SONGS OF THE 1920'S AND 1930'S ARRANGED FOR MIDI GUITAR
Hard Hearted Hannah, MIDI
Thou Swell, MIDI
It's Only A Paper Moon, MIDI
You Go To My Head, MIDI
NEW MUSIC, 12-12-97
Forty Second Street, MIDI
My Buddy, MIDI
Birth of the Blues, MIDI
Autumn in New York, MIDI
11-14-97
Previously on this page I presented some arrangements by Laurindo Almeida for MIDI guitar, I thought it would be an easy matter of finding more popular music arrangements for guitar. But I soon discovered after visiting a well-stocked music store that Mr. Almeida was alone in making beautiful and intricate arrangements of pop tunes for classical guitar. And his output was limited to one small edition. So now I am attempting my own arrangements. this page includes: APRIL IN PARIS, AM I BLUE? and SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME. I hope to soon include other arrangements.
The Song APRIL IN PARIS was written by Vernon Duke for the Broadway revue: WALK A LITTLE FASTER, 1932. Starred Beatrice Lillie.
"You gotta play APRIL IN PARIS," bawled a drunk at the bar. "I know it," Basie answered. The Count Basie Band played it one more time right into intermission. In 1951 Count Basie made a new arrangement of APRIL IN PARIS and was one of his most requested pieces on the lounge-act circuit.
In 1929 one of Basie's guitarists, Eddie Durham, wrote of a near-electric guitar experience which would have been revolutionary for the time, "I played a straight guitar with a resonator. It was about the size of a ten-inch record, made of tin. When you hit it, especially near the mike, you got an electric effect, and it carried like a banjo. I made a record, HONEY, KEEP YOUR MIND ON ME with Jimmy Lunceford, and it sounds like electric, but it wasn't."
Count Basie with guitarist, Freddie Green
APRIL IN PARIS, MIDI
AM I BLUE? Was written by Harry Akst in 1929 for the film ON WITH THE SHOW starring Ethel Waters.
She was born at the turn of the century. Like many great black female singers, Ethel Waters started her singing in church. Tall and very thin as a youngster, she was billed as "Sweet Mama Stringbean." In the 20's and 30's she starred in club revues and on stage. In 1924 she sang DINAH in a smart nightclub revue showing that vocal jazz wasn't limited to jazz nor to "race" songs. Her biggest hits were AS THOUSANDS CHEER and MAMBAS DAUGHTER. She also did motion pictures which included THE SOUND AND THE FURY.
Ethel Waters in a promotional still for the 1931 Broadway hit, RHAPSODY IN BLACK.
AM I BLUE?, MIDI
SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME was written by George and Ira Gershwin in 1926. It was one of the songs in the Broadway musical, OH, KAY! In the middle of writing the score for OH, KAY!, Ira was stricken with appendicitis and had emergency surgery. In spite of just being released from the hospital and depleted of energy, he managed to finish the words to the musical in time for rehearsals.
SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME was introduced by Gertrude Lawrence and is considered among the greatest songs of the Gershwins'.
Self portraits of George (on the left) and Ira Gershwin
Frank Sinatra sang SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME in his 1953 film, YOUNG AT HEART which was derived from his famous song of the same title.
"The Chairman of The Board" and Doris day in a scene from the movie, YOUNG AT HEART.
SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME, MIDI
THE MYSTERY SECTION
Now a little musical guessing game:
What is the name of the group pictured below? Hints: The biggest hit of this group was STRAIGHTEN UP AND FLY RIGHT, recorded in 1943. The piano player, whom the group was named after went on to star in films HAJJA BABA and in his own film biography. (The King Cole Trio with Oscar Moore, guitar; Wesley Prince, bass and Nat King Cole, piano)
Now for a mystery tune. Hint: This song has the word HEART in the title.
MYSTERY TUNE, MIDI
The better the soundcard and software, the better the music plays. I use Midisoft software and a Roland soundcard and have no complaints about the musical output with this setup.
Gary Rodriguez, c 1998
EMAIL: midi-guitar@worldnet.att.net
For
pictures to go with the music, look at this
"picturesque" web site with free
screen saver files
Howard
Sweet
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