Blues in the Night: The Johnny Mercer Songbook (1997)

About this title: Contrary to Verve's blurb on the sticker of this CD, this is not the first songbook album devoted to the lyrics of Johnny Mercer; indeed, none other than Verve was responsible for an Ella Fitzgerald/Mercer songbook back in 1964. Needless to say, Ella is here, as is an all-star gallery of Verve, Mercury. MGM and Mars artists in an anthology spanning some 40 years of recording history and about 16 years of Mercer's work (1936-52). There are some enterprising choices like Buddy Rich singing "Goody Goody" quite competently in front of a big band, the first recording of the lyrics to "Early ... read more

Tracks:

1. Blues in the Night [Arlen/Mercer]
2. I Thought About You [VanHeusen/Mercer]
3. Come Rain or Come Shine [Arlen/Mercer]
4. Hit the Road to Dreamland [Arlen/Mercer]
5. Dearly Beloved [Kern/Mercer]
6. Goody Goody [Malneck/Mercer]
7. Skylark [Carmichael/Mercer]
8. Laura [Raksin/Mercer]
9. Day In - Day Out [Bloom/Mercer]
10. Early Autumn [Burns/Herman/Mercer]
11. I Remember You [Schertzinger/Mercer]
12. Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home [Arlen/Mercer]
13. Too Marvelous for Words [Mercer/Whiting]
14. Les Feuilles Mortes (Autumn Leaves) [Kosma/Mercer/Prever]
15. One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) [Arlen/Mercer]
16. Jeepers Creepers [Warren/Mercer]

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