The Anderson Brothers’ tutorial entertainments offer almost as much information as they do music. Will writes an illuminating biographical script augmented by film clips. Peter creates arrangements true to songwriter intention. The twins play saxophone, clarinets and flutes, beaming at one another during solos. Shows are amiable. And skilled.
Born poor, Hoagy/Hoagland was named after a circus troop that stayed with the family. Mom played piano for silent films. Reginald de Valle taught the boy ragtime. Hoagy met lifelong friend and influence Bix Beiderbecke at Indiana University where the former earned bachelor and law degrees. Sophistication seemed to come naturally. He was a musician, composer, songwriter, actor, author and “the epitome of swag.” Ian Fleming said he created James Bond in his image.
Will Anderson, Peter Anderson, Alex Raderman
Understated singer Molly Ryan has a honeyed voice. She makes it look easy. “The Nearness of You” ( lyrics, Ned Washington) arrives in short phrases with diminishing tails. “Skylark” (lyrics, Johnny Mercer) was intended for inclusion in a film about Bix that never happened, though Carmichael played the jazz man in Man with a Horn. Ryan sings with feeling. “Laaaaark” arcs.
“Play me a Hoagy song and I hear the banging of a screen door or a motorboat on a lake – sounds of small town America.” (William Zinsser) “New Orleans” is a perfect example. The song has Dixie roots and jazz blooms. Pianist Rosano Sportiello plays with loose wrists and tight fingers. It’s a speakeasy sound. “Memphis in June” is ever more his signature. It sashays.
In 1929, the artist moved to New York just in time for the crash. Hoagy was limited by the fact he could neither read nor write music very well. When Bix died of alcoholism, it hit his mentee hard. “Georgia On My Mind” (lyrics, Stuart Gorrell) and “Up a Lazy River”(Sidney Arodin) were hits. The composer collaborated with Johnny Mercer on 30 songs and emerged as a solo singer which generated royalties. “As for those who make lasting impressions with my songs, I’m the best,” he boasted. This is evident in 14 films where he performed his own work.
Will Anderson, Neal Miner, Peter Anderson
The iconic “Stardust” came to Hoagy walking across campus one night. He talked his way into The Book Nook, which had a piano, to get it down. When Mitchell Parish added lyrics, the tune rose on charts. Much of his work is sad love songs. Solo saxophone (with piano) emerges tender. Eyebrows go up above brass on higher notes. ”Rockin’ Chair,” popularized by Louis Armstrong, is rendered by the brothers on two saxes. Music braids. The artist was a successful Tin Pan Alley song writer. He married, moved to Hollywood, and had two sons.
Ryan returns for “Up a Lazy River” (lyrics, Johnny Mercer) in swing time bookended by a fast sax solo. “Two Lazy People”(lyrics, Frank Loesser) is hammock tempo. Melody is king. Embellishment never overrides. Bass acts as ballast. A piano theme on variations of “Heart and Soul” (lyrics, Frank Loesser) is expertly arranged. As rock and roll came in, Hoagy stepped back. In 1971, he was inducted into The Songwriters Hall of Fame with Duke Ellington. We’re told he played a lot of golf.
A class act.
Photos by Alix Cohen
Opening: Rosano Sportiello, Molly Ryan, Will Anderson, (behind-Neal Miner), Peter Anderson,
Alex Raderman
The Anderson Brothers Play Hoagy Carmichael
Peter and Will Anderson
Molly Ryan – Vocals
Rosano Sportiello – piano, Alex Raderman – drums, Neal Miner-bass
Symphony Space
2537 Broadway, at W. 95th St
