Shooting nightly in nearby Times Square is All Night with Joey Reynolds shooting at the NASDAQ studios, and airing on each following night from midnight to 2AM on NBC's New York Non-Stop (Check your local listings for channel number)...Joey Reynolds is proudly transitioning and expanding his hugely successful broadcasting career from radio alone into the added new video multi-media of Digital TV Broadcast, and web TV ...
A tribute to American songwriter Ervin Drake, on the occasion of his 94th Birthday...
The well-focused hour demonstrated Reynold's trademark laid back interview style serving up light and lively patter with the legendary songwriter (and his devoted wife) about Drake's celebrated career.
Chatter was tastefully intertwined (by producer Myra Chanin's clever booking) with stellar performers of Drake's songs from New York's cabaret glitterati, providing a first rate 'show and tell'...Ervin Drake's biggest hits have included legendary pop standard tunes such as "It Was A very Good Year", "September of My Years", and "I Believe"...
But the the most original and standout interpretations were of two lesser known Drake creations... K.T. Sullivan's brilliantly original interpretation of "Tico-Tico" was a marvel of excellent timing and vocal nuance...And...
...Sidney Myer's "I Wuv a Rabbit" with Mr. and Mrs. Drake mouthing along to the chorus rounded out a heartwarming and delightful presentation. The charming song was originally written for Milton Berle. "But he didn't sing it as well as Sidney Myer does", reported Edith Drake...
11 comments:
Great review. I found you from a Google Search for information on this show. I had head of it,but didn't know how to find it in my listings.
Sidney Myer is always great.
~ A cabaret fan
J. Schwartz played Sinatra doing his stuff on Sunday 'cuz its his 94th ,I think. Also had amazing interview with Doris Day- this year I believe.
Glad to know Joey Reynolds is still on the air. He's been around a long time. He used to spin records before going talk only.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERVIN DRAKE!
- Max
Last night Ervin Drake's 92nd birthday was celebrated in style at Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland. He LOVED all the birthday wishes you sent. All 59 pages of them. Thanks again, all who contributed.
Ervin Drake contributed to two of the top exotica standards. In 1942, he wrote English lyrics to a popular Brazilian instrumental by Zequinha Abreu and produced "Tico-Tico." Then, in 1944, he repeated the trick and turned a Duke Ellington instrumental number by Juan Tizol into "Perdido." (He would later have successes with "Al Di La" for the film "Rome Adventure" and "Quando, Quando, Quando," one of the gems of Italian space age pop.
Drake was an active and successful songwriter for over thirty years. His first financial success came in 1945, when Eddy Howard's recording of his "The Rickety Rickshaw Man" sold over a million copies. His 1946 song, "Good Morning Heartache," became a minor jazz standard, being recorded by Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Williams, and Billy Eckstine. He wrote several numbers, including "Made for Each Other," "That's That," and "Yo Te Amo Mucho" that were recorded by Xavier Cugat in the late 1940s.
From 1948 to 1962, Drake focused on television work, both in specials with Gene Kelly, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, and Frank Sinatra and in series such as "The Bachelor." Among his television credits is that immortal classic, "To Mamie with Music," a 1956 birthday salute to Mamie Eisenhower. Drake also wrote "I Believe," a song of religious affirmation that sold over 20 million copies in various recordings and is reputed to have been Lady Bird Johnson's favorite song. His 1961 song, "It Was a Very Good Year," provided Frank Sinatra with his first top 10 hit in a decade and a Grammy Award in 1966.
Drake wrote the music and lyrics for two Broadway musicals. "What Makes Sammy Run?" ran for 549 performances and produced two memorable songs, "A Room Without Windows" and "The Friendliest Thing Two People Can Do." His next show, "Her First Roman," ran only 19 performances, but the cast reunited for 25th year anniversary that included the original Caesar (Richrad Kiley) and Cleopatra (Leslie Uggams) in this work adapted from George Bernard Shaw's "Caesar and Cleopatra."
Drake was an odd candidate for success as a songwriter. He actually studied graphic arts and social sciences in college, and didn't formally study music until he entered the Julliard School of Music in 1963. He also served as president of the American Guild of Authors and Composers from 1973 to 1982. He lives with his second wife in New York City and Great Neck, Long Island.
From: http://www.spaceagepop.com/drake.htm
Sidney Myer always steals the show.
Ervin Drake wrote "It Was A Very Good Year," "Good Morning Heartache," "I Believe," "Come To The Mardi Gras," "Made for Each Other," "Al Di La," and "Quando, Quando, Quando."
His songs have been recorded by Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Tony Bennett, Xavier Cugat, Barbra Streisand, Perry Como, and LeAnn Rimes.
I have followed the career of KT Sullivan for many years now. She's quite an original and talented vocal artiste. I adore her style in interpretation and wardrobe! KT Sullivan has been a regular headliner at the Oak Room of New York’s Algonquin Hotel since 1992 and for several years starred at New York’s Neue Galerie Sabarsky Café and Live on the Park in London. She made her West End debut in Vienna to Weimar at the Jermyn Street Theatre in 2004. KT has appeared in Broadway and touring productions of The Three Penny Opera (with Sting), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Annie Get Your Gun, and was featured in the workshop of Easter Parade with Tommy Tune. Off-Broadway, KT appeared in Splendora, A My Name is Still Alice, and co- wrote and starred in American Rhapsody: George Gershwin to the World, receiving Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel nominations and winning the MAC Award for best musical revue. She has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Town Hall, Lincoln Center, and The Caramoor Festival. She has also performed at The Spoleto Festival, New York Historical Society, La Nouvelle Eve in Paris, The Chichester Festival in the U.K., and several times at The Adelaide Festival in Australia. Her regional theater credits include the Old Globe Theatre, Hartford Stage Company, Municipal Opera of St. Louis, Missouri Rep, Goodspeed Opera House, Paper Mill Playhouse, and The Great Lakes Theater Festival, where her roles have ranged from Frances in Light Up The Sky and Carrie in Carousel to Meg in Brigadoon and Billie Dawn in Born Yesterday. In addition, KT has seven albums in worldwide distribution, including “Crazy World” (voted #1 in the vocals category of Tower Records’ Pulse Magazine) and “Live From Rainbow and Stars: The Songs of Bart Howard,” which won Backstage magazine’s Bistro Award. Her latest CD of the songs of Cole Porter was recorded during an extended engagement at the Hal Prince Theatre in Philadelphia. She co-recorded the multiple award-winning “Always: The Love Story of Irving Berlin,” which won the Nightlife Award for best musical revue. On television, KT guest starred on Police Squad, Night Court, Remington Steele, Hardcastle and McCormick, Cabaret 13 with Michael Feinstein, and In Performance at the White House with Mary Martin. Liza Minnelli presented KT Sullivan with the Manhattan Association of Cabarets’ Outstanding Female Vocalist Award and Irish America Magazine named her one of its Top 100 Irish Americans.
I want to know where Miss Sullivan buys her hats.
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