♪ (male announcer) From New York, a special television presentation of one of the longest-running and most highly acclaimed public radio series, National Public Radio's Marian McPartland's "Piano Jazz."

For eight years, this colorful kaleidoscope of great keyboard artists, hosted by renowned composer and pianist Marian McPartland, has offered audiences a rare insider's view of the world of jazz, featuring outstanding piano artists of our time.

For this special televised edition of "Piano Jazz," Marian welcomes the king of the cabaret singers, Bobby Short.

♪ Bobby, it's great to see you again!

It's wonderful seeing you again so soon.

I know, so soon.

Never too often, you know.

How about raising the roof?

Do one that you do at The Carlyle.

Oh, well.

I'll do a song that we do at The Carlyle by Duke Ellington.

It's called "Drop Me Off In Harlem."

That's a great tune.

How's that strike you?

Great!

♪ ["Drop Me Off In Harlem"] ♪ Drop me off in Harlem, ♪ ♪ anyplac in Harlem.

♪ ♪ There's someon waiting there ♪ ♪ who makes it see like heaven up in Harlem.

♪ ♪ I don't wan your Dixie.

♪ ♪ You can kee your Dixie.

♪ ♪ There's nothin down in Dixie ♪ ♪ that can take the plac of my old Harlem.

♪ ♪ Harlem has those southern skies.

♪ ♪ They're in my baby's smile.

♪ ♪ I idolize my baby's eyes, their classy, uptown style.

♪ ♪ If Harlem moved to China, ♪ ♪ there'd be nothing finer ♪ ♪ than to stow away on a plane someday ♪ ♪ and let 'em drop me off in Harlem.

♪ ♪ Harlem has those southern skies ♪ ♪ in my baby's smile.

♪ ♪ I idolize my baby's eyes, their classy, uptown style.

♪ ♪ If Harlem moved to China, ♪ ♪ there'd be nothing finer ♪ ♪ than to stow away on a plane someday ♪ ♪ and let 'em drop me off in Harlem.

♪♪ ♪ ♪ Last second modulation, key of D natural.

That's wonderful.

♪ I've got to learn that.

It's wonderful, isn't it?

I'll tell you about that song.

I've loved it all my life, and I was in London in 1966, and I decided to buy the music to learn the words.

I walked into a small, nondescript shop in New Bond Street, and it was right there.

Nondescript on New Bond Street?

There it was.

Why do you sound so British?

Do I sound British?

You're going to have to teach me.

I'm losing my accent.

I sound mid-Atlantic most of the time and like Danville the rest.

In Danville, did you go to church every Sunday?

When I was a kid?

Yes.

I worked on Saturday nights very late as a kid, so I didn't get to church too often.

My church was the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

We sang all the standard Methodist hymns, but around 1940, Thomas A. Dorsey who had been the pianist for, of all people, Ma Rainey, began to write gospel music-- or before then, I suppose-- but the ladies in our church got ahold of those songs because the songs ha such vitality and spirit.

Then those songs crossed the color line and became standard in churches around the country.

I was wondering if you ever did any of those.

Oh, there's a wonderful song called, uh... the one I liked was... "Hide Me In Thy Bosom was marvelous.

Ever hear that?

No...why don't you do a little bit?

♪ I'm so glad somehow I've found salvation now.

♪ ♪ It's touched my spirit, moving into my soul.

♪ ♪ Every now and then, my thoughts come back again, ♪ ♪ da, da, da, da-da, daaa, da-da, daaa.

♪ ♪ Hide me in thy bosom till the storm of life is o'er, ♪ ♪ and then rock me in the cradle of thy love.

♪ ♪ And just feeeed me till I want no more, ♪ ♪ and rock me in the cradle of thy love.

♪♪ That's wonderful!

Now, when the altos sang "Feeed me"-- when the sopranos sang that line, the altos all went, ♪ Feed me, feed me, feed me, feed me... ♪ [chuckling] That's wonderful.

Pretty good song.

