Lynda Carter Earns Praise for Jazz Release 'At Last'

11 September 2009
Washington

She was known to millions as "Wonder Woman" on the 1970s television series of the same name. Actress and recording artist Lynda Carter is flying high again with the release of At Last.

Yes, as Lynda Carter proves, there is life after "Wonder Woman." But, with tracks like "You Send Me," her new album begs the question, when did she start singing?

Lynda Carter was introduced to country, blues and classical music while growing up in Phoenix, Arizona. She became a professional singer at age 14, but after winning the beauty pageant title of Miss World USA, she moved to Hollywood, California, to pursue an acting career.

While her role on "Wonder Woman" as the super heroine Princess Diana took her to dizzying new heights, Carter never gave up on singing. In fact, she performed two songs from her first solo album, Portrait, on an episode of her show.

Life after the series was even busier as Carter continued to work wonders in show business. She acted on stage and screen, hosted her own variety shows, endorsed cosmetics as a celebrity promotional model, contributed voice work for video games, and sang in nightclubs. At last, at age 58, Carter has a hit record.

When At Last jumped into the Top 10 on Billboard's Jazz Albums chart, Lynda Carter couldn't have been happier. She says, "As someone who started out as a singer, it's always been a dream to be on the Billboard chart."

Carter marked her return to singing with the role of Mama Thornton in a musical production of Chicago in London. Her recent tour of "An Intimate Evening with Lynda Carter" culminated with a performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

On At Last, Carter revives the works of Johnny Mercer, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Helen Humes, and George and Ira Gershwin, as well as the Jimmy Harris melody "Cloudburst."

Lynda Carter performs "Blues In The Night" (Harold Arlen - Johnny Mercer) and "Come Rain Or Come Shine Medley" (Harold Arlen - Jerome Kern - Hammerstein - Johnny Mercer) on this album.

Johnny Mercer meets The Beatles

The Beatles included the song "I Remember You" (music by Victor Schertzinger, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, 1941) in their 1962 live performances, with Paul McCartney on vocals. The Beatles' arrangement of "I Remember You" was a duplicate of the 1962 recording issued by Frank Ifield.

"P.S. I Love You" (music by Gordon Jenkins, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, 1934) has been recorded many times. Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra, Kay Starr, among others.

In 1962, The Beatles recorded a Paul McCartney - John Lennon composition also titled "P.S. I Love You". McCartney was probably aware of the Mercer song. But you can't copyright a song title.

Producer Ron Richards: "I was originally a music publishing man, a plugger, so I knew someone had done a record with that title. I said to Paul [McCartney] 'You can have it as B-side, but not an A-side.'"

Mercer's biographer Gene Lees expressed annoyance at this duplicate title.

Johnny Mercer co-founded Capitol Records in 1942. The Beatles joined Capitol in 1963. Johnny was gone from Capitol by then.

Ringo Starr sang Johnny Mercer's 1944 song "Dream" (produced and arranged by George Martin) for his 1970 standards album Sentimental Journey.

Paul McCartney contacted Johnny Mercer in the 1970s in an attempt to write a song with Johnny. But Mercer was already ill and nearing the end of his life.

The 2012 Paul McCarney album Kisses On The Bottom includes "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" (music by Harold Arlen - lyrics by Johnny Mercer, 1944).

Willie and Wynton Pay Tribute to Ray Charles

22 April 2011
Doug Levine
Washington

Many consider the late Ray Charles one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Two of his biggest fans are entertainment icons themselves, Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis. The pair pay tribute to their musical hero with “Here We Go Again: Celebrating The Genius Of Ray Charles.”

A Ray Charles classic from the 1960s, “Busted” features the unlikely vocal pairing of country veteran Willie Nelson and jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. Of course, Ray was a pioneer when it came to mixing musical genres, so it’s no surprise that these two modern innovators decided to join forces on a tribute album dedicated to the man known simply as the “Genius.”

This isn’t the first time Willie and Wynton performed together. In 2007, they collaborated on the Number One jazz album “Two Men With the Blues,” recorded live at Lincoln Center in New York City. Two years later, they teamed up again on their salute to Ray Charles, also recorded in concert at Lincoln Center. They were supported by a five-piece band and a special guest vocalist.

