MEMBERS of the Westbury and District U3A recently heard a talk about The Great American Songbook on Tuesday 11th October.
The Great American Songbook is the canon of the most important and influential American popular songs from the early 20th century, that have stood the test of time in their life and legacy.
Chris Crosby report, “We had a very entertaining session delivered by Mr Roger Browne, playing, singing and talking about The Great American Songbook. Roger told us that New Orleans was the centre for multi-national musical genres, all of which fed into the start of jazz. Minstrel shows gave way to variety, with acts such as flea circuses, fire eaters, etc, so a whole new world of entertainment and music opened up.
“Roger also gave us insights into the works of some famous musical greats such as; Rogers & Hammerstein, Eva Neil, Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and more.
“Some music of those days told of the slavery and cruelty that was happening unseen by the public; Old Man River has the lyrics, ‘I’m tired of living but scared of dying’, evocative to say the least, and a clever way to get the message broadcast.
“Roger recounted a tale about Jerome Kern being booked to sail to England in 1915, but played poker until the early hours and missed the boat – the Lusitania! Close call! We also learned that Irving Berlin was born in Russia and sent to a boys’ home at age 11 as his parents couldn’t afford to keep him; he made a few cents selling newspapers.
“Roger told us that Cole Porter was a great composer and lyricist but struggled to get his work published in Tin Pan Alley because he wasn’t Jewish, so he began writing songs in a minor key to make them sound Jewish, and it worked.
“Tin Pan Alley was, according to Wikipedia, a collection of music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
“Roger did a great job of keeping is interested in his tales, especially with his skilful keyboard playing, and sharing his lovely singing voice with us!”
Report by Chris Crosby
