Synopses & Reviews
In
Stardust Melodies, Will Friedwald takes each of these legendary songs apart and puts it together again, with a staggering wealth of detail and unprecedented understanding.
Each chapter gives us an extended history of one song—the circumstances under which it was written and first performed—and then explores its musical and lyric content. Drawing on his vast knowledge of records and the careers of performing artists, Friedwald tells us who was responsible for making these songs famous and discusses in depth the performers who have left their unique marks on them. He writes about variations in performance style, about both classic and obscure versions of the songs, about brilliantly original interpretations and ghastly travesties. And then theres the completely unexpected, like Stan Frebergs politically correct “Elderly Man River.”
This is a book for all lovers of American song to explore, argue with, and savor.
Review
"In his excellent book, Friedwald gives us the 'musical biographies' of a dozen popular songs, tracing them from their conception through hundreds of interpretations by an astonishing variety of artists." Wall Street Journal
Review
"Delightful [and] full of loving details....Friedwald has given us a literate, engaging 'Behind the Music' for the Jazz Age." Washington Times
Review
"Friedwald's book is so full of good stuff that I kept being distracted and forgetting what I was looking for." Chicago Tribune
About the Author
Will Friedwald is the author of Jazz Singing: Americas Great Voices from Bessie Smith to Bebop and Beyond; Sinatra! The Song Is You: A Singers Art; The Warner Bros. Cartoons; and Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies. One of the leading contemporary writers of liner notes for music albums, Friedwald lives in New York City.
Table of Contents
Star dust -- St. Louis blues -- Ol' man river -- Mack the Knife -- Body and soul -- I got rhythm -- As time goes by -- Night and day -- Stormy weather -- Summertime -- My funny valentine -- Lush life.