Hoagy Carmichael (1899-1981)
Hoagy Carmichael was trained as a lawyer, but after the success of his composition ‘Star Dust’, he joined Paul Whiteman’s band, and then Hollywood lured him. It brought him a glittering career as a songwriter, singer, pianist and film actor. Initially, a fast-paced composition, ‘Star Dust’ grew into a classic when the tempo dropped, and words were written on it.
Although he excelled in moving songs like ‘I get along without you very well’, he mainly gained fame for songs with a pleasantly languid atmosphere: ‘Lazy Bones’, ‘In the cool, cool, cool of the evening’, ‘Rockin’ Chair’, ‘Memphis in June’ and ‘Two Sleepy People’.
An hour of treasure hunts in his oeuvre. Also featuring: Ella Fitzgerald (‘Star Dust Bossa Nova’), Ray Charles & Count Basie (‘Georgia on my mind’), Paul Robeson, Rosemary Clooney, Bette Middler, Bix Beiderbecke (‘Riverboat Shuffle’), Louis Armstrong, Sue Raney (‘Heart and soul’) and Dick Haymes (‘Skylark’).
