Why this tune?
I’m going back to the standards this week with this song by Jimmy McHugh and Harold Adamson from 1943. Frank Sinatra sang it in the 1944 film “Higher and Higher.” Both Sinatra and the Ink Spots reached the pop hit charts with their recordings.
McHugh contributed many standards to the American songbook, including “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” and “On the Sunny Side of the Street.” McHugh and Adamson later wrote “Too Young to Go Steady,” which was covered by many jazz artists including John Coltrane and Keith Jarrett.
I found the tune when looking for songs to play at a private gig I have next week, where I’ve been asked to sing a few songs as part of the set. I think this one would work well for my style and range. It’s also the right subject matter for the event.
For this recording, I found the verse for the song, which the jazz players usually leave out. It’s a lovely intro to the song, and more complex harmonically than the main theme.
Tunes On Tuesday Reel
Check it out!
A young Sinatra sings
Oren Levine, jazz pianist and songwriter 