Arlen And Harburg S Over The Rainbow

"Over the Rainbow" exploded into worldwide fame upon its performance by Judy Garland in the MGM film musical The Wizard of Oz (1939). Voted the greatest song of the twentieth century in a 2000 survey, it is a masterful, delicate balance of sophistication and child-like simplicity in which composer Harold Arlen and lyricist E. Y. "Yip" Harburg poignantly captured the hope and anxiety harbored by Dorothy's character. In Arlen and Harburg's Over the Rainbow, author Walter Frisch traces the history of this song from its inception during the development of The Wizard of Oz's screenplay, to its various reinterpretations over the course of the twentieth century. Through analysis of the song's music and lyrics, this Oxford Keynotes volume provides a close reading of the piece while examining the evolution of its meaning as it traversed widely varying cultural contexts. From its adoption as a jazz standard by generations of pianists, to its contribution to Judy Garland's role as a gay icon, to its reemergence as a chart-topping recording by Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, "Over the Rainbow" continues to engage audiences and performers alike in surprising ways. Featuring a companion website with audio and video supplements, this book leaves no path unexplored as it succeeds in capturing the extent of this song's impact on the world.

Take a magical journey over the rainbow with this unique offering of a beautifully illustrated book accompanied by a CD Whimsical illustrations and a recording of the beloved song by Judy Collins make this the perfect picture book for bedtime or music class Breathtaking and magical artwork by the critically-acclaimed illustrator of Puff The Magic Dragon will carry young readers from a little red farmhouse up over the rainbow, into the sky where bluebirds fly and castles rise high in the clouds, and beyond. The extraordinary soundtrack for this magnificent picture book is performed by the Grammy Award winning Judy Collins, who has recorded what might be the very best version of "Over the Rainbow" ever sung. Her version of this classic will delight and touch the heart of every parent and child who listens. As an added bonus, the enclosed CD also contains two delightful additional songs recorded by Judy Collins: "White Choral Bells" and "I See the Moon."

(Faber Piano Adventures ). The appeal of popular music spans generations and genres. In this collection of 27 hits, enjoy folk tunes like "Ashokan Farewell" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water," movie themes from James Bond and Batman , Broadway numbers from Evita and A Little Night Music , and chart-toppers performed by Michael Jackson, Adele, Billy Joel, and more. Adult Piano Adventures Popular Book 2 provides this variety, yet with accessible arrangements for the progressing pianist. Students may advance through the book alongside method studies, or jump to all their favorites. Optional chord symbols above the staff guide understanding and personal expression.

With their unforgettable melodies, timeless messages, and stylistic indebtedness to both jazz and Broadway, American popular standards have proven to be among the most widely performed and enjoyed songs of the past century. Shaped in many ways by the technological and cultural developments of the early twentieth century, they have also managed to transcend these origins and become an enduring part of the American musical landscape. Ann van der Merwe explores how and why American songbook standards developed in the early twentieth century and how these standards have shaped American—and even global—musical culture ever since. The American Songbook explores key aspects of individual songs, including the musical and lyrical reasons for their broad appeal and applicability over the years. The American songbook continues to permeate the fabric of our daily lives. It is a repertoire that spans generations, from Fred Astaire to Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga. As a result, music lovers both young and old will enjoy discovering how these beloved songs emerged and why they remain relevant a century later.

Different from other works devoted to Judy Garland to date in that it is not a traditional birth-to-death biography, award-winning music producer, critic, and translator Lawrence Schulman’s long-awaited 2-volume look at the legendary singer, Garland – That’s Beyond Entertainment – Reflections on Judy Garland, aims to remove her from the simplistic realm of such epithets as “world’s greatest entertainer” and “Miss Show Business” and reconsider her as one of the greatest singers of the 20th century’s Great American Songbook, one who took us beyond entertainment to a level of artistry unique in classic American popular music. The importance of Judy Garland is amply highlighted in this detailed, richly-illustrated study that covers Schulman’s writings on Garland between 1993 and 2023 that concentrate on her recordings, and not all the hoopla, hagiography, and tragedy usually attached to her short 47-year life. Utilizing published articles, reviews, liner notes, interviews, program notes, talks, and prefaces, the Schulman opus, which includes a Foreword by John H. Haley and an Afterword by James Fisher, took thirty years to write, and revolutionizes the trite take on Garland as having had just “a talent to amuse.” A read which meticulously includes all the facts but does not exclude amusing anecdotes and unsettling stories that shed light on this complicated artist, Garland – That’s Beyond Entertainment – Reflections on Judy Garland resembles Garland in that it is indeed entertaining, but also spotlights an artist whose frightening talent takes us over the rainbow to a reality in song that is devoid of complaisance or artifice. “Few figures in twentieth-century American popular culture continue to fascinate audiences with such verve as Judy Garland. Compiling a robust archive of writing that showcases the author's breathtaking encyclopaedic knowledge on all things Judy, Lawrence Schulman's Garland - That's Beyond Entertainment - Reflections on Judy Garland proves to be a must-read tome for anyone keen to understand (or be reminded of) the thrall this electric and eternal performer elicits still. A gargantuan effort as attentive to minute recording details as to broad cultural readings of the artist (not to mention fascinating and juicy anecdotal tidbits sprinkled throughout), Schulman's body of work here all but anoints him as the preeminent expert of a figure who has no shortage of them.” — MANUEL BETANCOURT, film critic, culture writer and author of 33 1/3: Judy at Carnegie Hall, and others “Schulman’s highly readable and deeply researched and analyzed collection of his varied essays and reviews provides a feast for even the most informed of Garland admirers and, at the same time, an indispensable guide for those who have just caught Garland fever.” — JAMES FISHER, Professor Emeritus at the School of Theatre at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and author of The Theater of Tony Kushner, Al Jolson: A Bio-Bibliography, and others “Lawrence Schulman's book is a deep dive into the lore, the legacy, and the legend of one of the world's greatest and most iconic entertainers. It's absolutely essential for Judy Garland fans - and who isn't a Judy Garland fan?” — WILL FRIEDWALD, journalist and author of Sinatra! The Song Is You – A Singer’s Art, A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers, and others

The life story of the man who gave Dorothy and her Oz companions something to sing about

"The book is filled with arresting detail about Arlen's career. . . This one is required reading for anyone who cares about American popular music, or, it goes without saying, musical theatre." -- Show Music

We are what we listen to. That's the premise of this study of 100 songs that have shaped and defined the American experience, from the Colonial period to the present. Well-known music author James Perone looks at 100 songs that helped tell America's story. He examines why each song became a hit, what cultural and social values it embodies, what issues it touches upon, what audiences it attracted, and what made it such a definitive part of American history and popular culture. The chart-topping singles presented here crossed gender, age, race, and class lines to appeal to the mass American audience. The book discusses patriotic songs, minstrel music, and sacred songs and hymns as well as music in the broad categories of pop, rock, hip hop, jazz, country, and folk. An introduction provides an overview of the history and significant issues raised by the songs as a whole. Individual songs are then presented chronologically, based on when they were written. The revealing commentary for each "hit" is not only interesting and fun, but reveals what it was like to live in the United States at a particular time by unveiling the social, economic, and political issues—as well as the musical tastes—that made life what it was.