Downloading the Repertoire (1996)

About this title: How do you describe this one? Take an old guy who lives in a nursing home in Boston and likes to sing, pop a 90-minute tape into your hand-held cassette recorder, and challenge him to sing for 45 minutes continuously. The result is an unedited, rambling, often incoherent 129 medley that takes in the first half century of American popular song. To say that the end effect of all this is weird would be putting it mildly. Mudurian makes musical shorthand of these classics, and his free association from tune to tune is downright astounding. No matter what kind of music you might have in your ... read more

Tracks:

1. Chicago [Fisher]
2. It's Been a Long, Long Time
3. Why Am I Always Yearning for Theresa
4. The Halls of Montezuma
5. So Long (It's Been Good to Know You)
6. Step Right up (And Help Old Uncle Sam)
7. It's Only a Paper Moon [Arlen/Harburg/Rose]
8. Music! Music! Music!
9. Take Me Out to the Ball Game
10. Some Sunday Morning
11. Any Bonds Today? [Berlin]
12. Red River Valley
13. My Bonnie
14. Jimmy Crack Corn
15. The Wabash Cannonball
16. I Wonder Who's Kiss Her Now
17. Ramona
18. Toot, Toot, Tootsie, Goodbye [Erdman/Fio Rito/Kah]
19. If You Knew Susie (Like I Know Susie)
20. I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine
21. I Love My Baby (My Baby Loves Me) [Green/Warren]
22. I'll See You in My Dreams [Jones/Kahn]
23. Lucky Me
24. I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)
25. Near You
26. South of the Border
27. I've Been Working on the Railroad
28. Goody Goody [Malneck/Mercer]
29. Home on the Range
30. Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho
31. Bell Bottom Trousers
32. Ragtime Cowboy Joe
33. Over the Rainbow [Arlen/Harburg]
34. When You Wish upon a Star
35. Pistol Packin' Mama
36. Frankie and Johnny [Traditional]
37. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer [Marks]
38. Jingle Bells [Pierpont]
39. I Love You
40. Cuddle up a Little Closer [Harbach/Hoschna]
41. Ain't She Sweet [Ager/Yellen]
42. Rose O'Day (The Filla-Ga-Dusha Song)
43. The Band Played On
44. Sparrow in the Treetop
45. "Pep Talk"/South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)
46. It's Only a Paper Moon [Arlen/Harburg/Rose]
47. California, Here I Come
48. Row, Row, Row Your Boat
49. Singin' in the Rain
50. Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue
51. Lullaby of Broadway [Dubin/Warren]
52. I Wonder Who's Kissinger Her Now
53. Some Sunday Morning
54. For Me and My Gal [Goetz/Leslie/Meyer]
55. Blue Skies [Berlin]
56. Smoke That Cigarette
57. Ain't Misbehavin' [Brooks/Razaf/Waller]
58. Cheek to Cheek [Berlin]
59. Let's Call the Whole Thing Off [Gershwin/Gershwin]
60. I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Cocoanuts (Roll or Bowl a Ball, a Penny ...)
61. Michael, Row the Boat Ashore
62. Row, Row, Rown Your Boat
63. When You Wish upon a Star
64. I'll See You in My Dreams [Jones/Kahn]
65. Chiquita Banana
66. Your Cheatin' Heart [Williams]
67. Sparrow in the Treetop
68. (We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock
69. That Old Flying Machine
70. The Man on the Flying Trapeze
71. School Days
72. Take Me Out to the Ball Game
73. Johnson Rag [Hall/Kleinkauf/Lawr]
74. Boola Boola

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.