Happy Birthday, Johnny Mercer. Those of us of a certain age who claim both a young heart and an old soul shouldn’t pass up an opportunity to acknowledge America’s finest songwriter, whose birthday was yesterday. If you find yourself at a piano bar this weekend, stuff a few extra bucks in the glass and request some of Mercer’s best. A Summer Wind, Moon River, Midnight Sun, Autumn Leaves, Come Rain or Come Shine, Accentuate the Positive -- you have plenty of good choices. Mercer’s output forms the backbone of the American songbook, and any decent piano man should know some of it. For your listening pleasure right here I offer one of Mercer’s most famous, One For My Baby. Harold Arlen wrote the music for this wandering tune, and Mercer’s lyrics make it work. It’s been covered countless times, but this version, with its simple lingering piano notes, and Frank’s sublime talent for singing about romantic loss, is my favorite. youtube/watch?v=m121tmJzcAc
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 03:44:26 +0000
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