By Steven Suskin
09 Nov 2008

LYRICS BY IRA GERSHWIN [Harbinger HCD-2502]
In 1951, Nancy Walker — the brashly funny Broadway comedienne who could sing her way to your heart — was starring in a big new musical called A Month of Sundays, which didn't last a month of Sundays or even make it to Broadway. It opened Christmas night in Philadelphia, and closed a month and a day later in Boston. Book, lyrics, and direction came from up-and-coming newcomer B.G. Shevelove; this little opus almost served to derail his career altogether. At any rate, for a Philadelphia opening night/Christmas present, Walker went into the recording studio — with her husband, vocal coach David Craig, and the show's dance arranger David Baker — to record a private album for Burt, which they called "Nancy and the Two Davids Sing and Play Gershwin." Eight songs, two of which — "Where Is She," from the George White Scandals of 1921 and "The Simple Life," from Primrose (1924) — are so obscure that I don't suppose many have ever heard them.

In 1952, Ed Jablonski — that great friend and biographer to both Ira Gershwin and Harold Arlen — started a shoestring record label with the intention of recording great songs by the great American songwriters. Ira encouraged Ed, and the first of the albums from Walden Records was called "lyrics by Ira Gershwin." Ten songs by Ira with six different collaborators; not only George, but Jerome Kern, Vernon Duke, Arthur Schwartz, Kurt Weill, and Aaron Copland. Nancy Walker was the featured singer, accompanied by Louise Carlyle and David Craig, with David Baker and John Morris at the pianos. (Ira had recommended Nancy and the two Davids to Jablonksi, apparently in response to having heard the private album they recorded for Shevelove.)

"Lyrics by Gershwin" has always held a special spot with me thanks to Walker's renditions of "I Can't Get Started" (with Duke, from Ziegeld Follies of 1936) and "Long Ago and Far Away" (with Kern, from the 1944 movie "Cover Girl"); if anyone ever recorded these two songs so well, I don't want to know. In 1998 Harbinger Records reissued several of the Walden albums on CD, including one they entitled "Gershwin Rarities." I could have sworn that the Nancy Walker-Ira Gershwin songs were reissued at the time, but it appears that I am mistaken. Those two songs are so imprinted on my personal music memory that I guess I never needed to hear them on CD.

Anyway, here they are: the ten 1952 Walden songs, combined with the 1951 private album. Virtually all Ira Gershwin; all Baker and Craig (who served as vocal arranger), most with Walker. Add Walker's renditions of George and Ira's "Where's the Boy? Here's the Girl!" (from Treasure Girl, 1928) and "My Cousin in Milwaukee" (from Pardon My English, 1933) to the two songs in the paragraph above.

I have always treasured my copy of "Lyrics by Ira Gershwin" — the album is hanging framed on the wall, over my right shoulder as I type this — not only for the recording but for the cover. The artwork features a full-color Hirschfeld caricature of Ira, puffing on a cigar (which is reproduced on the CD booklet). My copy also includes a fountain-pen inscription from Ira to a pre-My Fair Lady Herman Levin: "producer of goodies, gentleman and scholar and wizard at practically all (except making that 7 or 11)" with Ira's own self-caricature of a balding, bowing lyricist. That, needless to say, makes "lyrics by Ira Gershwin" very special to me; but so does Nancy singing those songs.

TOGETHER: MAXINE SULLIVAN SINGS THE MUSIC OF JULE STYNE [Harbinger HCD-2503]
The Nancy Walker/Ira Gershwin recording arrived in the mail from Harbinger Records with "Richard Rodgers: Command Performance," an album of never-before-heard piano rolls and other items performed by the composer, and Maxine Sullivan's 1987 album of Jule Styne songs, "Together." (If you circle back to the first paragraph of this column, Styne is the other Hollywood composer who conquered Broadway, more or less simultaneously with his one-time collaborator Frank Loesser.) Harbinger is just now celebrating their 25th Anniversary; this has impelled them to reissue the Sullivan/Styne title, which was one of their first recordings.

I have heard so many Jule Styne albums over the years — haven't we all? — but I never did get around to this one. So I am somewhat stunned to find that it is so very good. Fifteen songs recorded a quarter-century ago by the 76-year-old Sullivan, who died a couple of months after the final session. Fifteen songs that I could have been enjoying all these years. Ah, well. The singer is aged, but the voice is ageless. And spirited, for sure. Keith Ingham and his sextet keep right up with her, and the results are just darlin'.

The self-assured Ms. Sullivan feels no need to stick to the hits. No "Everything's Coming Up Roses," no "Make Someone Happy," no "The Party's Over." Nothing whatsoever from Funny Girl. She does give us five of those WWII hits, namely "I Don't Want to Walk Without You," "It's Been a Long, Long, Time," "Saturday Night is the Loneliest Night of the Week," "The Things We Did Last Summer," and "I've Heard that Song Before" — each of which sound new, fresh and lovely. And ever young. The rest are mostly show tunes, with some real surprises. Did you ever expect to hear a joyous bossa nova rendition of "Dance Only with Me," from Say Darling? (Did you ever expect to want to repeatedly hear any recording of "Dance Only with Me"?) Or how about a smoky "Talking to Yourself," from Hallelujah, Baby!, very nicely done. Sullivan also breathes life into "Papa, Won't You Dance with Me?" which heretofore seemed to be merely a lively polka from High Button Shoes. Peter Pan's "Distant Melody," too, is enhanced by the singer. Most interesting of all, perhaps, is the first recording of "Killing Time," a collaboration between Styne and Carolyn Leigh just before the latter's death in 1983.

"Together: Maxine Sullivan sings the music of Jule Styne" on Harbinger. An unexpected treat, and one that I have unwittingly deprived myself of since 1987.

(Steven Suskin is author of "Second Act Trouble," "Show Tunes" and the "Opening Night on Broadway" books. He can be reached at Ssuskin@aol.com)

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