Making the Great American Songbook Great to Americans Again
By Lenny Rountree
One day I decided to chisel off a chunk of the Great American Songbook for my music students to explore, in terms of performing, and in terms of exposing them to a time when jazz was first getting its sea legs. A time when jazz, Broadway show tunes, and popular sheet music flourished creatively on the heels of ragtime and the blues, before the full bloom of commercially viable rock ‘n roll and rhythm & blues. I wanted students to make connections between the songs, the composers of the songs, with the vocalists, musicians, arrangers who brought the songs to life before the public. I wanted them to see and begin to understand historic events that shaped the music and in some cases, how the music changed society. I wanted them to see how music reflected the times, but also how these songs and the performances of them, have garnered the admiration of music lovers’ generation after generation since.
To begin, I had my students form trios and quartets in order to stage a performance of two popular standards of their choosing. At the end of this unit, each group would perform for their peers and invited guests. So students begin the unit by choosing songs and group members, whereupon they meet to set their initial goals as performers. For a start, they have to ask themselves, who will sing or play what, when, and how? The essential questions for them are: “What elements of songwriting and musicianship led to the enduring popularity of the Great American Songbook?” and “Who are the artists who contributed to the songbook?
Students had to journal about their group’s progress after each rehearsal session. Also, each student was responsible for researching and presenting through a public speaking format, what they had learned, and found personally interesting about a particular musician associated with the Great American Songbook. This unit gave my students practice in:
· Setting specific benchmarks toward reaching their performing goals
· Monitoring and reflecting on their own progress, in writing
· Strategically working together to present a high quality performance
I assigned my students to choose one person from each of the following categories: songwriters, vocalists, and arrangers. They had to research biographies, present a written paper on each musician, and before turning in their work, they had to share that information at the classroom podium. For many of them, artists like the Gershwins, Billy Strayhorn and yes, even Ella Fitzgerald were brand new discoveries. They may have recognized “Over the Rainbow” but had no idea about Harold Arlen, the writer or his other contributions. I had one student ridicule Frank Loesser's name, mistakenly thinking his surname was pronounced "loser" and I had to explain that this composer and lyricist founded the very company that provided our school with scripts and supplies for our musicals to which she took part in, MTI. You never can be sure of the value of an unfamiliar person until you've invested some time in learning about them beyond the superficial things. Start with being respectful right? This was a teachable moment. I’ve discovered that there must not be a lot of conversation at home about this genre or these artists, and by extension, aspects of 20th century American culture. I provided audio recordings to the students to listen to, thereby helping them decide what songs to perform and what artists to research.
One of the challenges I faced in presenting the Great American Songbook, was the prevailing notion among some kids that this was “old” music. I heard questions like can we learn some “modern music?” My answer to that was, music, whenever performed is a brand new experience. “Music is new every time you hear it,” I’d often respond. When you claim that a song is “old” you are making a false assertion because music is not a tangible object that fades or ages as time rolls on. Although a song can be represented physically in notation or the performance of it canned in a recording, when you hear it, your environment is always altered and the experience will be new, even upon repeated listening. In my musical "Swirl" there's a scene where the kids are downright puzzled as to why an old guy like Diamond Duds would be considered a musical legend when there's the great rapper Blane Bling rappin' "Don't Blane Me." They know all the words to that song. I get it, each generation has its own musical heroes, as a way to establish some sort of interdependence from us ole folk. But we don't want our young to walk around ignorant, not knowing the significance of musical and cultural contributors that helped shape the world before they arrived in it.
I compiled a list of musicians and distributed it to my students. The younger kids focused on music created from the first half of the 20th century, roughly between 1915 and 1958. The older kids looked at music released in the latter years from 1959 to 1982. I provided lists of a relatively small sampling of the contributors. Of course, some middle schoolers had their own performers in mind that they already knew. But the point of this unit is to expose students to music and musicians they do not know or know very little of. I got the “big” iconic names on the list, as well as relatively unsung, but highly influential musicians and songs.
