most of the top singers of the time. Twenty-two years later, it was recorded by movie star Doris Day for her 1964 album, 'Doris Day's Sentimental Journey'. It is lovely, with a gorgeous string section. This is Doris Day singing "Serenade in Blue".

For my final song this evening, I thought I would go with what is arguably the most famous song the collaborators wrote. "At Last" appeared in the 1941 musical 'Orchestra Wives', which starred George Montgomery and Ann Rutherford. It was performed in the film and on record by Glenn Miller and his orchestra, with vocals by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday. While it was popular, it is not the version most remember. That would be the recording from 1960, made by the magnificent Etta James. James released her debut album that year, as well as the title cut. "At Last" made it to #2 on Billboard's R&B chart, and #47 on the Billboard Hot 100. While I would have suspected the song did much better on the charts, it remains an iconic recording, and the most remembered for "At Last". Please enjoy Etta James with "At Last".

These songs are all available on iTunes and Amazon, in various collections. And all are well-worth having in your collection. I hope you enjoyed the post, and are having a great weekend!

Sarah Vaughan in Sweden

I have long enjoyed the amazingness that is Sarah Vaughan. The singer, also known as Sassy, was not only popular with record buyers, but also record makers. Singers like Frank Sinatra envied the singer, having been quoted once as saying, "Sassy is so good now that when I listen to her I want to cut my wrists with a dull razor." Her career began in either late 1942 or early 1943, when she won an Amateur Night competition at Harlem's Apollo Theater. Soon she was opening for Ella Fitzgerald, and working with Earl Hines and Billy Eckstine. It was only a matter of time before she was out front and center, a headliner herself. In 1964,, Sassy had a show in Sweden, recorded for television. She sang some incredible songs, a few of which I will bring to you tonight. The first of which is a song written by 1954 by the pianist Erroll Garner, with lyrics later written by Johnny Burke. This is Sarah Vaughan singing the classic song, "Misty".

I thought I would lighten the post a bit with a song written in 1929 by Fats Waller, with lyrics by Andy Razaf. Waller's 1934 recording of "Honeysuckle Rose" has been placed in the Grammy Hall of Fame. The song is a delightful love song, and when it is in Sassy's hands, it is even lighter and sweeter. I hope you enjoy Sarah Vaughan singing "Honeysuckle Rose" as much as I do.

The next video features a popular song from the 1953 musical 'Kismet', written for the show by Robert Wright and George Forrest. The show was said to be inspired by the music of Russain composer Alexander Borodin. "Baubles, Bangles, and Beads" was a big hit in 1954 by the great Peggy Lee, but seems like a perfect choice for Vaughan. The song, with the complex melody line and structure, allows her voice to move effortlessly over the musical terrain, making for a wonderful aural journey. This is Sarah Vaughan singing "Baubles, Bangles and Beads".

"The More I See You" is a popular song written by Harry Warren, with lyrics by Mack Gordon. The song was published in 1945, and has been a standard for many singers ever since. Both men and women lined up to sing it, and that is what they did. While many took it on, few gave it the nuanced touch delivered by Vaughan. I think this is a perfect way to end the post tonight. Pleasure enjoy Sarah singing "The More I See You".

You can find the music of Sarah Vaughan anywhere great music is sold. There are plenty of song collections from which to choose, but in my experience, you cannot go wrong with Sarah. For example, you can find 'Sarah Vaughan's Golden Hits' on both iTunes and Amazon. And have a great weekend!

Golden Songs From The Silver Screen

Clockwise: Doris Day; Dame Shirley Bassey; Ella Fitzgerald, and Binnie Hale.

Well, I have to admit I was wondering what to post about, and I came across an old recording by one of my favorites, Michael Feinstein, 'Romance On Film/Romance On Broadway', which featured some amazing songs that might be best known because of a spectacular and memorable performance on stage or on screen. Since many of these were older songs, I went about looking for some amazing recordings to show off what great songs they are. The first of those is a popular song written in 1945 by Harry Warren, with lyrics by Mack Gordon. It has appeared in several films, perfect for fixing the mood of a scene. I picked a song recorded in 1965 by the great Doris Day. When she sings "The More I See You", it is impossible not to feel deeply what love can be.

Next up, I have picked a song introduced by Bing Crosby in the 1960 film 'High Time'. "The Second Time Around" has lyrics by Sammy Cahn and music by Jimmy Van Heusen, a great duo indeed. For this great song, I picked the always amazing Dame Shirley Bassey, with a rendition she recorded for the 1962 album, 'Lets Face The Music'. The great singer was accompanied by the great Nelson Riddle and his Orchestra

I don't know if this post would be able to go without this song written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931. It was written for the 1931 Broadway musical 'Everybody's Welcome' and originally sung by Frances Williams. But perhaps it is best known by a version sung by a character in a 1942 movie. Club singer Sam (Dooley Wilson) sings the song in the movie 'Casablanca'. Yes, we are talking about the great song "As Time Goes By". Now, it has been recorded by a multitude of artists, but after I looked around, I decided to go with a version by Binnie Hale in 1932. There is just such charm on the recording made by this stsar of the British stage.

And, last but most certainly not least, I decided to go with a song written in 1932 by the great songwriting team of Rodgers & Hart. "Isn't It Romantic" was introduced by Jeanette MacDonald and Maurice Chevalier in the Paramount film 'Love Me Tonight'. I decided to go with a lush version recorded in 1957 by the brilliant Ella Fitzgerald recorded. It is my pleasure to share with you the great Ella singing "Isn't It Romantic".

Have a great weekend!