Ten-time Grammy winner Norah Jones joins the Ray Charles tribute on “Come Rain Or Come Shine.” Ray recorded a version of this Harold Arlen-Johnny Mercer hit for his 1959 album, “The Genius of Ray Charles.”

Norah also sings a duet with Willie Nelson on the title track “Here We Go Again,” as well as the ballads “Cryin’ Time,” and “You Don’t Know Me.” All three stars, Willie, Wynton and Norah, sing the Ray Charles favorites “What I’d Say” and “Hit The Road Jack.”

 Ray Charles is mentioned in passing on these pages:

All-Star Recording Pays Tribute to Johnny Mercer
http://mercerjohnny.blogspot.com/2010/04/all-star-recording-pays-tribute-to.html

Tony Bennett
http://mercerjohnny.blogspot.com/2011/12/tony-bennett.html

Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett Shares His Favorite Music on New CD
By Doug Levine
Washington
13 August 2003

Lots of people have their favorite Tony Bennett song. Maybe it's Because Of You or Left My Heart In San Francisco. Even today's younger fans, the ones who bought his Unplugged album by the millions, have a few of their own. But what are Tony's favorites? A new CD has been released of classic pop and jazz handpicked by Tony himself titled Tony Bennett: Artist's Choice.

It's no surprise that Tony Bennett's favorite music comes from the Great American Songbook, including Cole Porter's Too Darn Hot, performed by Mel Torme. Many of Bennett's own hits were drawn from the "golden era of music," peppered with pop standards by Johnny Mercer, "Yip" Harburg, Duke Ellington, Harold Arlen, and George and Ira Gershwin.

One of Tony Bennett's closest friends was crooner Frank Sinatra, whose version of Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer's One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) is why Bennett calls him "quite simply, the best."

Of all the recordings of One For My Baby (And One More For The Road), Tony Bennett picked Frank Sinatra's for the new CD Tony Bennett: Artist's Choice.

Bennett is a lifelong fan of great jazz vocalists. One of his heroes was Louis Armstrong, who performs Mack The Knife on the album. Bennett agreed with the late jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie when he said, "Without Louis Armstrong there would be no me."

Tony Bennett regarded Judy Garland as the greatest entertainer that ever lived. Millions of music and movie fans think so, too. Her signature song is Over The Rainbow, from one of the greatest films of all time, The Wizard Of Oz.

And speaking of signature songs, how about Rosemary Clooney's Tenderly, Duke Ellington's Take The 'A' Train, Doris Day's Sentimental Journey, Billie Holiday's I Wished On The Moon, and Nat "King" Cole's Straighten Up And Fly Right, all featured on Tony Bennett: Artist's Choice.

Other releases in the Artist's Choice series include picks by Sheryl Crow, The Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Lucinda Williams and Yo Yo Ma.

Waitin' For The Evenin' Mail

18 November 2011 is the 102nd anniversary of the birth of Johnny Mercer.

Comments on this blog:

this is well done. it's cool to learn more about him.
lynn paden

On Dearly Beloved:
[Fred Astaire] looks so sexy in his white tux jacket, singing this song in the movie...
Chris Bamberger

Two 'Must Haves' for Mercer fans and all fans of pre R&R American pop music are 'Johnny Mercer: The Dreams on Me', a two disk TCM - Warner Bros. DVD documentary and 'The Great American Songbook' Warner Bros. DVD hosted by Michael Feinstein. Both are entertaining as they are instructive.
NewRoc

Thanks, Mark. I hadn't realized how productive he was as a songwriter. I suppose most of his work was for the lyrics.
Even if he hadn't written a word, he would be with the angels, having co-founded Capitol Records in the early 1940s.
Mike McGregor

On the death of Gene Lees, Johnny Mercer's biographer: ‎
:-(
Mark Carroll

A head-'em-off-at-the-pass note for the persnickety: I know, Waitin' For The Evenin' Mail is not a Johnny Mercer composition. It's by Billy Baskette, from 1923. But Johnny did sing it on the radio.

Aaron Neville

Aaron Neville Releases Nature Boy: The Standards Album
Washington
12 August 2003

Grammy Award-winning rhythm and blues singer Aaron Neville has one of the most recognizable voices in modern music history. With his family group, The Neville Brothers, and as a solo performer, Aaron has recorded a diverse repertoire of funk, soul, R&B, rock, pop and gospel. Aaron Neville offers interpretations of classic American composers on his new CD, Nature Boy: The Standards Album.

Aaron Neville grew up in New Orleans, a city known for its rich jazz and blues heritage. "Jazz was as much a part of my musical education as blues or funk. My brother Charles hipped me [made me aware] to modern jazz when I was a kid. He's always been an inspiration," he said. "My dad, Arthur, was our first inspiration. He loved Nat 'King' Cole's brand of jazz, and 'Nature Boy' was his favorite song. I sing it in tribute to him."

During the 1960s, Aaron Neville recorded for a few small labels in Louisiana before hitting Number 1 on the pop chart in 1967 with his soul and blues tune, Tell It Like It Is.

Joining the Neville Brothers in the 1970s, Aaron helped them earn a string of successful albums. In 1989, Aaron's duet with Linda Ronstadt, Don't Know Much, reached the Number two position. On his new album, Nature Boy, Aaron reunites with old friend Linda on The Very Thought of You.

Aaron Neville's Nature Boy, features songs by legendary American composers such as George Gershwin, Oscar Levant, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer and Cole Porter. Aaron says he wanted to recreate the mood of a small club, and use his voice like a jazz instrument. He also wanted to include ballads that "blurred the line" between jazz and blues.

In the studio, Aaron also called on an all-star line-up of jazz musicians, such as Ron Carter, Grady Tate, Michael Brecker, Roy Hargrove, and Aaron's brother, Charles Neville. "These are some bad cats [cool musicians]," he said. "They got the mood just right. For me, jazz is all about mood. Jazz is all about standards that are connected to your soul, connected to your life."

Aaron Neville feels it was a natural progression for him to record an album of standards. "To be singing these chestnuts [old songs] brings me back to my parents. These were the songs they danced to, and they were the songs of my youth," he said. "My folks taught me that music, love and God are all one thing. So, in singing these songs, I feel the spirit of all love."

In April, Aaron Neville was inducted into the Delta Music Museum and Hall of Fame at a ceremony in his home state of Louisiana. He's currently on a U.S. tour with The Neville Brothers.

[Listen to an excerpt of Aaron Neville's recording of the Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen song "Come Rain Or Come Shine".]

Johnny Mercer's Music Shop

On August first of 1942, the 1942–44 musicians' strike began. No union musicians could record for any record company, but were able to play for live engagements and radio shows; the issue which prompted the strike was regarding record companies paying royalties to musicians. Many record companies had "stockpiled" recordings of their stars prior to the strike, planning to release them over a period of time. While the older, more established record labels were able to do this, the newly formed Capitol had no opportunity to do likewise. The strike brought the new company to a standstill until Johnny Mercer began his radio show, Johnny Mercer's Music Shop, in June 1943. The radio show was meant to be a venue for Capitol's talent during the Musicians' Strike. Mercer and Capitol recording artist Jo Stafford hosted the program, with Paul Weston and his orchestra providing the music for it.One small correction: "Wendell Myles" should be announcer Wendell Niles (1904–1994). He was an announcer on The Bob Hope Show, The Burns & Allen Show, and The Milton Berle Show. Wendell and his brother Ken Niles have stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.An interesting promotional tie-in (circa 1943) for Johnny Mercer's Music Shop. Here's some additional information on the songs it contains:
*Blue Rain (written with Jimmy Van Heusen, 1939)
*My Shining Hour (with Harold Arlen, 1943) From the Fred Astaire/Joan Leslie movie The Sky's The Limit
*Skylark (with Hoagy Carmichael, 1942)
*Ooh! What You Said (with Hoagy Carmichael, 1939) from the Simone Simon/Mitzi Green/Mary Brian stage show Three After Three
*Mister Meadowlark (with Walter Donaldson, 1940)
*Love Of My Life (with Artie Shaw, 1940) From the Fred Astaire/Paulette Goddard movie Second Chorus
*I Thought About You (with Jimmy Van Heusen, 1939)
*On Behalf Of The Visiting Firemen (with Walter Donaldson, 1940) "Official Song New York World's Fair 1940"
*Make With The Kisses (with Jimmy Van Heusen, 1939)
*Strip Polka (1942)
*One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) (with Harold Arlen, 1943) from the R.K.O. picture The Sky's The Limit