Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer, "That Old Black Magic"
(arr. Craig Terry)
Katherine Beck, mezzo-soprano; Craig Terry, piano
American popular music of the 1940s and '50s was immeasurably enriched by two geniuses from opposite sides of the country. Hyman Arluck (1905-1986), who made his fortune as Harold Arlen, came from Buffalo, New York, and John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer (1909-1976) was a native of Savannah, Georgia.
Arlen was active in Hollywood during his career, and with another lyricist—the brilliant E.Y. "Yip" Harburg—he earned the devotion of millions with the score of The Wizard of Oz ("Over the Rainbow" brought them the 1939 Oscar for Best Song). Even after his death, Arlen's best-known songs have continued to figure prominently in important Hollywood films. He also composed the scores of several Broadway shows, most notably Bloomer Girl (1944) and House of Flowers (1950).
Arlen was an ideal partner for Mercer, himself a longtime fixture among Hollywood composer-lyricists. Whether for movies or as stand-alone songs, the two created unforgettable American standards, such as "Blues in the Night," "Out of This World," "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive," "Any Place I Hang My Hat is Home," "Come Rain or Come Shine," and "One for My Baby (and One for the Road)." One of their best-known songs, "That Old Black Magic" was written for the 1942 film Star-Spangled Rhythm. Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Peggy Lee all covered it with great success, and film audiences will recall Marilyn Monroe—memorably portraying an untalented nightclub singer—performing it in the 1957 film adaptation of William Inge's play Bus Stop.