Teachers, know that through the implementation of The Great American Songbook unit, you can integrate learning targets from other subject areas like social studies, civics, and science. You can teach about the economics in America at that time, from the vantage point of royalties, record sales, booking concert performances etc. You can talk about the wars that splintered many big bands due to the draft, or you can focus on how Norman Granz and Ella Fitzgerald help break down the walls of segregation in performance venues, or how the State Department sent jazz musicians like Dizzie Gillespie and Tito Puente abroad as good-will ambassadors. You can teach how Jim Crow made life miserable for many African-American musicians traveling through the south which can lead you into a teachable discussion of the Civil Rights Movement. This unit is an arts integration bonanza. Given this example, one has to wonder why music has systemically been reduced or eliminated from so many schools when there can be so many learning targets from other disciplines, honed in on.
A year ago I took one of the popular standards, "Brother Can You Spare A Dime," and taught my Barnesville seventh and eighth graders not only how to sing the arrangement of it, but how to better understand the great depression and the effect it had on that particular generation of Americans. I wanted them to be able to say confidently, “I can describe the great depression and why Yip Harburg’s song is the unofficial anthem of that period.” As you might suspect, many had no idea about the stock market crash of 1929, or bread lines, or the great society programs that ensued. Students learn about the resilience and greatness of Americans, be it those who came from immigrants or the enslaved.
Depending on what you perceive your student’s needs to be, this unit can facilitate those classroom discussions and “shares” that get them learning in leaps and bounds. I hope we, as educators, can make the Great American Songbook great again in the minds of the younger generation, because it reflects the best of our diversity. Yes I said that word recently forbidden by the Trumpian Department of Health and Human Services, DIVERSITY! What can be more pertinent to American culture than the collection of popular standards created by a skilled and diverse crowd? As you peruse the list of musicians feel free to respond with a comment. You can certainly mention any musician who you feel should be on my list of Great American Songbook musicians. Please share your reflections if you have taught the Great American Songbook or learned about it in school.
Among my favorite standards from the Great American Songbook are "Smile" "Alfie" and “The Shadow of Your Smile.” My mother, Joyce Marie Howard and her mother Mary Thelma Howard first opened up my ears to great songs by singing to me and my brother when we were very small. Below the photo of me is a play arrow for their home recording of "The Shadow of Your Smile." Check it out. Sharing a tune at the piano was typical entertainment for us on Damler Drive in Seat Pleasant, Maryland. In the late 60's Stevie Wonder did a great version of "The Shadow of Your Smile." But I think I first heard that song from my grandmother and my mom singing together. My cultural and musical literacy began growing early on due to their nurturing. I know that I truly felt loved with all that good music around me. Please forgive the crudely aged audio, but in tribute and memorial to my mother, grandmother and accompanist Richard, I offer this excerpt, some five decades later. By the way, the smallest voice in the background you may hear is from the kid at the piano. Let me know what your favorite popular standard is. Scroll down for a listing of the Great American Songbook contributors and songs.
