Richard Adler and Jerry Ross:  Hey There

Richard Adler and Jerry Ross: Hey There

By the 1950s, the influence of Rodgers and Hammerstein was enormous, and many younger theatre songwriters—peers of Richard Rodgers’ daughter Mary—aspired to the success of R&H, and shared some of their aesthetic principles. As we look at songs written by...
Harold Arlen: Shake It Off With Rhythm

Harold Arlen: Shake It Off With Rhythm

Ah, the pleasures that come from a well-sung note held for a long, looooong time. Rodgers and Hart had a lot of fun with that idea in their song “Johnny One Note,” from their 1937 musical, Babes In Arms. Of course, that wasn’t the first time a composer used that...

Rodgers, Rodgers & Guettel

Notes on the Program by Steven Blier for Rodgers, Rodgers & Guettel November 1 & 3, 2016 at Merkin Concert Hall There are two histories of the Rodgers family that run parallel to one another. The first celebrates the dazzling musical gifts that propelled three...
Danny Boy

Danny Boy

Arguably the most well known song ever, Danny Boy has swiftly become a very favorite of mine since I became intimately acquainted with it a few seasons ago. I mentioned in a previous post that pianist Peter Dugan and I will be launching our album A Silent Night: A WWI...
Billy Joel: And So It Goes

Billy Joel: And So It Goes

I was first introduced to this song when I was just 13 years old. Back before I knew I wanted to be a professional singer, or a professional anything for that matter. I remember being drawn to the simple melody and the lovely poem. We had sung it for our troubadour...