From the author: "Some of my favourite American music comes from the 30s and 40s. Big band, swing, some jazz, bluegrass et al. Setting a chunk of America Dreaming in that era allows me to feature a plethora of my favourite tunes.
Stormy Weather has been mentioned in episode 7 with, in my opinion, the definitive version by Billie Holiday. Although Sinatra's take is lush and laced with a melancholy all its own.
Another all-time fave of mine is Blues In The Night. I defy you to find a sexier, sassier number. This is the sort of song that Amy Winehouse and Adele should have a crack at. Smoky, late night attitude crackles and sizzles throughout the song. Ella Fitzgerald breathes life into the song on her Ella Swings Lightly album, however, for real 40s punch you can't top Dinah Shore's version. This is the version that I first discovered back in 1986 thanks to my grandad, who had a huge collection of 30s and 40s swing and jazz. It simply blew me away! In fact, the summer of '86 saw me spending endless afternoons and evenings listening to these superb voices and tunes from a bygone era. Couple that to reading Steranko's History Of Comics all that long, hot summer and I was in some 40s twilight zone that I never wanted to leave!
Of course, Frank Sinatra had to take a swing at Blues In The Night. His version oozes orchestration and puts a male spin on the song but my money's still on Ms. Shore.
Other top-notch numbers from the days of the Great Depression, FDR and WWII have to include In The Mood - if one number could define American spirit in the war it's this one; Tuxedo Junction, Pennsylvania 6-5000, Gal In Kalamazoo, Woodchoppers' Ball, Little Brown Jug, Moonlight Seranade, American Patrol, Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree and Begin The Beguine.
I hope to include as many of these as I can as America Dreaming sprawls seemingly out of control over the coming weeks. Don't worry, there is a plan, except no-one's told me what it is!"
LEE DAVIS,
SOUTH OF THE RIVER - PINING FOR ANOTHER TIME AND PLACE.
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