G. A. S. (Great American Songbook) Composers include:
Cole Porter, E. Y. Harburg, Adolph Green, Hoagy Carmichael, Burton Lane, DuBose Heyward, Irving Berlin, Carolyn Leigh, Adolph Green, Duke Ellington, Dorothy Fields, Edward Heyman, Harold Arlen, Harry Warren, Richard Rogers, Kurt Weill, Lorenz Hart, Cy Coleman, George Gershwin, Victor Young, Frank Loesser, Ira Gershwin, James “Jimmy” Van Heusen, Oscar Hammerstein II, Ned Washington, Vernon Duke, Johnny Burke, Jerome Kern, Mitchell Parish, Johnny Mercer, Jimmy McHugh, Jule Styne, Mary Lou Williams, Ted Koehler, Al Dubin, Wayne Shorter, Norman Gimbel, Billy Joel, Hal David, Simon & Garfunkel, Stephen Schwartz, Burt Bacharach, Holland-Dozier-Holland, William “Smokey” Robinson, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Herbie Hancock, Lennon & McCartney, Stevie Wonder, George Harrison, Bill Withers, Leonard Bernstein, James Taylor, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Carole King, Ashford & Simpson, John Denver, Michel LeGrand, Ivan Lins, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Stephen Sondheim, Curtis Mayfield, Laura Nyro, Marvin Hamlisch, Joni Mitchell, Elton John & Bernie Taupin
G. A. S. Vocalists include:
The Hi Lo’s, Dakota Staton, Dionne Warwick, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Manhattan Transfer, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Nina Simone, Mel Torme, Rosemary Clooney, Phyllis Hyman, Sarah Vaughan, Johnny Mathis, Anita O’ Day, Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis, Jr., Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Eva Cassidy, Patti Austin, George Benson, Bobby Caldwell, Nnenna Freelon, Carly Simon, Joe Williams, Harry Connick Jr., Andy Williams, Abbey Lincoln, Rosemary Clooney, Norah Jones, Diana Ross, Jon Hendricks, Michael Feinstein, Natalie Cole, Mel Torme, Tony Bennett, Josh Groban, Al Jarreau, Audra McDonald, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, Dianne Reeves, Dakota Staton, Dionne Warwick, Diana Krall, Frank Sinatra, New York Voices, Nina Simone, Chaka Khan, Astrud Gilberto, Phyllis Hyman, Sarah Vaughan, Willie Nelson, Neil Diamond, Sammy Davis, Jr., Tom Jones, Rod Stewart, Shirley Horn, Michael Bublé, Diana Ross, Jon Hendricks, Kevin Mahagony, Billy Eckstine, Betty Carter, Barbra Streisand, Gladys Knight, Michael McDonald
G. A. S. Standards include:
A Sleepin’ Bee Lyrics by Harold Arlen and Truman Capote. Music by Harold Arlen p. 1954
I’ve Got A Right To Sing The Blues By Ted Koehler and Harold Arlen, words & music respectively
Ain’t Misbehavin’ Music By Thomas “Fats” Waller and Harry Brooks. Words by Andy Razaf p. 1929
Just In Time (from “Bells Are Ringing”) Words By Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Music by Jule Styne p. 1956
Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens By Alex Kramer and Joan Whitney p. 1946
Just One of Those Things By Cole Porter p. 1935
All of Me By Seymour Simons and Gerald Marks p. 1931
L – O – V – E By Bert Kaempfert and Milt Gabler p. 1964
Autumn in New York By Vernon Duke
Let There Be Love By Ian Grant and Lionel Rand, words & music respectively p. 1940
The Best Is Yet To Come By Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh
Let’s Face the Music and Dance By Irving Berlin
Cold Cold Heart By Hank Williams p. 1951
Little Girl Blue By Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers, words & music respectively p. 1935
Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me By Duke Ellington and Bob Russell p. 1943
Lullaby of Birdland By George Shearing and George David Weiss
Don’t Get Around Much Anymore By Duke Ellington and Bob Russell p. 1942
Misty By Johnny Burke and Erroll Garner, words & music respectively p. 1955
From This Moment On (from “Out of This World”) By Cole Porter p. 1950
Mood Indigo By Duke Ellington p. 1930
I’ve Got Rhythm By Ira Gershwin
My Favorite Things By Oscar Hammerstein II and Rodgers
Just One of Those Things By Cole Porter p. 1935
My Funny Valentine By Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers, words & music respectively p. 1937
Five Guys Named Moe By Larry Wynn and Jerry Bresler p. 1943
My Romance By Lorenz Hart and Richard Rogers, words & music respectively p. 1935
God Bless America By Irving Berlin
My Ship By Ira Gershwin and Kurt Weill, words & music respectively p. 1941
