VOLUME 42, NUMBER 5 Formerly New York Sheet Music Society www.APSSinc.org FEBRUARY 2021 jumpstart the show. Martinez, who Jaime deRoy and Friends: starred as Emilio Estefan in a semi- Just Another Beautiful Day in NYC autobiographical treatment of the life of Gloria and Emilio Estefan, for a year on By Jerry Osterberg the road following his Broadway debut, Several years ago, this writer was Club, a small group which included Liza also performed “The Other Other privileged to review an edition of Jaime Minelli, Joan Rivers, and Brooke Woman,” written for Songs from an deRoy & Friends for Cabaret Scenes Shields. Unmade Bed, a revue of songs each Magazine. The delightful series had just On a bright and sunny, chilly Winter written by a different composer and celebrated its 20th Anniversary, although Saturday morning, January 9 to be lyricist. it was my first experience. Subsequently, precise, Jaime deRoy, thanks to the Paula Dione Ingram, her resume I learned that the evening’s show was magic of Zoom, arrived with a troupe of containing classical training, opened with typical of the format: a big, bold production music and comedy. number of “Some of While the comedy was These Days,” side-splitting, a bonus accompanied by the for me was to witness a well-regarded musical performance of the old director Don Rebic for a standard “Out of knockout performance Nowhere” by Sean at the Columbia Club in Harkness. Since then, Indianapolis, Indiana. I’ve attended many Ingram followed with a performances in which Charles Busch Karen Mason David Buskin dramatic “Believe in Harkness supported a Yourself,” a much- singer with guitar. recorded song from The Unaware of the fact at Wiz, again supported by the time, his Rebic. The singer had performance would made her stage debut in have registered as hard Carmen Jones, having to beat. been cast in the lead Over the last after auditioning for a decade, I’ve been lesser role. The fortunate to attend production ran at many renderings of Paula Dione Ingram Mauricio Martinez Christina Bianco London’s West End and deRoy’s exceptional presentations, and I six performers and longtime Director throughout Europe. There’s clearly a lot have always come away completely Barry Kleinbort, and settled into APSS of confidence in her repertoire, especially impressed by their quality. Should she members’ living rooms, dens, kitchens, considering that Ingram dropped out of ever decide to retire, it would be quite a and dining rooms, for a close to two hour the music business for several years to challenge to fill her shoes. Where does program of music and conversation. raiseMia Bermanfive children. one begin? Jaime deRoy is an actress, After a brief welcome and introduction Two-time Drama Desk winner and comedienne, cabaret performer, by President Linda Amiel Burns, deRoy highly praised veteran of Forbidden songwriter, and theater producer, with jumped right in with a recorded Broadway, Christina Bianco, started her seven Tony Awards to her credit, not to performance of Mauricio Martinez, set with “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” a mention awards from Drama Desk, whose high energy offering of “Quizas, beloved anthem from Funny Girl. Drama League, Broadway World, and Quizas, Quizas” (“Perhaps, Perhaps, Literally, without missing a beat, Bianco MAC. She was among the first women to Perhaps”), filmed at the now closed segued neatly from the voice and persona be admitted as members of the Friars Metropolitan Room, was a perfect way to Continued on page 3 PAGE 2 AMERICAN POPULAR SONG SOCIETY FEBRUARY, 2021 American President’s Message... Popular Song Linda Amiel Burns, President Society Hi to our APSS members, friends, family and fans, President: Linda Amiel Burns I am sitting here writing this message while watching a major (212) 315-3500

snowstorm raging outside my window and covering most of the Vice Presidents: Northeast. What a way to welcome in the month of February! Most of us who Joan Adams have not been able to run away to warmer climes cannot wait for this winter Sandi Durell and the stress of the pandemic to be over. Song titles float across my mind Treasurer & Membership: like "Winter Wonderland," "Let It Snow" and "We've Got Our Songs (Love) Glen Charlow to Keep Us Warm." Secretary: Marilyn Lester I want to thank the incomparable Jamie DeRoy and Director Barry Kleinbort for the "Jamie DeRoy & Friends" Program last month that featured Board Of Directors: a sensational cast of performers. It is the lead story in this issue, and you Elliott Ames can read all about it. If you missed being there on Zoom on 1/9/21, you can Danny Bacher Bill Boggs visit our website and click on the link to watch it. Will Friedwald Michael Lavine I am excited about our Sandy Marrone Jerry Osterberg next Program on Saturday, Andrew Poretz February 13th from 12-2 Judy Stewart hosted by the incredible Will Tom Toce Friedwald who will tell you Mark William about his new book, N E W S L E T T E R "Straighten Up and Fly Right: Editor/Publisher: Jerry Osterberg The Life and Music of Nat [email protected] King Cole" and where to Contributing Editor: Marilyn Lester purchase it. I once saw a [email protected] Associate Editor: Joan Adams documentary on Mr.Cole in [email protected] which he recalled that he met Graphic Designer: Glen Charlow his wife Maria at the Cafe [email protected] Zanzibar, located in the Brill Photographer: Rose Billings Zanzibar (1944-1949) - 1619 Broadway (The Brill Building) at the [email protected] Northwest corner of 49th Street. Building, above my Dad's famed Restaurant, The Turf. Membership Mailing Address: American Popular Song Society We are fortunate to have Will as a Board Member and are thankful that P.O. Box 5856 he was able to jump in when our February Program presenter cancelled. He Pikesville, MD 21282 will also be co-hosting the closing program with Bill Boggs in June which will Why is that the mailing address? celebrate the birthday of the fabulous Dean Martin. Because the treasurer lives in Baltimore, Maryland. Looking forward to seeing you on the day before Valentine's Day, [email protected] This email address goes to Glen Charlow 2/13/21. The Zoom link is in this mailing and we will celebrate by listening to the many love songs of Nat King Cole! Memberships can be paid with: Best wishes, stay warm and stay safe. ❤ Linda