'Cause I was brought up in such a different way from you.

There were you in Danville, Illinois, and there was I in Windsor, England, never dreaming I was gonna come over here and be a part of the jazz scene.

I'd love to hear you play a chorus of your blues, and then I'll do a chorus of mine.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ You like that?

I love it.

Knowing how you love Duke Ellington, it has a "Creole Love Call" flavor.

Yes, it has.

Now I'll do one; let's see.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ That's lovely.

There's so many different harmonies.

I love it.

Nine thousand ways-- But they're all akin, aren't they?

They always get back to the same point.

Oh, sure; it's funny.

I remember hearing Thelonius Monk do one that went... let's see.

♪ ♪ Yes, yes, yes!

It all comes back.

That's kind of a cliche.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ It's kind of like "Mr. Freddie Blues."

Oh, yes!

I love the names for the blues.

There'll all marvelous, aren't they?

"Mr. Freddie Blues."

Yeah, that's great.

That's wonderful, isn't it?

I'm trying to think of some more.

And Duke's "Carnegie Blues."

♪ ♪ Oh, yeah!

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Then the solos begin.

I wonder if that's where Dave Brubeck got... ♪ Oh, I love that... called "The Duke."

Yes.

That's such a great thing with the... ♪ I just love that.

♪ That's Dave.

♪ That's marvelous.

Isn't that a well put-together piece?

It's beautiful.

It's got a bass line and everything.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And on and on and on.

How about you doing a piano solo?

All right.

You know, there was once a very elaborate popular song in France calle "Couches Dans Le Foin," and it was a very long song that all the French singers used to sing.

"Sleeping in the--" And it came over here, reduced, as "Lying In The Hay."

You want to hear that?

I love that tune!

Who wrote that?

A French lady wrote it, and it was very funny because a duet, very, very popular in France, recorded it.

Their names were so funny like Pills and... Clark and Tilson, and they became... Park and Tilson became Pills and Tarson or something.

But here it is.

♪ ["Lying In The Hay"] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Very bluesy, isn't it?

See, it is.

I would've been sure it was from some show.

That's a tune I learned in England.

You probably knew the entire version.

My friend Jean Sablon sang that in Paris.

He said that there are parts we didn't get here.

Oh, really?

Yes.

That's the only part I remember, and I thought I was very hip playing this bass line.

It's wonderful.

♪ ♪ Da, dee-da, dee-dum... ♪ ♪ lying in the hay on a summer day.

♪♪ ♪ It's a marvelous song.. "Couches Dans Le Foin."

Do you sing it in French?

I wish I did.

It's probably got great lyrics.

Yes.

Do you ever do that song that you sang when you were ten, "Hot Lips"?

Oh!

That is a terrible story.

I was standing in this theater, and suddenly Cab Calloway said that I was in the wings and he said, "Get him out here to play and sing."

I didn't even sing.

I just played it, scared to death.

How does it go?

I wa about eight.

Oh, yeah?

How does it go?

♪ ["Hot Lips"] ♪ ♪ Hot lips!

♪ ♪ [laughing] ♪ ♪ It was Henry Busse's theme song.

That's the one!

He played the muted trumpet.

With kind of a shake.

♪ I've got hot lips, duh, duh-duh, duh.

♪♪ It was a hot number.

We can do a hot number.

Of course.

My fingers can't keep off the keyboard when you're playing.

What dost thou wish to play?

I dost--I think an Ellington tune would be nice.

Oh!

Since we're talking about him.

Should we play "In A Mellow Tone"?

I love the melody.

I'll give you Duke's introduction.

He took that tune from "Rose Room."

Absolutely.

He's crafty.

We'll try to interpolate that.

All right.

♪ ["In A Mellow Tone"] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Just the way we intended.

Perfecto!

Wasn't it?

It was marvelous!

We should be recording this.

We are, aren't we?

I mean on direct-to-disc or something exciting.

We'll arrange that.

Yes, I think we're going to.

