Lawd, Have Mercer... Love Songs of Johnny Mercer

Clockwise: Emmy Rossum; Maxine Sullivan; Billie Holiday; and Barbra Streisand.

Since it has been rather hot and humid in the Mid-Atlantic region, I was in the mood for some song of summer when I was putting this post together. While going through my iTunes - yes, I have a stupid amount of music on my external drive - I came across the song "Summer Wind". I had two versions, one by Lyle Lovett, and the other my Westlife. As I thought about the song, I remembered it had lyrics by the great Johnny Mercer, and there you have it, the birth of a post. So that left with the duty to find the songs and artists I wanted to include. First up, I wanted to see how many people have recorded "Summer Wind", and I was intrigued with the notion that Emmy Rossum had. Now, I knew Emmy could sing, but have been enjoying her on the Showtime series 'Shameless' so much, I'd forgotten about it. I hadn't realized she released 'Sentimental Journey', a collection of classic songs from the 1920s to the 1960s. Honestly, I really enjoy her version of the first song, written in 1965 by Mercer with Heinz Meier. So here is Emmy Rossum singing "Summer Wind".

Since I was picking songs by Johnny Mercer, there is no way I could ignore a beautiful song like "Skylark", with lyrics by Mercer, and music by the great Hoagy Carmichael. It was long rumored Merer wrote the lyrics while trying to get over an affair he had with Judy Garland, who at the time was engaged to another man. While I have no idea if that is true or not, it would certainly explain the very real melancholy in the song. The song was written in 1941, with wonderful eraly recordings by Anita O'Day and Helen Forrest. However, I decided to go with the lovely recording by Maxine Sullivan. In 1947, Sullivan recorded teh song with the Ellis Larkins Trio. Please enjoy Maxine Sullivan singing "Skylark".

There are just a few songs it seems so very wrong to not include in any discussion of the man. For my money, the top of the list would be the song with music by Henry Mancini, written for the iconic 1961 film, 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'. It was sung in the movie by the wonderful Audry Hepburn, and a recording by Mancini and his chorus became a hit. Almost immediately, it became a classic, and sung by many. Singer Andy Williams became closely identified with his recording. But I opted to go with a truly beautiful recording by one of my favorite singers of all time. Yes, I am speaking of the great Barbra Streisand, who recorded "Moon River" for her 2003 release 'The Movie Album'. I love it.

And, for the last song of the evening, I have to chuckle, for it is the second of the four that has also been affiliated with the Divine Miss M, Bette Midler. On the final night Johnny Carson hosted the tonight show, he invited Middle to be his final guest, and that she sing a particular song, one of his favorites. That song was "One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)", written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the 1943 movie musical 'The Sky's the Limit'. While the movie might not be remembered as one of the greats from the period, this song definitely is. It has been sung by the best the music business has to offer, but there is one that stands out to me. I just love the recording by Billie Holiday, off her 1957 album 'Songs for Distingué Lovers'. So here is 'Lady Day' singing "One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)".

I hope you enjoyed this visit to Mercer-land. I know I did.

With Love, From (Irving) Berlin...

Clockwise: Maxine Sullivan, Rosemary Clooney, Jo Stafford and Dinah Shore.

I decided I wanted to hear some of the music of Irving Berlin tonight, and thought his love songs would be fun. Berlin is best known for his rousing uptempo songs, and his patriotic numbers. But he was no stranger to the ballad, having written some beautiful ones for Broadway and Hollywood musicals. The first song I have on the list is the beautiful "Blue Skies", written in 1926, a last-minute 'fix' for the Rodgers and Hart musical, 'Betsy'. While the show didn't survive, the song definitely did. The song went from a song in a Broadway flop to a great addition to the Great American Songbook, with some great versions sung by many artists. I decided to go with a version by Maxine Sullivan, a wonderful singer who paved the way for the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughan. Many considered her the greatest Jazz singer of the 1930s. Here is her version of "Blue Skies", recorded in 1937.

The next song was written as a duet, and comes from a Broadway show that was also a hit movie musical. "You're Just In Love" was written in 1950, and first performed by Ethel Merman and Russell Nype in 'Call Me Madam' on Broadway. Rosemary Clooney and Guy Mitchell recorded the song at the end of 1950, and it became a Top 40 hit. Berlin wrote the song with a charming counterpoint style, with the two parts of the song seemingly at different tempos, yet they blend together beautifully.

"You Keep Coming Back Like A Song" was written by Berlin for the 1946 film 'Blue Skies', and was introduced by Bing Crosby. Like much of Berlin's music, the song went on to be recorded by many, so I had plenty from which to choose. I decided to go with Dinah Shore's lovely version, released in 1946. In the recording, Shore has such lovely tone and control, so please enjoy Dinah singing "You Keep Coming Back Like A Song".

The next song was from the 1949 Broadway production of 'Miss Liberty', a musical written about the wonderful gift from the French, the Statue of Liberty. "(Just One Way To Say) I Love You" is the song that closed the first act, and it is a beautiful one. So lovely, it caught the eye of the talented Jo Stafford, who released it in 1949. The song was a hit, making it to #12 on the Billboard Hot 100. Of course, Stafford was a popular singer, being the first woman to have a #1 song on the UK music charts. So please enjoy Jo as she sings "(Just One Way To Say) I Love You".

Have a great weekend!

Maxine Sullivan Brings The Swing

Maxine Sullivan came into the public eye in the 1930s, singing some of the great music that was being written. She was born in Homestead, Pennsylvania, in 1911. She was raised in a musical family, and soon she was singing in her uncle's band, The Red Hot Peppers. With them, she toured around Pennsylvania, singing and occasionally playing both the flugelhorn and the valve trombone. But in the mid-1930s, she was discovered, and was soon in a recording studio.

From the 1930s to the 1970s, Maxine continued to work steadily as a singer, including taking an occasional turn on the Broadway stage. In fact, in 1979, at the age of 68, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her work in 'My Old Friends'. She played and recorded with the top talents of her time, from Louis Armstrong to Fats Waller. Maxine was perhaps best known for her recording of "Loch Lomond", the traditional Scottish Folk song from the 17th or 18th century. Her recording injected new life into the song with the great Swing arrangement. Here is Maxine Sullivan singing "Loch Lomond".

The next song is a standard from 1946. This was written by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Arthur Freed. "This Heart of Mine" was written for the 1946 film 'Ziegfield Follies', with Fred Astaire singing and dancing as only he could. The song was recorded and sung beautifully by Sullivan in 1948.

"Skylark" was written in 1941, by Johnny Mercer and Hoagy Carmichael. It is said that Mercer's lyrics were written to express his longing for Judy Garland, after the two had an affair. It quickly became a Popular standard, and sung by some of the greatest voices around. In 1947, Sullivan recorded her version, which certainly offered up a sweet yet aching feeling, perfectly capturing the emotion for the song.

The next song was written in 1928 by the great Fats Waller, with lyrics by Andy Razaf. Waller's recording in 1934 was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. In 1956, Maxine recorded an album to celebrate the lyrics of Razaf, 'A Tribute to Andy Razaf'. The album also featured the wonderful music of Waller. Here is one of the songs from that collection, "Honeysuckle Rose".

You can find 'The Very Best of Maxine Sullivan' on iTunes and Amazon.