MAY 2019 APSS Newsletter
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Newsletter VOLUME 40, NUMBER 8 Formerly New York Sheet Music Society www.APSSinc.org MAY 2019 Straighten Up and Fly Right: Danny Bacher and By Jerry Osterberg Nat King Cole – An Inspired Meeting z How do you get to t especially generous to his e r Carnegie Hall? Listen to o fellow players, each of P w your grandparent’s Big Band e whom contributed extended r d and Swing recordings and n solos. Among other tunes A y b WNEW’s Make Believe which had been covered by o t Ballroom, learn how to play o Cole, either with or without h a musical instrument, and P the King Cole Trio, played start singing, preferably not by the Bacher team, were later than the freshman year “Let There Be Love,” “Gee, of high school. Thank Baby, Ain’t I Good for You,” goodness our grandparents “Around the World,” “Day kept the old records and in, Day Out,” (with just a tapes, bless their hearts. They brief piano interlude of clearly had an uncanny “Night and Day,”) “These instinct that their vinyl Foolish Things” and “The treasures would live again Best Man,” in which a man one day. And, who among us laments that while his best doesn’t want to assume the friend stole his girl, he’s role of a jocular disc jockey decided to be his best for a precocious grandchild? friend’s best man. Fast forward a The Danny Bacher couple of decades, and a Trio played on with “These dynamic young talent, baker’s dozen of Cole’s Irving Mills listed on a piece Foolish Things,” “The Very Danny Bacher, brought all of songs. During the enthralling of music as a composer, a Thought of You,” “The Frim what he had absorbed and program, he sang, played, lyricist, or both. He often Fram Sauce,” “Orange learned, plus his evident informed, joked, and appeared as a collaborator Colored Sky,” “Love,” passion to the stage of the generally charmed the with well-known songwriters “Mona Lisa,” American Popular Song audience. The only thing such as Cab Calloway, “Unforgettable,” and an Society. On April 20, Board missing was a drummer to Jimmy McHugh, and Duke instrumental rendition of member and Contributing underline the punch line of Ellington, who, for the sake “Penthouse Serenade,” one Editor Marilyn Lester the jokes, not that the of exposure, agreed to have of eight all instrumental produced her annual salute to predisposed assembly 50% of his future royalties tracks recorded in 1952. jazz, sweetening it with a required a prompt. on some of his biggest songs celebration of Nat King Danny opened with go to Mills. Cole’s centenary. the irresistible “Straighten Throughout the Backed by Jason Up and Fly Right,” written program, Danny alternated Teborek on piano and Dean by Cole in the Winter of between singing and playing, Johnson on bass, and dressed 1943, and the first song the transitions virtually in a fuchsia colored jacket, recorded with the King Cole seamless; the voices of the black shirt, and a snappy Trio for Capitol Records. singer and sax both smooth breast pocket handkerchief, Cole, broke and hungry, sold and mellow. A well- Danny arrived with his the song to Irving Mills, a respected jazz musician, Nat King Cole soprano sax and more than a music publisher, for $50. It Danny provided plenty of was not uncommon to see expert scatting, and was Continued on page 3 PAGE 2 AMERICAN POPULAR SONG SOCIETY MAY, 2019 President’s Message... American Popular Linda Amiel Burns, President Song Society President: Linda Amiel Burns Happy May to Members, Friends, and Fans: Vice Presidents: Joan Adams Could our April meeting celebrating Jazz Month have been any better? The Danny Sandi Durell Bacher Trio was extraordinary, comprising all truly sublime musicians. Thanks to Board Treasurer & Membership: Member Marilyn Lester for producing our program, bringing us Danny Bacher’s Nat Glen Charlow King Cole Tribute, celebrating Cole’s centennial. Danny is funny, charming, and a Secretary: great entertainer. I could tell that our full house didn’t want the afternoon to end. Please Marilyn Lester read our feature story by Editor Jerry Osterberg in this issue. Board Of Directors: We only have two more programs to complete the 2018-2019 season, and they are Elliott Ames both sensational. On May 11, we have Sandi Durell’s Songwriter Series, which is always Bill Boggs Will Friedwald a special treat. How wonderful it is to discover the talented young composers working Michael Lavine in the theater and clubs today. Remember Joe Iconis who performed for us just a short Sandy Marrone Jerry Osterberg time ago? Well, he now