I was thinking, watching you playing, one of the reasons you must be so popular at The Carlyle or everywhere is the way you come across just liking doing what you're doing, and you just have a way of showing it that's just lovely.

What's really... your best kind of communication?

In The Carlyle or at other places?

Nothing can beat being in a room with people sitting very close around you.

Do you get an invisible thread?

It's a wonderful osmosis-- they go right along with your thoughts-- but on the other hand, there's something special about a concert stage with an audience in front of you, and best of all is having a symphony orchestra around you.

That's a special feeling.

You started that in the last few years.

In 197 with the Boston Pops.

What a way to start!

Now we play in Boston-- in Buffalo with the Philharmonic, and we've been all over the country.

We're going to be in Florida with Skitch Henderson and the New York Pops.

We've been with the North Carolina Symphony in Raleigh.

I've done those, and it's so much fun.

Playing jazz of course.

Sure.

You're playing a Gershwin melody, and you hear all the fiddles.

You fee like playing then.

It's like no other feeling.

Errol Garner said that after a symphony concert, he goes back to playing the piano by himself, it's like going to the kitchen from the parlor.

I understand that so well.

Speaking about playing something by themselves, could you stand to hear me do one?

I woul love that.

I need the exercise.

I shall watch every movement.

This one's called "The Things We Did Last Summer."

Wonderful.

♪ ["The Things We Did Last Summer"] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [clapping softly] Lovely song.

Thank you.

It's one of my all-time favorites.

You're an old sentimentalist.

I am; romantic as can be.

It's ridiculous!

You know what I'd love to try?

Can I play a song?

You talk about being a stand-up singer.

Will you be a sit-down singer?

Sure!

I'd like that very much!

We had something picked out here.

A Rodgers and Hart tune that your Jessie Matthews sang in 1930.

I remember that so well, going to the... going to see her in the movies too.

She was wonderful, wasn't she?

She really was; that was a great show.

I've got to get this right.

Key of F?

Key of G. Key of G; not too fast.

Not too fast.

Shall I set it?

Yes, you set it.

♪ ["Dancing On The Ceiling"] ♪ ♪ She dances overhead ♪ ♪ on the ceiling near my bed, ♪ ♪ in my sight, ♪ ♪ through the night.

♪ ♪ I try to hide in vain ♪ ♪ underneath my counterpane.

♪ ♪ There's my love ♪ ♪ up above.

♪ ♪ I whisper, "Go away, my lover.

♪ ♪ It's not fair."

♪ ♪ But I'm so happy to discover ♪ ♪ she's still there.

♪ ♪ I like my ceiling more ♪ ♪ since it is a dancing floor ♪ ♪ just for my love.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I whisper, "Go away, my lover.

♪ ♪ It's not fair."

♪ ♪ But I'm so grateful to discover ♪ ♪ she's still there.

♪ ♪ I like my ceiling more ♪ ♪ since it is a dancing floor ♪ ♪ just for my love.

♪♪ ♪ In the movie, they turned the whole thing upside down and danced on the ceiling literally!

I liked that.

That was a nice effect.

Years ago did you ever go to those parties at Sherman Fairchild's?

No, I wasn't-- Two-piano parties... maybe you weren't in New York.

I don't think I'd arrived.

I was thinking about that today, all the pianists who would assemble: Joe Bushkin, Hoagy Carmichael, Cy Coleman.

Before my time.

Well, I thought it might be that you were... very young, but when you were very young, you were somewhere else.

Yes, probably in California... hearing about all the good times I was missing.

You were probably at the Hague?

Probably the Hague or the Café Gala; one of those places, you know, singing show tunes.

It's funny because I think you would have made a great contribution to those parties, and I think that's one of the first places I got to like playing two pianos.

Actually you had to play at those parties.

Everybody was invited to play, and the first time I ever did this was on "Piano Playhouse," and Sherman Fairchild was at the broadcast.

Was Cy Walter there?

Cy Walter and Stan Freeman.