MEETING LOCATION: Our programs during the inside the via Paypal 2020 pandemic are being (570 10th Ave. 4th fl) at www.APSSinc.org brought to you by... 11:00am - 2:00pm Come early to look thruwww.zoom.us Sheet Music & CD’s & stuff, all FREE. FEBRUARY, 2021 AMERICAN POPULAR SONG SOCIETY PAGE 3 of Barbra Streisand, Bernadette Peters, late musical director, Brian Lasser. It’s a she appeared for either Glenn Close or Patti LuPone, Liza Minelli, Julie lovely song filled with loss but hope as Betty Buckley a total of 150 times. Andrews, Kristin Chenoweth, Alice well. There’s a gentleness and longing in Mason also performed “Hey There Good Ripley, Judy Garland, and Bette Midler, Times,” which eased into “Happy Days before easing into her own voice, which Are Here Again.” is well within the respectability range of The final performer of the afternoon her virtual colleagues. A career highlight was the singer-songwriter David Buskin, for Bianco is that she starred in a West whose hilarious “Jews Don’t Camp,” End production of Funny Girl, followed written with Robin Batteau, was by a wildly popular production is Paris, performed by de Roy and Buskin live, in English with French subtitles. just as it was at the show I attended so With a long list of accolades and many years ago. Finally, the program awards behind him, Charles Busch, included a recorded duet by Buskin and appeared at Lincoln Center in a touching his daughter Sophie at the Friars Club. performance of “Bill,” one of the iconic Buskin, who has worked often with Judy numbers from Showboat. While Busch Collins, accompanied his daughter and was dressed in his characteristic drag harmonized for the country genre song.: costume, there was nothing camp about “We Got Nothing to Answer For.” Ms. his presentation. With lyrics designed to Buskin has a powerful voice which was tug at the heart strings, his incredible perfectly suited to underscoring the tag: emotional delivery was nothing less than “Love don’t answer to no one!” a tour de force. The second number by The well-paced program sparkled! In Busch, “Whistling Away the Dark,” had spite-of the fact that all but one of the equal poignancy, especially imbued with performances were recorded, deRoy’s its association with Julie Andrews, who engaging spontaneity brought more than performed it in the film Darling Lily. Jamie deRoy enough kinetic energy to connect the Similarly, Busch was more than equal to both the words and music, beautifully performers, all of whom were live and the Mancini & Mercer Oscar nominated underscored by Sean Harkness on guitar. visible on-screen for the interviews, song. Originally known for funny satires Having worked with Lasser for sixteen scattered throughout. I find myself such as Vampire Lesbians of Sodom and years, Mason is faithful to his music and circling back to my original assessment The Allergist’s Wife, Busch is just as memory, creating a cabaret act of his of Jaime deRoy and Friends in likely to perform out of drag than in songs and a well-regarded album, Better characterizing this latest show: “…deRoy nowadays. He is currently involved in Days, which has been called “emotion has a bright presence and comedic bent post-production for a film made in laden.” Known as a superb actress as well which set the tone for a lively gathering Fishkill, New York. as a brilliant singer, Mason has appeared of singers, songwriters, musicians, and Chicago born Karen Mason, on Broadway in Mama Mia, Torch Song comedy.” Aren’t we all lucky that performed “Better Days,” written by her Trilogy, and Sunset Boulevard, in which nothing much has changed!