has a show on Broadway that opened to rave reviews- Be More Andrew Poretz Chill ! Judy Stewart Tom Toce On June 15th, Richard Skipper will be producing an all-star Tribute to composer Mark William Meredith Wilson, of Music Man fame. Richard is a showman of the first order and a Skipper Production is the perfect way to end another remarkable season of the American Membership Mailing Address: American Popular Song Society Popular Song Society. P.O. Box 5856 SPECIAL OFFER: Please encourage your friends to join or rejoin APPS at the Pikesville, MD 21282 May or June Meeting. Their memberships will also include the entire next season! [email protected] Looking forward to seeing you on May 11th! (212) 315-3500 (Linda A. Burns) With all good wishes, N E W S L E T T E R Editor/Publisher: Jerry Osterberg [email protected] Contributing Editor: Marilyn Lester Linda [email protected] a Associate Editor: Joan Adams n a D [email protected] e s Graphic Designer: Glen Charlow a e [email protected] L e or c i l A [email protected] y b o t o h P Linda Amiel Burns & Danny Bachner MEETING LOCATION: Local 802 – Musicians’ Hall 322 West 48th Street. Program: 1:45 – 3:30PM. Come early to look thru Sheet Music & CD’s & stuff, all FREE. MAY, 2019 AMERICAN POPULAR SONG SOCIETY PAGE 3 Danny Bacher... and “Do Wah Diddy Diddy) Getz and Oscar Peterson, it usually do a Saturday and “Those Lazy – Hazy – was unable to attract a afternoon gig. Consequently, Continued from page 1 Crazy Days of Summer” in national sponsor. It may have his rare daylight appearance 1963. I can personally attest been the top-rated television on April 20 made the show Danny also performed “Sweet that the song was a hit in program in New York City in accessible to all, night owls Lorraine,” said to be Cole’s Europe because I first heard it 1957, but Cole wasn’t and early risers alike. It was first unofficial solo. During a that year in Naples, Italy universally accepted by obvious from the start that performance with the King while with the U.S. Navy. audiences in every region of Danny and Nat King Cole are Cole Trio, a drunk had Fifteen years after the United States, particularly a good match. With such a requested the tune, but, after a n vast catalog to choose from, it a D rewarding the trio with a 15 couldn’t have been easy to e s cents tip, the lush attempted to a narrow down the options. Nat e L retrieve the nickels because no e King Cole ranged far and c i l A one recognized his second wide in choosing the songs he y b request. s would record and managed to o t Over the course of his o h make many good choices. career, Nat King Cole P Similarly, but with the recorded more than 600 advantage of knowing which songs, 21 of which placed in of Cole’s songs were the top ten, and 4 at #1: successful, Danny picked Jason Teborek on piano and Dean Johnson on bass “Nature Boy,” “Mona Lisa,” several which fit his energetic “For Sentimental Reasons,” making his uncredited film the South. When NBC style quite well. We’re and “Too Young.” In addition debut in Citizen Kane in 1941 approached Cole about giving thankful that Marilyn Lester to those played by Danny, as a piano player, Cole had his up his prime- time slot to persuaded Danny Bacher to some of Nat’s most own television variety show make room for a western, he spend the afternoon with us memorable recordings were on NBC. Previously, he had decided to walk away. Most and wish him much success. “The Christmas Song,” appeared numerous times on importantly, Cole opened a “Pretend,” “Ballerina,” television, including 14 guest door for other African- Editor’s Note: If “Answer Me, My Love,” “A shots on The Ed Sullivan American artists – Diahann you’d like to hear more of Blossom Fell,” and “That Show. Although Nat’s Carroll, Bill Cosby, and Flip Danny’s playing, go to his Sunday, That Summer.” program featured Nelson Wilson – among them. website: Cole’s last winners were Riddle and Gordon Jenkins as One could assume www.dannybachermusic.com “Ramblin’ Rose,” released in conductors and major stars that not many APSS members or purchase one of his CD’s: 1962 (competing against “Big such as Ella Fitzgerald, Tony have seen Danny Bacher Swing That Music and Still Girls Don’t Cry,” “The Bennett, Peggy Lee, Margaret perform before. As he himself Happy. Twist,” “The Loco-Motion,” Whiting, Billy Eckstein, Stan has admitted, he doesn’t Song Facts You May Not Know By Stephen Vrattos Stella by Starlight: Hard to believe this lovely standard comes from the non-musical 1944 supernatural horror movie, The Univited , which starred Ray Milland.