Answers.com carries this general description of Hoagy's musical style. I find it quite applicable to Skylark:
Carmichael's songs are often described as nostalgic in tone; many of them unfold in a landscape of American small towns and countryside scenes and draw some of their emotional power from the attachment Americans have held for the country's agrarian past.You can hear a clip of it here: Skylark
Jazz Standards carries this amazing info about the song:
In 1942 "Skylark" appeared on the pop chart four times. The first recording was by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra featuring vocalist Ray Eberle, and it rose to number seven. All told, the hit recordings were
- Glenn Miller (1942, Ray Eberle, vocal, #7)
- Harry James (1942, Helen Forrest, vocal, #11)
- Dinah Shore (1942, with Rosario Bourdon and His Orchestra, #5)
- Bing Crosby (1942, with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra, #14)
Hoagy Carmichael originally wrote the composition that would become "Skylark" for a musical about his deceased friend, Bix Beiderbecke. The song's melody is said to have been based on Beiderbecke solos, at least the phrasing, a claim supported by the composition's original title, "Bix Lix" ("Bix Licks"). Though the musical did not get produced, Carmichael reworked the composition and passed the melody on to Johnny Mercer who, some months later, called Hoagy and sang him "Skylark." By that time Carmichael had forgotten he wrote it!I won't go so far as to declare it my favorite jazz song of all-time, but it definitely is up there. It's hard to choose just one song and call it my favorite--just like it's hard to choose one food or drink and say the same about it--it all depends on mood.
The Music Genome Project lists the following musical attributes for this song:
- a melodic alto sax solo
- a horn ensemble
- light drumming
- acoustic piano accompaniment
- big band arrangements
- lyrical melodies
- a lazy swing groove
- strong melodies
- lyric-centric composition
- major tonality
- interesting horn arrangements
Skylark
Have you seen a valley green with spring
Where my heart can go a-journeying
Over the shadows and the rain
To a blossom-covered lane
And in your lonely flight
Haven't you heard the music in the night
Wonderful music
Faint as a will o' the wisp
Crazy as a loon
Sad as a gypsy serenading the moon
SkylarkI'm ready to hear the song now! :-)
I don't know if you can find these things
But my heart is riding on your wings
So if you see them anywhere
Won't you lead me there
I'm headed over to my Hoagy Carmichael station on Pandora.
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Comments: 6
By the way, I volunteer at a local jazz station here in Atlanta, WCLK 91.9FM, check out the 10am - 2pm show, The Heart of Jazz w/ Tony Hart and check out Debb Moore's show and interviews, you may find some selections that you may enjoy. You can get it via streaming at http://www.wclk.com and click on the listen live link. Enjoy!
Big band is where my wife and I started to enjoy jazz also. We got into it from our love of classic movies and our fascination with the time period of her grandparents' swingin' days--the 40's.
Billie is my #1 female vocalist. I suppose I've got lots of company there.
I definitely plan on doing more of this type of article in the future. I'm to the point where I really want to start diving into this music and the artists. Of course, I'm a novice compared to many out there, but what the heck, I'm enjoying the learning :-)
Sounds like you'd have some good stuff to add to this group, if you want. Think it over :-)
Thanks again for the link and have a great weekend!
You can find him in a lot of westerns, where he usually played the bar owner and musician.