What a wonderful pianist; what a great show!

It was!

I was scared to death, but I did the show.

So then we would go over to Sherman's.

Cy would be there, and Lee Wiley would sing.

But Sherman would come to the door saying, "Joe Bushkin will go on first.

Then you're on second."

Really?

Like a real impresario at his own party.

That's interesting, isn't it?

Yeah, but it was fun.

I learned a lot about playing two pianos.

Sometimes Hoagy would get carried away.

He'd do "Stardust," and then he'd say, "And then I wrote... and then I wrote..." He'd just play forever.

[laughing] Why don't we-- oh!

A lovely song by Billy Strayhorn.

We'll play it together?

You're gonna play this alone.

Solo?

Yes.

I recorded this years ago.

Billy used to sit at the bar in the Hickory House.

I played it for him and said, "Is this all right?"

He was so encouraging.

He was wonderful.

I was playing the wrong chord changes, but-- A sweet, sweet person; I miss Billy a lot.

I wish he were around right now.

He'd be such a marvelous influence to have on the music scene right through here.

Wouldn't it be nice?

It would be heaven.

We can do one of his songs.

I will gladly.

"After All"?

Lovely song.

Okay.

♪ ["After All"] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [clapping softly] "After All."

How long since you played that?

It's been at least five or six years.

That's what's so amazing.

I think...well, I do, and I know you do, have these songs in your head, and somebody says, "Play so-and-so," and you just play it.

You don't have to rehearse it.

But you make quick recovery sometimes.

I almost got lost at the release the second time around, but I snapped back and recovered myself.

On that tune?

Yes!

I covered it up too well.

The other day I was asked to play something.

I couldn't remember the bridge at all, so I made up one, and it sounded perfectly nice.

The people in the audience were quite hip.

They knew what the bridge should have been, and they all kind of laughed.

I was asking for requests from the audience, which is a hell of a thing to do anyway.

It certainly is taking a big chance!

You could get stuck with a tune like, uh... ♪ ["Lambeth Waltz"] ♪ (both) Hey!

There's an old Duke Ellington recording of that song.

Did you know that?

No!

Speaking of bridges, I was on the stage at the Majestic Theater for the homage to Harold Arlen, and they had five composers on stage.

Each one played his favorite Arlen song, and John Green was playing "The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea."

And, you know, that bridge changes keys rather extravagantly.

Oh, yes.

I was off-stage, and I thought, Come on, John... make those changes.

And in a flash, I thought, Wait just a minute, Short.

Mr. Green did write the bridge to "Body and Soul," so we shouldn't worry.

He played it so well.

Let's see.

♪ ♪ I don't know what key it is.

♪ ["Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea"] ♪ I love that.

Good song.

Why do I think that's taken from something else?

♪ That's a lot of changes.

It really goes on.

I keep thinking that that is taken from another tune.

♪ Never mind.

There's an Arlen tune that... ♪ ♪ I don't know that one.

It was in "A Star Is Born."

Do you know one called "Buds Won't Bud"?

♪ You would know that!

That one?

Let's see.

Then it goes... ♪ ["Buds Won't Bud"] ♪ You know that?

No.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I'm getting lost.

♪ That's it.

You're amazing!

No, I'm not.

I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to hear the whole thing sung and played, and people look at me like I'm crazy.

Well, the words are so defeating.

I can never quite get all the rhymes together.

E.Y.

Harburg lyrics, and he could be very tricky.

"Buds won't bud unless you say you love me, baby."

Yes, that's right.

"The one you love won't love back."

♪ Buds won't bud.

♪ All those songs-- "Knicks won't knack."

[laughing] What else?

He went on and on.

♪ Duh-duh, duh-duh, dee-dah, dee.

♪ ♪ Duh-duh, duh is IOU.

♪ ♪ Duh-duh, duh, duh-duh, duh.

♪♪ It's a crazy song!

Next time I come in The Carlyle, I'm gonna ask for that.

Oh, please do; I'll flash you a big smile.

