Walden Records: Lyrics of Ira Gershwin

In 1951, Nancy Walker — the brashly funny Broadway comedienne who could sing her way to your heart — was starring in a big new musical called A Month of Sundays, which didn't last a month of Sundays or even make it to Broadway. It opened Christmas night in Philadelphia, and closed a month and a day later in Boston. Book, lyrics, and direction came from up-and-coming newcomer B.G. Shevelove; this little opus almost served to derail his career altogether. At any rate, for a Philadelphia opening night/Christmas present, Walker went into the recording studio — with her husband, vocal coach David Craig, and the show's dance arranger David Baker — to record a private album for Burt, which they called "Nancy and the Two Davids Sing and Play Gershwin." Eight songs, two of which — "Where Is She," from the George White Scandals of 1921 and "The Simple Life," from Primrose (1924) — are so obscure that I don't suppose many have ever heard them. In 1952, Ed Jablonski — that great friend and biographer to both Ira Gershwin and Harold Arlen — started a shoestring record label with the intention of recording great songs by the great American songwriters. Ira encouraged Ed, and the first of the albums from Walden Records was called "lyrics by Ira Gershwin." Ten songs by Ira with six different collaborators; not only George, but Jerome Kern, Vernon Duke, Arthur Schwartz, Kurt Weill, and Aaron Copland. Nancy Walker was the featured singer, accompanied by Louise Carlyle and David Craig, with David Baker and John Morris at the pianos. (Ira had recommended Nancy and the two Davids to Jablonksi, apparently in response to having heard the private album they recorded for Shevelove.)

Track List

1    Blah, Blah, Blah
2    My One and Only
3    I Don't Think I'll Fall in Love Today
4    I Can't Get Started
5    The Saga of Jenny
6    Younger Generation
7    Sing Me Not a Ballad
8    Put Me to the Test
9    Long Ago and Far Away
10    Don't Be a Woman If You Can
11    Where's the Boy? Here's the Girl!
12    Boy! What Love Has Done to Me!
13    I Don't Think I'll Fall in Love Today
14    The Half of It, Dearie, Blues
15    The Simple Life
16    Where Is She?
17    Oh, So Nice!
18    My Cousin in Milwaukee