We really enjoyed watching this special tonight about the great - TopicsExpress

We really enjoyed watching this special tonight about the great songwriter Jimmy Van Heusen. I knew I dug his songs, but was reminded that so many of my personal favorite songs in the Great American Songbook were written by him! Here was a songwriter that was not afraid of chromaticism, Call Me Irresponsible being a prime example. Recent decades have brought us nothing but diatonic monotony in the songs being written, which I think has lead to many singers losing the ear to understand a chromatic interval, and thus the ability to execute it vocally. Songwriters, you want people to think your new song sounds dated? Stick some chromaticism in it! OK, rant over. I dig me some Gershwin, but Van Heusen? That dude is definitely in the conversation! nydailynews/entertainment/tv/jimmy-van-heusen-swingin-frank-bing-tv-review-article-1.1896750