The Great American Songbook

Well, something about being in quarantine inspires the pursuit of slightly obsessive activities. My big project has been been creating a massive playlist of jazz singers and instrumentalists performing classics from the Great American Songbook, as it is known. You know, Gershwin, Porter, Arlen, Rogers, and on and on. Right now I'm up to 500-plus tracks. That's a lot of melody! Many are straightforward vocal renderings of the song, while others feature elaborate improvisational extrapolations. I think the whole project got kick-started when I was delighting to Nellie McKay's version of "Everything Happens To Me," a masterpiece of song-craft. Some thoughts/findings.

1. So interesting to consider at this point in time the aesthetic processes involved with creating the body of work based on these American "standards." In many cases you have Jewish immigrants of the early 20th century drawing on African-American idioms and rhythms to create Broadway show tunes that then received their most profound expression through the interpretations of jazz musicians, black and white.

2. Sometimes it seems like the definitive version of damn near every standard was offered by Billie Holiday in the 30s. Once she performed it, that was that. Game over. You're not going to do better. But why? Her interpretations were simple; she just sang the song straight through once with no improvisational extensions or intricate variations on the melody. I think it was that her phrasing was impeccable and always, always swinging. I believe I read that she was inspired by Louis Armstrong in this regard. As a bonus, each track is filled out with improvisations from the greatest jazz musicians of the time, including her alter ego, the saxophonist Lester Young. The performances glow and groove, and reside in a state of grace where wrong -- no, I mean less than perfect -- notes and choices just aren't possible. Long story short, her Columbia recordings from the 30s constitute one of the great bodies of work in 20th century American music.

3. With her "songbook series" of the 50s, Ella Fitzgerald nearly matched Holiday's achievement. Yet, for my playlist I have drawn instead from her series of duet recordings with the guitarist Joe Pass. In fact, I've been drawn to duets as a pure way to appreciate the structure, words, and melody of song. No big horn arrangements to distract from the matter at hand. In these 70s recordings, Ella's voice isn't as pristine as in her peak years. This is hardly a deficit. The definitive duets of the songbook probably are the Tony Bennett-Bill Evans recordings (also from the 70s I think). As for the Fitzgerald-Pass performances, one that really stands out for me is their version of Bertold Brecht's "My Ship."

4. I have awarded Brazil's Antonio Carlos Jobim honorary membership in the fellowship of composers of American standards. There probably isn't a jazz musician living or dead who hasn't recorded at least one Jobim tune. I am quite partial to Sinatra's Jobim record from the 60s. Fave Jobim tunes include "Triste" ("sad is to live in solitude"), "Dindi," and "Wave." Of course, it was Stan Getz, above all, who flourished with the bossa nova and samba sound, and he was instrumental in popularizing it in the US.

5. Speaking of "Dindi," Boz Scaggs does a superb version on his standards record of 2008, Speak Low. This recording falls in that category of pop and rock singers with excellent chops that try their hand at the Songbook. Speak Low is a strong entry in this category. I'm not going to diss Rod Stewart's efforts in this arena because I haven't given them a real chance. Dipped in a little but didn't click with it, but I'm willing to try again. Willie Nelson has done some very good work with the standards, which isn't a surprise since he is also a master of phrasing, something that even Miles Davis admired, himself no shoddy interpreter of the classics, most notably, perhaps, "My Funny Valentine." The big surprise for me in this category was how good James Taylor's recent American Standard is. Wisely, James doesn't try to swing, but instead turns each song into a, well, James Taylor song. The standout is "Moon River," which upon hearing you would assume he wrote, and which renders other renditions redundant, at least in my opinion. His version is more direct than the lushly orchestrated versions from people like Easy Listening icons Andy Williams and Johnny Mathis.

6. Back to jazz, the tenor titans Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins reliably offer authoritative interpretations of the great ballads. Each displays a firm and unwavering tone, and they both improvise like they are composing in real time. Their performances are sculptural. Both come out of the lineage of Coleman Hawkins, whose improvisation on "Body and Soul" from 1939 is considered on of the greatest moments in jazz history.

7. Let's talk melodies. All standards have great melodies. But which really stand out? Which ones are divinely, supremely felicitous? Well, here are some arbitrary call outs: "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered," "Angel Eyes" and Everything Happens to Me" (both by Matt Dennis), "Skylark," "Over the Rainbow," "Easy Living," My One and Only Love," "You're Nearer." This last one has some of the greatest lyrics, too.

8. Which songs are best suited for swinging? How about "Where or When"? "Fly Me to the Moon"? "Witchcraft"? "There Will Never Be Another You"?

9. One great thing about this project has been digging deep into the history of the music and getting to know certain artists better in the process. First and foremost, the pianist Errol Garner. He was a very popular mid-century performer, crossing over from jazz into popular music, especially with songs like "Misty," which he wrote and offered many definitive performances of. I think he was considered sort of a cocktail pianist, you know, doing the kind of thing that works in piano bars. This is because he didn't mind including lots of flourishes and runs that sort of embody that expansive and lush feeling you get a couple drinks in. The thing is, these were just a part of his arsenal. Basically he comes across as someone who could translate any idea into the keyboard instantaneously. The spirit of invention presides. He could work crazy variations effortlessly. So he was both fun to listen to and a true and complex artist.

10. Don't overlook Carmen McRae when you are investigating the great singers.

11. To be continued!