Recent Posts
Standard of the Day
Return To Blog Listing
A tribute to the finest genre of popular music in history, pop's direct link to the classical tradition, and one of our nation's most important contributions to world culture, the Great American Songbook. Each day (more or less), I'll spotlight a dif
Recent Posts Tagged With '1928'
Sonny Boy
By Ray Henderson, Bud De Sylva & Lew Brown1928A sentimental tear-jerker if ever there was one, this is however a fine example of the powerful work of Al Jolson, a titanic entertainer of the early 20th century. Call it sappy, but I find that a mea...
Mack the Knife
By Kurt Weill & Marc Blitzstein1928/1954German composer Weill originally wrote this song for the 1928 Bertolt Brecht musical drama Die Dreigroschenoper, known in English as The Threepenny Opera. In fact, it was Brecht himself who provided the ori...
If I Had You
By James Campbell, Reginald Connelly & Ted Shapiro1928This song has special significance for me, because it was the song I sang to my newborn daughter the first time I held her in my arms. It's a beautiful, underrated English ballad, composed by ...
You Took Advantage of Me
By Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart1928The sole hit to emerge from Rodgers & Hart's Present Arms, this song was introduced by Joyce Barbour and Busby Berkeley (yes, the famous director/choreographer). Recently, it was included in the 2007 album ...
I've Got a Crush on You
By George & Ira Gershwin1928This unquestioned Gershwin classic is unique in having been used for two of their musicals, Treasure Girl and Strike Up the Band. In the first of the two, it was introduced by Mary Hay and Clifton Webb. Some 15 years l...
My Baby Just Cares for Me
By Walter Donaldson & Gus Kahn1928One of three hit tunes from the musical Whoopee, it was introduced by that show's star, Eddie Cantor. Later, however, it would become the signature song of jazz singer Nina Simone, further popularized by its use ...
Sweet Lorraine
By Cliff Burwell & Mitchell Parish1928Legend has it this song played a direct part in turning Nat Cole from a pianist to a singer, and earning him his famous nickname. A lover of the tune since he was a boy, when Cole--then strictly a piano playe...
