Tuesday 22 October 2019

Two Harold Arlen blues styled songs from ST. Louis Woman, lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Lovely Vanessa Wiliams has a special affinity wih Arlen songs whose singing and piano playing had people assuming he was a black composer. In fact, he was the son of a Jewish cantor,raised in Buffalo and who played piano in speakeasies while still in high school. "Any place I hangs my hat is home" and 'Come Rain or Come Shine " were both sung by Vanessa Williams in a revival of the 1946 musical which has also been recorded by the cast of that revival from NY City Centre. 
NOTE: Anyone who attended Delta Secondary school in Hamilton Ontario would understand my reference to Arlen's great resemblance to Joe Perell, a beloved math teacher who , like Arlen, was always immaculately dressed with both men always wearing a flower in their suit lapels. 

 https://youtu.be/p6c6XQt2IxA