Hollywood On 52nd Street
Lady Be Good was performed in the 1941 film Lady Be Good, taking its title and theme song “Oh Lady Be Good” from the 1924 George and Ira Gershwin Broadway musical, but otherwise is unrelated to the musical play. The film starred dancer Eleanor Powell, Ann Sothern, Robert Young, Lionel Barrymore and Red Skelton.
The Story: Eddie Crane, a young composer, is struggling with a tune he has just written. When his girlfriend, Dixie Donegan, provides words almost by accident, the song is published and is a great success.
A few years later, now married and successful songwriters with a hit Broadway show behind them, Dixie realizes that Eddie is spending more time in rich New York society than composing. They divorce, but quickly realize they are still in love and cannot do without each other. They remarry and write more successful songs, but then Eddie goes off to South America, ostensibly to get inspiration to write a symphony. Dixie again seeks a divorce, but the astute judge denies it. Eddie returns and they realize that despite all, they are still in love.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Matt Dennis was born on February 11, 1914 in Seattle, Washington. His early exposure to music came from the family business of vaudeville, his mother who was a violinist and his father a singer. In 1933 he joined Horace Heidt’s orchestra as a vocalist and pianist. Later he would form his own band, with Dick Haymes as vocalist.
Dennis became a vocal coach, arranger, and accompanist for Martha Tilton and then worked with a new vocal group, The Stafford Sisters. Jo Stafford, one of the sisters, joined the Tommy Dorsey band in 1940 and persuaded Dorsey to hire him as arranger and composer. He would go on to wrote prolifically, with 14 of his songs recorded by the Dorsey band in one year alone, including “Everything Happens To Me”, an early hit for Frank Sinatra.
With four years in the U.S. Air Force in World War II behind him, Matt returned to music writing and arranging. He got a boost from his old friend Dick Haymes, who hired him to be the music director for his radio program, and with lyricist Tom Adair wrote songs for Haymes’ program.
Dennis made six albums, most of which are out of print; however, his 1953 song Angel Eyes that he composed with lyricist Earl Brent has become a frequently recorded jazz standard. Added to that list of standards are Will You Still Be Mine, The Night We Called It A Day and Violets For Your Furs.
Composer, pianist, arranger, singer and bandleader Matt Dennis passed away on June 21, 2002 in Riverside, California at the age of 88.
Dose A Day – Blues Away
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Renée Manning was born on February 8, 1955 and bred in Brooklyn, New York. She attended New York’s Music and Art High School as a teenager and by the ’70s she became employed on albums by hard bop/soul-jazz players like tenor saxophonist David “Fathead” Newman and cornetist Nat Adderley.
Her most visible association came in the 1980s, when she started a five-year gig as a featured vocalist for the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra at the Village Vanguard, after hearing her sing at another local nightspot Mikells. In 1991 Renée recorded her first solo album As Is for Ken Music, a small independent New York jazz label. Her success subsequently led to Ken releasing her second album, Uhm…Uhm…Uhmmmm.
Her big band associations and collaborations have included the Chico OFarrill Afro Cuban Orchestra, The George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band, Dukes Men, a large ensemble project with Lester Bowie and Earl McIntyre and the Mingus Big Band. Manning has worked with Jon Faddis, Sir Roland Hanna, Mark Murphy, Howard Johnson, Joe Williams, Don Cherry, Sheila Jordan, Howard Johnson, Ray Anderson, McCoy Tyner, Pharoah Sanders, Carmen McRae, Louis Hayes, Dizzy Gillespie and Avery Sharpe to name a few.
She has toured Europe, played New York, London and Copenhagen clubs, recorded two albums as a leader and numerous others as a featured vocalist, performed at numerous jazz festivals, created a 15 piece ensemble called Unsung Heroes and was a part of the WBGOs children series with her and Earl McIntyre’s group Jazzimon.
Aside from performing and composing, Manning teaches vocal technique privately and master classes. She’sone of only two vocalists taught by the legendary teacher Carmine Caruso, her method is quite unique, and incredibly effective. She is currently on staff as vocal and choir instructor at the Brooklyn Conservatory with students from 8 to 80.
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Hollywood On 52nd Street
Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart is a 1934 popular song with words and music by James F. Hanley. Though Hal Le Roy and Eunice Healey introduced the song in the Broadway revue Thumbs Up! probably the most notable recordings were made by Judy Garland, who sang it in the 1938 film “Listen, Darling”.
The Story: Pinkie Wingate and her friend Herbert “Buzz” Mitchell go to great lengths to prevent her widowed mother Dottie from marrying the wrong person.
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Hollywood On 52nd Street
My Blue Heaven is a popular song written by Walter Donaldson one afternoon at the Friars Club in New York City while waiting for his turn at the billiard table. At the time the song was written Donaldson was under contract to Irving Berlin, working for Irving Berlin Inc. publishing company. George A. Whiting wrote lyrics adapted for Donaldson’s music, and for a while, performed it in his vaudeville act.
The song was first used in the 1950 film of the same title starring Betty Grable and Dan Dailey. The song was eventually used once again in the 1990 crime comedy of the same name that starred Steve Martin and Rick Moranis. By the time it appeared in the soundtrack it had been a jazz standard for many years having been recorded by Jimmie Lunceford, Don Byas, Mary Lou Williams, Benny Carter, Maxine Sullivan, Erroll Garner, Red Norvo, Oscar Peterson, Lena Horne, Teddy Wilson and numerous others.
The Story: 1950 – Kitty (Grable) and Jack (Dailey), portray married radio stars who are expecting a baby. When she miscarries, they move from radio to television and and become determined to adopt a baby. 1990 -Vincent “Vinnie” Antonelli (Martin) is a good-hearted larger than life mobster in the witness protection program. Barney Coopersmith (Moranis) is an uptight FBI agent assigned to protect Vinnie and his wife Linda and puts them in a small California suburb. Both wives leave, Vinnie and Barney get closer but has a hard time keeping him at low profile. Come to find out this town is full of mobster in witness protection. Enter two hit men, new love interests for both and eventually Vinnie becomes a prominent figure in the town.
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