Lullaby of the Leaves
Lullaby of the Leaves is a pop song written by Bernice Petkere (music) and Joe Young (lyrics) and released in 1932.
background
The ballad Lullaby of the Leaves was used in the 1932 Broadway revue Chamberlain Brown's Scrap Book , in which Ina Hayward sang it. On the radio, the song became known through the version of Freddie Berrens and his Orchestra before it was covered by Ben Selvin and Connee Boswell , who recorded it on April 9, 1932 for Brunswick Records . From the 1950s, Lullaby of the Leaves became a standard for jazz musicians.
Lullaby of the Leaves “is not a complex song, neither in broad-scale melody, in form, nor in harmonic content. The basis of its musical effect and its popularity lies in its melodic contours and small-scale motifs ”. Petkeres' lovely melody, which alternates between major and minor, has a lively bridge and Young's skilful lyrics are very metaphorical:
- Cradle me where southern skies,
- Can watch me with a million eyes,
- Oh sing me to sleep, Lullaby of the leaves.
Cover versions
As early as 1932, further cover versions were made in the United States by Gene Kardos , Joe Haymes , in Paris by Lud Gluskin and in London by Lew Stone and Roy Fox . In the US charts came the cover version of George Olsen and His Orchestra with a vocal group; it was number 1 for ten weeks. According to the list of the industry journal Variety, Lullaby of the Leaves was one of the top ten hits for five months in 1932. In 1961, The Ventures were also successful with the song in the American charts.
The song has been covered by numerous musicians, including versions by Geri Allen , Gene Ammons , Chet Baker , Al Bowlly , Kenny Davern , Dizzy Gillespie , Benny Goodman , Bobby Jaspar , Pete Jolly , Gerry Mulligan ( Pleyel Concert ), Anita O ' Day , Oscar Peterson , Marty Paich , Tito Puente , Mary Stallings , Art Tatum , Lucky Thompson , Lennie Tristano and Mary Lou Williams . In later years Jackie Ryan (2002), Conrad Herwig (2003); the Clayton / Hamilton Orchestra (2004), Hod O'Brien (205), Scott Hamilton (2006), Stephanie Nakasian (2006) and Judy Niemack covered him (2007). The discographer Tom Lord lists (2006) 370 cover versions of the song.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Information at Jazzstandards.com
- ↑ Connie Boswell was accompanied by Bunny Berigan (tp), Tommy Dorsey (tb), Jimmy Dorsey (cl), Harry Gray (p) or Martha Boswell (p), possibly also by Joe Venuti (from left), Harry Hoffman (from left) , Eddie Lang (git), Artie Bernstein (kb) and Stan King (dr). The session was chaired by Victor Young . See Tom Lord: Jazz Discography .
- ↑ Allen Forte The American Popular Ballad of the Golden Era, 1924-1950: A Study in Musical Design Princeton University Press 1995 (n.jazzstandards.com)
- ↑ a b Tom Lord: Jazz Discography (online), accessed November 2, 2016
- ↑ Don Tyler: Hit Songs, 1900-1955: American Popular Music of the Pre-Rock Era . 2007