Hollywood On 52nd Street
Love Letters is a 1945 popular song composed by Victor Young with lyrics written by Edward Heyman. The song appeared, without lyrics, in the movie of the same name and was nominated for the Oscar for Best Song for 1945. The film starred Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotton, Ann Richards, Cecil Kellaway, Gladys Cooper and Anita Louise.
The Story: The plot tells the story of American soldier Alan Quinton in Italy during WWII who has been writing letters for his friend Roger Morland to Victoria Remington, expressing feelings he could never say in person. Realizing she has fallen in love with him and that she will be disappointed in the real Roger, he abruptly leaves for paratrooper training in England. However, it is Alan who is falling in love with Victoria.
Injured, Alan discovers Roger and Victoria are both dead. Hereturns to England, spends time with his fiancé Helen Wentworth, lives at his aunt’s farm and is taken to a party by his brother. He meets Dilly Carson and Singleton, relates the Roger/Victoria story, Dilly realizes its Singleton and that the letters were somehow involved.
Singleton is actually Victoria, an amnesiac woman with two personalities, who killed his soldier friend, Roger. However, after spending time with her she realizes Alan is in love with her but not that she is Victoria. They marry after getting permission from her adopted mother, Beatrice Remington, bit the marriage is scarred by Alan’s love for Victoria.
Talking with Beatrice, Singleton begins to remember her abusive marriage to Roger and that it is Beatrice who stabbed him to death as Victoria attempts to save the letters thrown into the fireplace. Alan arrives at the house, Victoria recalls her true identity and they fall into each other’s arms.
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Hollywood On 52nd Street
Laura is a jazz standard written for the 1944 American film noir produced and directed by Otto Preminger. The theme song was composed by Johnny Mercer nd David Raksin. The movie starred Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews and Clifton Webb with supporting cast comprised of Vincent Price, and Judith Anderson.
The Story: New York City police detective Mark McPherson (played by Andrews) is investigating the murder of beautiful and highly successful advertising executive, Laura Hunt (Tierney). A series of interviews leads McPherson to the people in Laura’s life – decadent newspaper columnist Waldo Lydecker (Webb), parasitic playboy fiancé, Shelby Carpenter (Price) and her aunt Ann Treadwell (Anderson) who has been carrying on with Carpenter and giving him money. Through the ensuing investigation McPherson falls in love with the dead woman’s image only to discover that she is alive and that another girl was murdered. He now only has to learn the identity of the murderer in order to save Laura.
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Hollywood On 52nd Street
Be My Love is now a jazz standard written by Nicholas Brodszky and Sammy Cahn and was originally featured in the 1950 film The Toast Of New Orleans. Kathryn Grayson, Mario Lanza and David Niven were the stars of the movie with supporting roles by J. Carroll Naish, James Mitchell and a teenaged Rita Moreno.
The Story: The plot revolves around Pepe Abellard Duvalle, a New Orleans fisherman, who falls in love with opera star soprano Suzette Micheline.
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Hollywood On 52nd Street
Papa’s Delicate Condition is a 1963 comedy that gave us ”Call Me Irresponsible” which became another jazz classic. Jimmy van Heusen composed the music and Sammy Cahn wrote the lyrics and the tune received an Oscar for Best Song.
The film starred Jackie Gleason and Glynis Johns and was adapted from the Corinne Griffith memoir of the same name. It recounted her father and growing up in Texarkana, Texas.
The Story: If Jack Griffith’s wife doesn’t like the color of a neighbor’s house, he’ll arrange for it to be a house of a different color. If the owner of the ice cream parlor doesn’t believe in selling triple banana splits for a penny, Jack will buy the establishment. And if Jack’s little girl wants the pony in the circus parade, why ot buy the entire circus! This last prank sends Amberlyn Griffith back to turn of the century Texarkana, c. 1900, where her father is running for his third term a mayor. Jack follows, bringing the entire circus.
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Review: Tony Hightower | The New Standard
To take upon oneself the task of reviewing music, one must begin with simply listening. Not just for the instrument but every component that makes a recording session into something special. Sometimes it warrants a drive down the highway, accompanying a Saturday morning house cleaning or in some instances, a quiet place. Regardless of the locale, you approach each one with enthusiastic anticipation and pray the experience will be a pleasurable one.
In recent years there has been a cadre of singers who scour the Great American Songbook only to choose everyone’ favorite songs to record, leading the listener down a well-worn and tiresome road. However, there are an extraordinary few who hear something different and blaze new trails with the standards. I seek out those who choose to dip their proverbial ladles into the uncharted waters and successfully contribute impressive versions of great compositions and originals to the pantheon.
So, to step out and name a debut project The New Standard, in such revered footsteps as Herbie Hancock, takes not only faith but also a confidence in one’s ability to create something beyond ordinary. Unequivocally, this is what composer, arranger and vocalist Tony Hightower has accomplished with his penning of six original tunes, while taking out a loan from Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Eden Ahbez, and Thelonious Monk, thus making this an offering worthy of the title.
Throughout my Atlanta residency as a deejay I was privileged and honored to witness the maturation of the musicians and vocalists who keep the city alive with jazz. From this pool of talent Tony selected pianist Kenny Banks Jr., drummer Henry Conerway III and bassist Kevin Smith to be his principle rhythm section, interchanging pianists Phil Davis on “Minor Major”, Nick Rosen on “Close To You” and Mose Davis and Marcus Williams on “I Mean You”. It is evident he possessed clarity to hear the touch that is required to give each song new life.
Foresight is a gift that is given few and Mr. Hightower has blessed the world with an album of such magnitude. Enlisting Atlanta jazz royalty that defines the new face of the modern jazz generation, he brings the maturity of Kebbi Williams, Melvin Jones, Mike Burton, Dorran Thigpen, Frank Houston and Wilbert Williams to bear witness. If this is not enough to satiate your musical palate, he washes the orchestrations with the voices of Theresa Hightower, Natasha Brown, All Us Katz, Keasha Copeland, Sandra Miller, Donna Ector, Kelsie Broughton and Felicia Hardy.
As I listened to this project for the fourth, fifth and sixth time I never tired of hearing the “A” game this talented young man brought into the studio. Relentlessly he engulfs your senses with an accompaniment of strings by David Davidson, David Angell, Elizabeth Lamb and John Catchings. Wrap all this music up in a well-designed liner and you are told an equally compelling story through words and pictures, allowing you to take a peak into the mind of the man behind the music. I surmise, you will agree that this is a testament to his musical acumen and prowess.
The evidence lies before you. You only have to listen to the conversation to understand the brilliance of what you hear. Over a year ago, this young man said he was going to give me something I would enjoy. If this is what lies behind the marquee for the new standard, it was delivered as promised.
carl anthony | notorious jazz | november 30, 2014
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