I've had this song (by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein) in my head lately. It was originally written for the musical, Very Warm for May,* but it's been recorded by countless musicians since then. I had a difficult time picking which YouTube video to feature, but Judy Garland's turned out to be one of my favorites.
Other excellent performances:
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Sarah Vaughan (told you it was hard to choose!)
- Charlie Parker
- Barbra Streisand
- Beverly Sills
- Artie Shaw and Helen Forrest
- Howard McGillin
- Even Michael Jackson has performed it
* Stephen Sondheim saw the original production of Very Warm for May when he was nine. He says that that performance was one of the things that inspired his interest in musical theater.
I agree - Judy's performance is a great setting for this. She sings it with emotion and warmth, but she lets this hauntingly soaring tune work it's own magic. She doesn't over embellish it. I really like that.
Posted by: moominpapa | November 05, 2008 at 09:40 PM