Overview

Working within the limits of a popular song, the songwriters of the Great American Songbook wrote with a combination of familiarity and freshness, sentiment, and wit. The songwriters were masters of craft who created a distinctively American popular music that still resonates strongly today. This book looks at the Great American Songbook’s craft and its mastery. Michael Lasser and Harmon Greenblatt uncover the essential elements of these beloved songs and investigate the qualities that make the songbook a unique staple of American culture. Filled with interesting anecdotes, each chapter looks at variety of songs in relation to a theme and dives into the lives of songwriters. By doing this, the book reveals the genius behind this body of music and show us why the Great American Songbook has stood the test of time.

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9781538192887

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Reviews

"""Michael Lasser and Harmon Greenblatt provide a much-needed guide to the treasury of American popular songs. Readers will find themselves relishing a favorite song's wordplay, wit, and rich cultural subtexts more than ever, plus great suggestions for recordings by superb singers."" --Ralph P. Locke, emeritus professor of musicology, Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester"

"""Even if you already know a lot of and about the Great American Songbook, Michael Lasser's and Harmon Greenblatt's book is still informative and sometimes revelatory--and, best of all, a highly entertaining read."" --Kim H. Kowalke, professor emeritus, Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester; President and CEO Kurt Weill Foundation for Music ""Michael Lasser and Harmon Greenblatt provide a much-needed guide to the treasury of American popular songs. Readers will find themselves relishing a favorite song's wordplay, wit, and rich cultural subtexts more than ever, plus great suggestions for recordings by superb singers."" --Ralph P. Locke, emeritus professor of musicology, Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester"

Author Information

Michael Lasser is the author of three previous books on the Great American Songbook. His nationally syndicated public radio show won a George Foster Peabody Award and was on the air for over forty years. He has appeared at hundreds of museums and performing arts centers from New York to Los Angeles. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College. Harmon Greenblatt has spent his entire career teaching and working in the arts. He has worked as a presenter, agent/manager, and educator and as CEO of two arts councils. Harmon is most proud of his time teaching arts management at three universities: Columbia College Chicago, the University of Hartford, and the University of New Orleans.

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