Some autumnal popular songs which occurred to me would have occurred to me apart from your excellent article, but I am grateful for the prompting. In order only of my ability to remember them, they are:
When October Goes
Autumn Leaves
Lullaby of the Leaves ( much too little known )
Autumn Nocturne ( same )
September Song ( does popular songwriting get greater than this? )
Yesterdays ( Kern, not to be confused with McCartney's Yesterday )
Early Autumn
Autumn Serenade ( I'm disgusted that this song isn't better known. It goes back to the early 1950s. I haven't looked at its chord progression, but somehow, it's wild to me that Peter DeRose, the composer, also wrote Deep Purple. )
Rain ( also by Peter DeRose, and too little known. DeRose belongs to the honorable category of journeymen who contributed two or three memorable songs to The Great American Songbook. Still, Autumn Serenade is his genius moment. )
The September of My Years is one of Frank Sinatra's four or five masterpieces. The whole album is autumnal, the title song, in particular. Sammy Cahn had a genius moment when he thought of the line, "Children, when you shoot at bad men, shoot at me."
The Summer Wind
I'll Remember April
Violets for Your Furs ( late autumn, maybe )
September in the Rain
Whistling Away the Dark ( an almost unknown song by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer. It has an obscurity which is so undeserved, it's shocking. The song never mentions autumn, but autumn is somehow present. The critic, Gene Lees, wrote that Mercer had "a talent for darkness." )
I'm struck by how many of these songs Johnny Mercer had something to do with.
It was written for the Julie Andrews movie, "Star!" which was a flop. This couldn't have helped the song, which is too serious to have become a standard, anyway.
I like the characterization, "a fugitive masterpiece." Sums the album up well and yes, Earl Turbinton is on about half the album - good solo on 'Doctor Honorus Causa.'
Great stuff as always, Robert! The Hartman/Coltrane version of Lush Life is perhaps my favourite recording of anything -- but the Blossom Dearie version is a close second!
For an autumnal album, you might want to look at Opeth's Damnation. They are a death metal band but this album has only clean vocals and barely any distorted guitar.
A favorite of mine is "Autumn in New York" by Dexter Gordon on his Bethlehem album Daddy Plays the Horn. It's seen my turntable many times over the years during October and November.
Some autumnal popular songs which occurred to me would have occurred to me apart from your excellent article, but I am grateful for the prompting. In order only of my ability to remember them, they are:
When October Goes
Autumn Leaves
Lullaby of the Leaves ( much too little known )
Autumn Nocturne ( same )
September Song ( does popular songwriting get greater than this? )
Yesterdays ( Kern, not to be confused with McCartney's Yesterday )
Early Autumn
Autumn Serenade ( I'm disgusted that this song isn't better known. It goes back to the early 1950s. I haven't looked at its chord progression, but somehow, it's wild to me that Peter DeRose, the composer, also wrote Deep Purple. )
Rain ( also by Peter DeRose, and too little known. DeRose belongs to the honorable category of journeymen who contributed two or three memorable songs to The Great American Songbook. Still, Autumn Serenade is his genius moment. )
The September of My Years is one of Frank Sinatra's four or five masterpieces. The whole album is autumnal, the title song, in particular. Sammy Cahn had a genius moment when he thought of the line, "Children, when you shoot at bad men, shoot at me."
The Summer Wind
I'll Remember April
Violets for Your Furs ( late autumn, maybe )
September in the Rain
Whistling Away the Dark ( an almost unknown song by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer. It has an obscurity which is so undeserved, it's shocking. The song never mentions autumn, but autumn is somehow present. The critic, Gene Lees, wrote that Mercer had "a talent for darkness." )
I'm struck by how many of these songs Johnny Mercer had something to do with.
Two Beatles' songs should be on the list:
Things We Said Today
Michelle
Many awesome choices here - I have never heard of 'Whistling Away the Dark' which (sadly) proves your point. I will give it a listen right away.
It was written for the Julie Andrews movie, "Star!" which was a flop. This couldn't have helped the song, which is too serious to have become a standard, anyway.
'Zawinul' is a fugitive masterpiece. I have always loved it since I bought it [1972]
Of note is the inclusion of New Orleans native Earl Turbinton. Joe & Cannon both loved the city.
Thank you for your wonderful review, Robert. I shall listen to 'His Last Journey' this evening.
I like the characterization, "a fugitive masterpiece." Sums the album up well and yes, Earl Turbinton is on about half the album - good solo on 'Doctor Honorus Causa.'
Thank you for the Zawinul recommendation. I was not familiar with this album but just bought it and am loving it!
It's an under-the-radar classic - quite a bit different from the first Weather Report album.
Great stuff as always, Robert! The Hartman/Coltrane version of Lush Life is perhaps my favourite recording of anything -- but the Blossom Dearie version is a close second!
For an autumnal album, you might want to look at Opeth's Damnation. They are a death metal band but this album has only clean vocals and barely any distorted guitar.
A favorite of mine is "Autumn in New York" by Dexter Gordon on his Bethlehem album Daddy Plays the Horn. It's seen my turntable many times over the years during October and November.
Perhacs — wow, Robert.
Never heard of her but was immediately enchanted by the track included in your post. So original and beautiful.