The Definitive American Songbook: Arthur Schwartz Pt. 2
By the 1930’s, Arthur Schwartz’s songwriting career was in full swing. With his law office closed and his writing partner, Howard Dietz, on board, Schwartz focused exclusively on his music. In the years before the war broke out, the songwriting team was prolific, creating music used in six shows. Here are five must-have recordings for your collection.
“New Sun In The Sky” Fred Astaire and Oscar Peterson from The Astaire Story
In the spring of 1931, The Bandwagon opened on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theater, starring a young phenom named Fred Astaire. One of the numbers he sang in the first act was “New Sun In The Sky.” A handful of solid recordings have been made since then, but the very best is by Fred Astaire and Oscar Peterson on the album The Astaire Story. Both Peterson and Astaire's performances are bright and refreshing… full of possibilities...like a new… well, you know.
“Something to Remember You By” Jo Stafford from Broadway Revisited
We’ve all been there. That special someone won’t be around for a while -- a summer, a semester -- and we want a little piece of them to hold on to. Whether it’s a t-shirt, friendship bracelet, or mixtape, it’s comforting to have a little “Something to Remember You By” when we’re far apart. Jo Stafford gave us many things to remember her by, but this recording might be the one we’ll cherish forever. The tempo is perfect for an intimate slow dance or a long daydream, and she sings it with a serious sense of longing. The arrangement is really wonderful as well; it reminds me of a scene out of a western, everyone around the campfire singing along together.
“I See Your Face Before Me” Carmen McRae from Something To Swing About
The first track on Carmen McRae’s 1960 release Something to Swing About was a Schwartz/Dietz song from the Broadway revue Between the Devil. From the moment McRae starts singing, you can feel why this recording is so special. She grabs your attention and does not let go,manipulating the melody ever so subtly, but still singing the song the way it was written. Her band is equally fantastic, including the saxophonists Phil Woods and Zoot Sims, and Art Farmer on trumpet. If you don’t know, those are some heavy dudes… g’head and Google ‘em. Of all the recordings on this week’s list, McRae’s version of “I See Your Face Before Me” has been in the heaviest of rotations in my earbuds.
“Alone Together” Ray Charles and Betty Carter from Ray Charles and Betty Carter
“Alone Together” is this writer’s absolute favorite song of all time, so it’s a personal treat to recommend this fantastic recording. Ray Charles and Betty Carter are a match made in studio heaven. They’re such different artists, coming from very different places, but they combine their two voices together to sound like one instrument, alone but together. Marty Paich arranged it and the Jack Halloran Singers backed them up. Absent Paich’s usual jazz sensibilities and Charles’s gospel stylings, this ballad has a vibe all its own.
“Got a Bran’ New Suit” Louis Armstrong from Louis Armstrong
Just about every talented interpreter of this great music has taken a Schwartz/Dietz song out for a ride at one time or another. As is the case with Duke Ellington (from Arthur Schwartz Pt.1), if Louis Armstrong recorded your song, you’ve got something to be really proud of. Armstrong was the father of jazz, the first African American international superstar, and was so admired that everyone and their mothers wanted to work with him. He was the embodiment of the American dream, even if that dream was artificially created on a soundstage in Hollywood. Louis was so American he mythically changed his birthday to be on the 4th of July. So his version of “Got A Bran’ New Suit” is the definitive one… because Louis Armstrong.
WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations
