First out of the Fitzwilly starting blocks 1967 a swinger before the song was deemed such ~ In the movie the treatment was laid back lush in contrast to minimalist television Lena Horne take
Lena is hardly broad swing ~ on its toes stuff with a difference Horne fixing a dark minatory glint gives the song the needle Adding to its woes the performance is murky monochrome . Horne undersells the melody cropping it ~ ironing out phrases stinting on notes Typical Ifcopod have you some problem with magnificent artiste Lena Horne dominant 1940s and 50s jazz singer Perhaps this ~ the Johnny Williams song hardly comes of age under tutelage of late Lennie Haytons other half . Not up to this fully fledged Ella account as "Ella the Great" leans into the melody ~ dynamics abounding ~ bounces it about ~ for hard swing best version unless you erudite punter know better ~You do? If so why lavish valuable time on rubbish Ifcopod channel ~.. 1979 when Ella s incipiently ragged voice was past its highly charged best ~ compensated by boot Ella delivers ~ love it ~a little louder perhaps ~ certainly ~ LOVE~ IT. ~ Ifcopod your penchant for music with emotional boot. knows no bounds but has ~ NOISY IMPACT? Careful I'll unleash ten minutes of hero preferred to Ellla ~ Stan Kenton brass.
.For dynamics Ellas Make Me Rainbows doesnt miss a trick
her reputation home and dry long before this performance with Count Basie
From earlier generation there were fabulous Ella Song Books if you care to go back further theres an album with Ellis Larkins early 1950S but collectively Ellas take on a trawl of songs remains the finest vocal tribute to the great songwriters Gershwin Rodgers etc
. Even if Buddy Bregmans arrangements are a bit low budget ~ where Nelson Riddle's are not songs like Richard Rodgers Manhattan never fail. However its tempting to pass up on overdone Tisket a Tasket not Ifcopod listening fare
Something different ? Beethovens Missa Solemnis accompanied by ACDC? one question our hard rock guitarist for the session.? Mark Knopfler? I said hard not chuntering rock . by way of light relief Ellas balmy carefree Happy Talk from the late 1940s with orchestra under Gordon Jenkins~ composer of Sinatras Goodbye with Nelson Riddle arrangement out of Vaughan Williams in 1950s and while you're here dont forget lush romantic Jenkins strings for Nat Cole When I fall in Love etc ~ things like Lonely Town for Sinatra Does Sinatra own Lonely Town? I havent heard evidence to the contrary.
Make Me Rainbows Johnny if you insist John T Williams song temptingly twinned with Michel Legrands Watch what Happens both swing ~ composers born same month February same year. 1932 world leaders ~ But Johnny Williams
symphonic success has gone off the chart Is he the most popular contemporary orchestral composer?
So there we have it great melody with or without lyrics . . But would any cavil at
lyricist greats Alan and Marilyn Bergman masters of elegant by times pithy even allusive lyrics
.Dick Van Dyke didnt have at go singing in Movie Fitzwilly
He did have a go at a Columbo episode leaving all vestige of Mary Poppins charmingly faux Brit accent on way in. We all love Columbo No? Sorry mate or Buddy ~ whichever ~ channel reserved for Columbo brethern . . With Janet Leigh as brother of comedian Jerry Van Dyke Dick sang a comic style Put on a Happy Face in 1963 Bye Bye Birdie .. Given its quality Make Me Rainbows industry should be busier but jazz world is a strange business~ thats not a jazz song ~Sure ~ Riddle me this why do I not get excited over Ellas Tisket Tasket
Other worthy versions include light balladeer Frank D'rone Vic Damone cashed in decamping to the golf course. But Damones lyrical approach graced numerous albums~ mid 1950s On the Street where you live was a big seller always worth a listen Composer of Make Me Rainbows Johnny Williams also worked with Damone in 1950s
Where would Make Make ME Rainbows be without Nancy Wilson ~Indeed ~Nancy does what the Ohio singer does extremely well a groovy version from the 1960s Nancy well ahead of Lena Horne but . In case this seems like Rain on Lenas parade I suggest a listen to Lena doing a zinging number ~from 1963 Peter Sellers Pink Panther composed by Henry Mancini who also gave us a fave 20th century song Moon River ~ spiffing Yes but try no holds barred Lena performance It Had Better be tonight great belter. Before we part company with Pink Panther another version ~It Had Better be Tonight chic so silkily smooth dance take by Fran Jeffries a high point for terpsichores in Panther movie
23 апр 2018