The back of your hand is what I'll get.

Let's do another duet.

Oh, all right.

Just one of them things.

Fine.

♪ Just one of them things, ducks.

♪ ["Just One of Those Things"] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ How about that?

That was amazing... like we know what we're doing.

It's true, it's true.

And you play in that key, and I do it in some other key.

Where do you do it?

Um, ah... ♪ ♪ There, or... ♪ Watch me.

If I play a tune in one key, I get bored with the tune.

You go to some strange key, and it comes up fresh.

And oddly enough, some songs are more brilliant in other keys.

I sing this song with the key I just played it, but it's fun to change around.

It puts you into places where you're not as familiar with the patterns, so you either have to goof or find something else to do.

But there's alway the chance of serendipity.

Oh, sure.

I always look at it positively and maybe take some key like this... ♪ That is some key.

That is some key, lady.

♪ I think I-- ♪ It would have to be a ballad.

You could dig your own grave that way.

What were those tunes... ♪ It's fun though.

♪ ["Just One Of Those Things"] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [discordant note] Argh!

♪ ♪ That's enough of that, teacher.

No, but--hey, you know, you'd be a wonderful teacher.

We should do a seminar.

We'd be a gas.

Wh would have us?

Well, we'd start with Harvard.

My, you have grandiose ideas about our-- All you have to do is think about it a bit.

You can put it into practice.

It could b very nice.

Because there certainly is a need for kids to know about your specialty, which is...would you call it "cabaret singing?"

I've lost trac of my specialty.

I think it's just... raising lots of sand in smoky rooms sometimes.

I've had an ide right this minute.

I playe my solo piece.

How abou your solo piece?

I'm going to take a chance and play one of my own pieces.

I'm really rather proud that Johnny Mercer put a lyric to it.

You should be proud.

And I just heard a wonderful title for a group of Mercer songs: "The Quality of Mercer."

[chuckling] The quality of Mercer is always tops.

This is a tune called "Twilight World."

Wonderful.

♪ ["Twilight World"] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Very, very pretty; lovely song.

I saw you employ a very intriguing attack there.

You crossed your hands.

Oh.

Yes.

It's because I can't really play the tenths.

I wanted the bass note, and the bass player's not here.

Ah... so you crossed over.

I figured I'd play the bass note 'cause I was up here and just wanted something down there.

That's nice, though.

A lot of classical pieces rely upon that.

Don't you think so?

Of course.

A lot of Ravel.

Of course.

And Debussy woul require crossing over.

After all that big talk, I should do as good playing for you on "Shining Hour."

Oh, yes.

Not hang you up.

In the key of G, madam.

All right.

Let's see how we do on this.

Now, is this... real slow?

Well, sort of, as they say, legato.

♪ ["Shining Hour"] ♪ ♪ This will be my shining hour, ♪ ♪ calm and happy and bright.

♪ ♪ In my dreams your face will flower ♪ ♪ through the darkness of the night ♪ ♪ like the lights of home before me ♪ ♪ or an angel watching o'er me.

♪ ♪ This will be my shining hour ♪ ♪ till I'm with you again.

♪ ♪ Like the lights of home before me ♪ ♪ or an angel watching o'er me.

♪ ♪ This will be my shining hour ♪ ♪ till I'm with you again.

♪♪ ♪ Not bad with no rehearsal.

I think it's wonderful... and early in the day.

I mean, it's actually before midnight, so....

It's wonderful.

I can't tell you what a kick this is!

It could go on forever.

I'm having so much fun.

Creating tunes like this.

And trying things... and in fact, talk about trying things, back to Duke Ellington.

What about, um... ♪ Whatever key you do it in.

♪ How's that?

♪ How's that?

"It Don't Mean A Thing."

Should we do that?

Let's do; this is our last tune.

♪ ["It Don't Mean A Thing"] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Et voilà!

There!

♪ ♪ Captioned by: CompuScripts Captioning, Inc. www.compuscriptsinc.com ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