Hoagy
Carmichael, along with Irving Berlin, the Duke (Ellington) , the
Gershwins, Rogers and Hart, and Cole Porter, is considered one
of the greatest American song writers of all time. Together they
evolved the genre simply known as ‘The Standards.’
Among Hoagy’s remarkable compositions are The Nearness
of You, (Nora Jones 2003, Diana Krall 1998), Stardust
(have a listen to the Willie Nelson
version), I Get Along Without You Very Well, and Georgia
on my Mind.
But in the late
1950s, early 60s, Hoagy couldn’t sell a song. Rock &
Roll, which he regarded as an inferior genre, had yanked music
out of the heart and consigned it to the hips.
In a brave voice
Hoagy talks about the commodification of music and the hurt of
suddenly becoming an obscure composer.
For the occasion
of this 1964 interview, Hoagy is sitting at the piano, and from
time to time he lets the piano do the talking. So turn on your
speakers and have a
listen to a 30 minute conversation with an American master.
