holy crap, standards rock

I love them, I love them.

My friend made me watch Love Me Tonight last spring, and it had all these fabulous Rodgers and Hart songs that you always hear in the background of classic films during dance sequences for some reason. Richard Rodgers could write a mean melody. But of course, I also adore Gershwin and Porter and Arlen. Sigh. And Johnny Mercer, of course.

Some of my faves:

Tangerine
Just One of Those Things
Lover
Isn't it Romantic
Desafinado (from the Latin line of standards, by Jobim)
Stardust (duh!)
But Not for Me
Mimi
Amapola
Perfidia
Take the A Train

Thank God all these hot new jazz singers love standards, too. May they never, ever die.

Yes, old people love me.

I first recognized the enormous power of the jazz standard when I went to a Willie Nelson concert in Denver several years ago and he sang Star Dust and made me cry. He also sang The Rainbow Connection, which killed me. Only Willie can put that kind of beauty and emotion into a song in spite of a raspy voice.