April is National Jazz Appreciation Month and that means a whole month of remembering amazing jazz artists and their contribution to the music industry. Although my love for the genre lasts all year round, the purpose of this month is to give others, especially new generations, a chance to experience and enjoy jazz music.
Jazz is still widely listened to, but not nearly as it used to be a couple of years ago, and National Jazz Appreciation Month is a great way to remember the lively tunes played on New Orleans’ charming riverboats.
We’ll also be talking about one of jazz’s most influential artists, Nat King Cole, this year’s featured artist.
Nat King Cole
A household name during the Swing Era, Nat King Cole was a jazz pianist and performer. With an amazing voice that captivated everyone in the audience, he was among the first few African Americans to host his own radio show, and even hosted his own television show, called the Nat King Show.
He recorded well over a hundred songs, out of which many got top spots on pop charts (remember, jazz was ‘pop’ music back in then). Some of his best works include Unforgettable, When I Fall in Love and Smile.
After forming a jazz trio, Nat King Cole’s trio was the standard for three-member jazz ensembles that would perform later on.
Due to his major contributions to jazz and music, his name has been added to the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. He recorded most of his work, almost 150 singles, at Capitol Records that reached the top of numerous R&B, Billboard Pop, and even country charts.
Jazz and its ‘April’ Songs
Jazz has a particularly upbeat style and a tune that is often considered quite lively, even though the lyrics may not always be so. A lot of jazz songs refer to spring, either implicitly or explicitly, which would explain why the word ‘April’ is used in some of the most popular jazz songs.
April in Paris
Vernon Duke composed the song for Walk a Little Faster, a Broadway musical that didn’t get nearly as much success as the song itself. With lyrics by Yip Harburg, the song was originally performed by Freddy Martin.
Some of the best recordings of the song are by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. It has a soothing tune that exudes romance and passion, but most importantly, it’s an amazing theatre number.
April Showers
The song was written by Louis Silvers and published in the early 1920s. With lyrics by G. G. De Sylva, it was first performed by Al Jolson for Bombo, a successful Broadway Musical. Also recorded by various other artists, like Mel Torme, the song symbolizes the concept of spring.
It explains that even when ‘April showers’ come, one must keep on looking for a bluebird, which is used as a symbol of happiness in many songs.
Maggy Simon’s Yesterday Once More
If you’d like to listen to more jazz songs, you can order my debut album Yesterday Once More, which has various renditions of songs like Le Jazz Hot and Here’s That Rainy Day. You can check out my album at CD Baby!
With Love, Maggy