The American Songbook from Vaudeville to Hollywood celebrates the cultural expressions contained in the unforgettable jazz-inflected songs of the twentieth century. Charting the development of songwriting in the context of American culture, David Michael Hertz treats words and music as of equal importance, exploring the mystery of how they work together in the phrase structures of songs. With a carefully drawn historical chronology, his narrative recounts a story of the evolution of American language as expressed in song lyrics, through which ordinary life becomes poetry. Hertz celebrates the evergreen quality of the songs, as they originate from Broadway shows, Hollywood films, or jazz clubs and then generate many new interpretations over the years. The rhythmic pulse of the songs-emphasizing the second and fourth beat of each measure-still characterizes popular music to this day. Many of the first songs that rose to popularity in the early twentieth century were written by immigrant New Yorkers, then widely interpreted by jazz singers and instrumentalists from all over the country. The canny businessmen of Tin Pan Alley encouraged songwriters to utilize the thirty-two-bar format, motivated by huge profits available from the sale of inexpensive sheet music. By 1920, songwriters of real genius appeared, including Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, and Irving Berlin. The twenties brought the explosion of the Jazz Age, with the rhythmic power of the Charleston, the golden era of the musical revues on Broadway, and the flourishing of jazz in speakeasies and nightclubs. Older singing styles derived from vaudeville were overtaken by a new style of jazz vocal performance popularized by Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald. The rise of swing music made the songs more seductive, with backing from plush ensembles, while sound films helped their popularity spread. Works produced by Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Rodgers and Hart, Hoagy Carmichael, and the final flowering of the Gershwins, among many other writers profiled by Hertz, created popular songs that quickly became standards. Broadway, Hollywood, and the world of jazz all flowed together in a great, unified musical stream, as radio, film, and sound recordings reached millions throughout the United States. Written for a general audience of listeners and enthusiasts, The American Songbook from Vaudeville to Hollywood, Volume 1 charts the development of songwriting in the United States from Tin Pan Alley through the swing era with passion, insight, and an ear for the musical and lyrical qualities of a beloved songbook still being performed today.
David Michael Hertz, professor of comparative literature and affiliate professor of cognitive science at Indiana University in Bloomington, is the author of Eugenio Montale, the Fascist Storm, and the Jewish Sunflower, among other works. A composer and pianist, Hertz studied at Juilliard and the Jacobs School of Music, and has served as a member of the National Council on the Humanities in Washington, DC.
"There have been many books about the Great American Songbook, as there should be: why do you think they call it "Great"? Isaac Goldberg and Sigmund Spaeth assayed Tin Pan Alley early on, and Charles Hamm a bit later. Alec Wilder analyzed the melodies and harmonies, Philip Furia profiled the great lyricists, and Wilfrid Sheed and William Zinsser offered insightful personal takes. And of course there have been excellent biographies of the great songwriters and interpreters. David M. Hertz'sThe American Songbook from Broadway to Hollywoodis a welcome and valuable addition to this company. What Hertz has to offer, in particular, is sophisticated melodic and harmonic analyses of the songs, plus a judicious application of recent findings in how the brain processes and responds to music. His writing is clear and engaging, and his appreciation of this great music animates the book."--Ben Yagoda, author of The B Side: The Death of Tin Pan Alley and the Rebirth of the Great American Song "The first of David Michael Hertz's two volumes on the American songbook will inform and entertain any reader curious to know more about this invaluable cultural treasure. Not only does he offer a comprehensive survey of the great songwriters, but Hertz also recognizes the popular jazz singers and instrumentalists who sang and played these timeless songs."--Geoffrey Block, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Musicology, University of Puget Sound, and author of Enchanted Evenings: The Broadway Musical from "Show Boat" to Sondheim and Lloyd Webber "There are many reasons that readers will like this book, including the rich historicity of the research and the deep humanity it brings to the process of songwriting. It is a deep dive into the great American songbook and an important compendium of how Black and Jewish people brought American popular music to life. Destined to become a classic."--Ben Sidran, jazz musician, songwriter, producer, and author of There Was a Fire: Jews, Music, and the American Dream
