Why this tune?
I just spent an enjoyable weekend at the Vocal Jazz Summit in Virginia Beach, VA, learning and connecting with over 80 jazz vocalists from all over. For my spot in the vocal jam session I pulled out this song, which I wrote in 2024 as a musical apology for a breakfast offense. I was gratified by the response to the song. Besides the humor, I heard from several people about how it resonated with their own relationships.
I recorded “Banana”for Tunes on Tuesday in March 2024 with only the first verse. I added the second one later on. I’m much happier with this more complete version, in particular the surprise ending. It was only after I wrote the song that I learned about the William Carlos Williams poem ”This Is Just To Say” on a similar theme.
After writing my first two songs about vegetables, I thought I wouldn’t go back to writing about produce, but this topic was irresistible.
Oren Levine, jazz pianist and songwriter 