God Bless the Child By Arthur Herzog, Jr. and Billie Holiday p.1941
Nature Boy By Eden Ahbez
Here’s That Rainy Day By Johnny Burke and James Van Heusen p. 1953
Nice Work If You Can Get It By Ira and George Gershwin, words & music respectively p. 1937
How High The Moon By Nancy Hamilton and Morgan Lewis, words & music respectively p. 1940
Night and Day By Cole Porter p. 1930
I’m Beginning to See The Light By Duke Ellington and Don George
Over the Rainbow By E. Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen, words & music respectively p. 1938
Prelude To A Kiss Music by Duke Ellington. Words by Irving Gordon and Irving Mills p. 1938
They Can’t Take That Away From Me By George & Ira Gershwin, music & words respectively p. 1937
Satin Doll By Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer and Billy Strayhorn p. 1958
The Things We Did Last Summer By Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne p. 1946
Smile By Charlie Chaplin and John Turner
This Is New By Ira Gershwin and Kurt Weill, words & music respectively p. 1941
Sophisticated Lady By Duke Ellington
What A Difference A Day Made By Stanley Adams and Maria Grever, words & music respectively
Some Day My Prince Will Come (from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”) By Larry Morley and Frank Churchill, words & music respectively p. 1937)
When I Fall In Love By Edward Heyman and Victor Young, words & music respectively p. 1952
Willow Weep For Me By Ann Ronell p. 1932
Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most By Fran Landesman and Tommy Wolf, words & music respectively p. 1955
You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To (from “Something to Shout About”) By Cole Porter p. 1942
Stockholm Sweetnin’ by Quincy Jones p. 1957
Stormy Weather By Ted Koehler and Harold Arlen, words & music respectively p. 1933
Summertime Lyrics By Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward. Music by George Gershwin p. 1935
Sweet Georgia Brown By Ben Bernie, Maceo Pinkard and Kenneth Casey p. 1925
G. A. S. Standards of the Latter Period:
Ain’t No Sunshine By Bill Withers
Imagine By John Lennon p. 1971
Alfie by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, words & music respectively
The Look of Love by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, words & music respectively
All In Love Is Fair By Stevie Wonder p. 1973
Lush Life By Billy Strayhorn
Birdland By Josef Zawinul. Words added by Jon Hendricks p. 1979
Maiden Voyage By Herbie Hancock p. 1969
Blusette By Norman Gimbel and Jean “Toots” Thielemanns, words & music respectively p. 1963
Once I Loved
Bridge Over Troubled Waters By Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel
One Note Samba By Newton Mendonca and Antonio Carlos Jobim, words & music
Butterfly By Herbie Hancock p. 1973
Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado) By Antonio Carlos Jobim. English lyrics by Gene Lees p. 1962
Rainy Night In Georgia
A Day in the Life of a Fool (Manha de Carnival) By Carl Sigman and Luiz Bonfa, words & music respectively p. 1964
The Secret O’ Life By James Taylor
Day By Day (from “Godspell”) By Stephen Schwartz p. 1972
The Shadow of Your Smile By Paul Francis Webster and Johnny Mandel, words & music respectively p. 1965
Desafinado (Slightly Out of Tune) Original Words by Newton Mendonca. Revised Words by Jon Hendricks and Jessie Cavanaugh. Music by Antonio Carlos Jobim p. 1959
Sitting on the Dock of the Bay By Otis Redding
Dindi By Aloysio de Oliveira and Antonio Carlos Jobim, words& music respectively. English translation by Ray Gilbert p. 1966
Smile Please By Stevie Wonder p. 1974
Everything Must Change By Bernard Ighner
So Nice (Summer Samba) By Marcos Valle and Paulo Sergio Va
G. A. S. Instrumentalists/Arrangers includes:
Quincy Jones, Mary Lou Williams, Wynton Marsalis, Thelonious Monk, Joe Lavano, Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock, Johnny Mandel, George Duke, Gil Evans, Eumir Deodato, Stan Getz, Jean “Toots” Thielemanns, Norman Connors, Freddie Hubbard, Donny Hathaway, Bill Evans, Henry Mancini, Jimmy Webb, Dave Grusin, Charles Mingus, Jeremy Lubbock, Wes Montgomery, Earl Klugh, Miles Davis, Arif Mardin, Chick Corea, David Foster, John Coltrane, Milton Nascimento
-Lenny Rountree is a recording artist, educator, and the author of the storybook "The Notable Characters."
