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Leo Green celebrates Irving Berlin, perhaps the greatest contributor to the Songbook.

Leo Green celebrates the music of Irving Berlin. Not being able to write a note of music didn't exactly hinder Berlin becoming one, if not, the greatest contributor to The Great American Songbook with songs such as Alexander's Ragtime Band, Anything You Can Do, Blue Skies, Change Partners, Cheek To Cheek, Easter Parade, Fools Fall In Love, God Bless America, How Deep Is The Ocean, Isn't This A Lovely Day, Let's Face The Music And Dance, On The Avenue, Puttin' On The Ritz, Top Hat, White Tie And Tails, What'll I Do? and of course White Christmas. He actually wrote in excess of 1000 songs by humming or whistling the melodies to a series of musical secretaries or by bashing them out on his specially designed piano. He could only play in one key and would use only the black notes, employing a specially designed handle on the side of the piano which he used to change key at his desired moment. Jerome Kern probably put it best when he said "Irving Berlin has no place in Amercian music- Irving Berlin is American music .

57 minutes

Last on

Tue 23 Feb 2016 22:00

Music Played

  • Frank Sinatra

    Cheek To Cheek

    • The Frank Sinatra Collection.
    • EMI Records Limited.
    • 2.
  • Nat King Cole

    Let's Face The Music And Dance

    • The Billy May Sessions CD2.
    • EMI Records Limited.
    • 13.
  • Ella Fitzgerald

    Alexander's Ragtime Band

    • The Songbooks.
    • Universal Music Operations Ltd.
    • 14.
  • Tony Bennett

    Steppin' Out With My Baby

    • Sings The Ultimate American Songbook Volume 1.
    • Sony Music Entertainment UK Ltd.
    • 5.
  • Sammy Davis Jr.

    Change Partners

    • The Decca Years.
    • mca.
  • Julie London

    What'll I Do

    • The Very Best Of Julie London.
    • MASTERSONG MUSIC (UK).
    • 5.
  • Sarah Vaughan And Billy Eckstine

    Easter Parade

    • Irving Berlin: Always.
    • NFI.
    • 6.
  • Bobby Darin

    Always

    • Pennies From Heaven: Capitol's Great Gentlemen Of Song Vol 2.
    • EMI Records Limited.
    • 5.
  • Rod Stewart

    Blue Skies

    • Thanks For The Memory.. The Great American Songbook Volume 4.
    • Sony Music Entertainment UK Ltd.
    • 11.
  • Fred Astaire

    Top Hat, White Tie And Tails

    • The Irving Berlin Songbook.
    • Sony Music Entertainment UK Ltd.
    • 6.
  • Diana Krall

    Isn't This A Lovely Day

    • From This Moment On.
    • Universal Music Operations Ltd.
    • 2.
  • Ella Fitzgerald And Louis Armstrong

    I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm

    • Irving Berlin: Always.
    • NFI.
    • 14.
  • Aretha Franklin

    How Deep Is The Ocean

    • The Tender, The Moving The Swingng Aretha Franklin.
    • Columbia.
    • 10.
  • Bobby Darin

    All By Myself

    • Sophisticated Gentlemen: Volume 2.
    • EMI Records Limited.
    • 10.
  • Frank Sinatra

    There's No Business Like Show Business

    • The Columbia Years 1943-1952: The Complete Recordings Volume 5.
    • Sony Music Entertainment UK Ltd.
    • 7.

Broadcast

  • Tue 23 Feb 2016 22:00