REMAINING 2020-2021 April 10- Jazz Month featuring Danny SEASON SCHEDULE Bacher. Producers Marilyn Lester/Danny Bacher February 13- May 8- Nat King Cole & Will Songwriter Series. Friedwald's latest book. Producer Produced by Sandi Durell Will Friedwald

March 13- June 12, 2021 June 12- Nancy McGraw: The Lyrics of Dean Martin Birthday tribute Johnny Mercer. Bill Boggs & Will Friedwald Musically directed by Mark Nadler PAGE 4 AMERICAN POPULAR SONG SOCIETY FEBRUARY, 2021 Just the Contrafacts, M’am! By Marilyn Lester When a popular tune is composed we tunes. Prolific composer and American The 32-bar formula was often used in may marvel at its creation. Those musical genius, Duke Ellington, recorded rock n’ roll music in the 1950s into the compositions that are deemed worthy go Tiger Rag several times and wrote 1960s. The Beatles, for example, used on to become classics and American contrafacts of it that included and extended the form with an Songbook standards. But very often the “Whispering Tiger,” “Daybreak Express” instrumental section, second bridge, creative process doesn’t stop there. and “Braggin’ in Brass.” Louis break or reprise of the introduction and Armstrong also recorded “Tiger Rag” another return to the main theme. and created a contrafact in his “Hotter Another type of chord progression, the Than That.” Some songbook standards 12-bar blues, also influenced much of seem to lend themselves particularly to 20th century music. It was a form that contrafacts. Some that have been much- Duke Ellington was especially fond of, favored are “How High the Moon,” “All and which used an elongated, three-line the Things You Are,” “Back Home Again arrangement of the I–IV–V progression in Indiana” and especially “I Got within the structure of the total Rhythm.” The many variations on this composition. latter tune include Duke Ellington’s These forms and structures proved “Cottontail,” Benny Goodman’s “Don’t fertile ground for musicians and Beboppers Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Be That Way,” Django Reinhardt’s composers alike to write contrafacts. But John Coltrane “Daphne” and Lester Young’s “Lester as popular music evolved, chord Leaps In.” progressions and musical forms became Musicians, or even other composers, may Chord progressions are the less complex. Beginning in the 1960s, take that number and make something foundation of most Western music styles, many composers of popular music began else of it, resulting in a new work, termed including pop, jazz, rock and blues. Most using a simpler verse-chorus structure a contrafact. The practice goes back of the Tin Pan Alley and songbook and were also exploring harmonizing centuries to classical music periods and standard compositions were written in a with different types of chord became very widespread in modern progressions, notably modal. The older, times. Jazz musicians especially became standard forms of Tin Pan Alley and the adept at creating contrafacts, particularly American Songbook in their complexity the bebop players of the 1940s and 50s, and musical sophistication allowed such as Thelonius Monk, Wayne Shorter, intricate stories to be told in lyric and in Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and Dizzy music. The structure provided fertile Gillespie. ground for a vocalist’s interpretative The term “contrafact” actually dates skills of the narrative, a musician’s skill back to the 16th century. It was at improvising and the creation of originally defined both as the creation of contrafacts. Musicians today—mostly a mass, chorale or hymn produced by from the jazz world—still create replacing the text of a secular song with Duke. Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie contrafacts, but their focus still remains religious poetry, as well as taking the mainly on the great works of the 20th text of the mass and replacing the century’s American Songbook. original text of an existing work, fairly consistent 32-bar form (also known For those of you who want to explore notably a motet or madrigal (called a as AABA song form). Each work consists more about contrafacts, go to parody mass). Jazz improvisation is full of four sections: two succeeding 8-bar www.garysmulyan.com; he’s a baritone of contrafacts. Whereas in straight sections, where the core melody line is sax player who loves contrafacts and has improvisation the original melody is retained; the 8-bar B section (the bridge), created many of them. evident, when a contrafact is created, the which offers contrasting harmony; and original melody may be hinted at or not the final A section, which returns to the be recognizable at all. Writing contrafacts core melody, but often with slight began in earnest in the early 20th century. variations added. One of the reasons “I What makes a contrafact possible is that Got Rhythm” is a prime candidate for in US copyright law protects lyrics and becoming a contrafact is that its B section the melody, but not titles and the is radically in contrast to the A sections, composition’s chord progression. Thus, a which are written in Bb; the B section of new musical work can be freely created “I Got Rhythm” contains a circle of fifths based on a prior composition, allowing and a series of dominant seventh chords the contrafact creator to explore new in four different keys. Many songbook harmonic, melodic, or rhythmic standards also have an introductory verse concepts. of generally 16 bars that precedes the The 1917 hit “Tiger Rag,” for main tune, setting the mood of the instance, became a much-recorded number in a free musical structure. number in its own right and was