[Dixielandjazz] Re: Bobby Short

[Bill Haesler]

Dear Steve,
Thank you for your latest (always welcome) NY Times music item regarding
Bobby Short.
If nothing else the enthusiastic review by Stephen Holden made me
investigate the 3 quoted musical items.
1.  "Romance In The Dark" by Lil Green. Playing her original May 1940
version now. A great song and recorded with Big Bill Broonsy when she was
only 21 (she was just 35 when she died). If Bobby Short gives it the bounce
that Miss Lil does, it has to be a winning opening theme!
2. "High Hat" (by George Gershwin and his wife Ira - as one of out local
jazz presenters identified Ira a few years back) from the stage play 'Funny
Face', but missing from the 1957 Astaire/Hepburn film musical.
I dug out the 1928 Fred Astaire version. The simple lyrics ('High hat/
you've got to treat 'em like that./Don't let 'em know that you care....' and
so on) are interesting but hardly "the male answer to a spate of women's
blues songs dispensing hard-headed romantic advice."
3.  Porter's tongue-twisting 1928 "Looking at You" was written for Clifton
Webb for a revue at Les Ambassadeurs in Paris, used in 'Wake Up and Dream'
in London and sung on Broadway in the same show by Jack Buchanan . I found
the interesting words in a book, but no recorded versions in my collection.
It is wonderful to hear that the good old, old-oldies are getting a
justified airing in the 21st century.
You would think I had nothing better to do!
Very kind regards,
Bill.