The song of the day for Tuesday, May 24, 2016 is “Russian Lullaby.”
About This Song
With “Russian Lullaby,” written in 1927, Irving Berlin (born Isidor Beilin) explores his childhood roots as an Eastern European/Belarusian Jewish immigrant. The song is like a folk melody and the lyrics are lovely. “Russian Lullaby” was first used in vaudeville and gained recognition with the recording by Roger Wolfe Kahn and His Orchestra. It has also been recorded by Bunny Berigan, Guy Lombardo, Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore, among others.
About This Version
Tony Bennett recorded “Russian Lullaby” in 1987 for the album Bennett/Berlin. The great trumpet is none other than Dizzy Gillespie.
When Mr. Bennett first married, he moved his family to New Jersey and one of his neighbors was Dizzy Gillespie. One evening, the doorbell rang and his young son Danny answered. The man at the door said “I’m Dizzy.” Young Danny asked him if he would like to come in and have a glass of water. I love that story.
“Russian Lullaby,” as well as Bennett/Berlin, is available from iTunes.
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