also Introductions and codas can also extend reworked into many notable derivative the form. FEBRUARY, 2021 AMERICAN POPULAR SONG SOCIETY PAGE 5 Inside a Master Class with the Masterful Steve Ross By Marilyn Lester With a promise of a relaxed and poem or speak it as a monologue or say pianist he would certainly have made a collaborative atmosphere––the Master of the words as if writing a letter. The crackerjack stage director. His innate the piano and of a vast repertoire of song, revelations that come forth are often intelligence and vast, encyclopedic “the Crown Prince of New York quite amazing and profound. knowledge of the repertoire not only Cabaret,” Steve Ross, recently has been For good measure there’s a little informs his approach, but gives him a sharing decades worth of wisdom in a method acting thrown in––the linking of boost in deconstructing and analyzing the Master Class entitled The Song in You moments from the student’s own lyric to get at the heart of the story. The and You in the Song – an intimate song emotional life to the lyric. “We’re Master also has the facility to find the study and performance workshop. looking for honesty here,” Ross notes. story beneath the story and sometimes at Although Ross has been teaching for “This is what makes the song you.” the side of it, searching deeply for levels years, this venture over the last few Lyrics, like any effective piece and possible hidden doors. The singer’s weeks is the first time he’s been working of writing, friend is contrast,” he says by way of in a group setting to guide singers, example. The search for key words and professional and amateur, to a deeper connectors, such as “and,” “if,” “though” understanding of the material they and especially “but” are gold in finding choose to perform. With a little dramatic tension in a work. He guidance on the types of music Ross addresses the abstract, noting pauses knows best, namely the Great are important––which are not only American Songbook and brief moments of thought, but also Broadway, plus classics from the moments of silent singing. With 1960s and 1970s, participants these techniques there’s plenty choose two songs to work on, of interaction between Ross and and then enjoy individual singer. It’s a dynamic process attention as well as collective in which the Master can be support from enthusiastic and frequently heard saying, “I’m encouraging classmates. learning too.” The sum total The intimate and of these exercises inevitably informal setting of the class, raises consciousness about Ross’s cozy living room the song as a journey, and with its charming decor and the singing of it storytelling. memorabilia, plus, the Having been gently drilled, limited size of the group the ability to phrase and (under a dozen souls) works modulate come almost well within the intent to naturally to the singer. To put awaken the singers’ inner a point on it, he says, actor. For ultimately, this is “Volume isn’t necessarily what this workshop is about. connected to intensity.” In a Like Ross, what many great day and age in which many singers know is that a song lyric young singers are enthralled with is a play in miniature, with a plot power singing, and where and dramatic arc. It’s one thing to indiscriminate belting at Mach ten sing the words. It’s another to be is rewarded with applause, Ross’ able to interpret them, feel them and statement is worth the price of deliver them to listening ears with admission alone. At the end of the authenticity. This Master Class is as session, with the group happily singing much about the actor’s craft as it is about “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love” in the vocalist’s technique. And so the unison, an amazing amount of ground Master engages his students in tried- and- have a has been covered. Ross had noted that the true thespian exercises, such as role hook to bring the listener into the late and legendary cabaret singer, Julie playing, speed reading lines (or song. “The first line is a statement,” he Wilson, never wasted a word. The same conversely, slow-reading them) and silent notes. (There’s an exception to the rule can be said of Steve Ross, who filled singing (mouthing the words of a song). Ross advises, some songs being internal three hours of instructional wisdom with In role playing, the student becomes the monologues.) Generally, though, he says, nary a wasted moment, and with a great lyricist explaining what she/he’s just the task is to reach out to bring the deal of embracing, delightful and joyful written to the tunesmith partner, played audience in. He encourages having a learning. by Ross. Imagine Fred Ebb explaining personal back story in the process. “If his lyrics to John Kander, or Marcy you don’t have one, make it up,” he states This story originally appeared in Heisler to Zina Goldrich, or Ira to brother emphatically. “Apply mood in your song. NiteLifeExchange.com. on February 22, George Gershwin. In some instances Remember your feelings,” he coaches. 2018. Reprinted with permission Ross asks the singer to read the lyric as a If Ross had not become a singer- 2020 - 2021 SEASON

October 10, 2020 December 12, 2020 November 14, 2020 14, November

MICHAEL LAVINE on ARTHUR SEIGEL TOM TOCE & MICHAEL LAVINE on LEW SPENCE JON WEBER

January 9, 2021 February 13, 2021 March 13, 2021 Jamie deRoy & Friends

JAMIE deROY AND FRIENDS NAT KING COLE & WILL FRIEDWALD’S LATEST BOOK NANCY MCGRAW’S MERCER SHOW

April 10, 2021 May 8, 2021 June 12, 2021

JAZZ MONTH FEATURING DANNY BACHER 16th ANNUAL SONGWRITER SERIES II DEAN MARTIN BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE