Say It with a Beautiful Song - by Michael Lasser & Harmon Greenblatt (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

This book looks at the Great American Songbook's craft and its mastery. Lasser and Greenblatt uncover the essential elements and themes of these beloved songs and investigate the qualities that make the songbook a timeless staple of American culture. Using interesting anecdotes and song analysis, they reveal the genius behind the music.

Review Quotes

Say It with a Beautiful Song is a delightful book about a delightful topic. Written by Michael Lasser, the author of several books on American music, and Harmon Greenblatt, an arts educator, it celebrates the "art and craft of the Great American Songbook" from the early 1920s to the early '50s. The book's chapters are organized around the more subtle aspects of songwriting, including authenticity, predictability, time and anticipation. This allows Messrs. Lasser and Greenblatt to range freely from song to song, pointing to the role of shifting rhyme in I'll Walk Alone by Sammy Cahn and Jules Styne, or to the effect of repetition in Harry M. Woods's irresistible toe-tapper, When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along. Little nuggets of gold are everywhere, including the story of Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg's struggle with the music and lyrics for Over the Rainbow.

"A delightful and deeply researched analysis and description of the tunes, words and stories behind each song from the period regarded as creating The Great American Songbook."

"Even if you already know a lot of and about the Great American Songbook, Michael Lasser's and Harmon Greenblatt's book is still informative and sometimes revelatory--and, best of all, a highly entertaining read."

"Michael Lasser and Harmon Greenblatt provide a much-needed guide to the treasury of American popular songs. Readers will find themselves relishing a favorite song's wordplay, wit, and rich cultural subtexts more than ever, plus great suggestions for recordings by superb singers."

"This book brought me back into the joy of performing these great songs--bravo, Michael and Harmon!"

[An] immensely insightful book.... crafted with elegance and loving care by Michael Lasser and Harmon Greenblatt.

An engaging study explores the ways that memorable pop and jazz tunes from the first half of the 20th century became canonic, known familiarly as the Great American Songbook. The authors of this slim, efficient volume apply expertise from their respective careers to offer close readings of songs through specific analytical perspectives. Beginning with a focus on the craft of songwriting, the initial chapter brings a fresh perspective on the notion of "authenticity" by celebrating the blended idioms within these tunes, which reflect the nation's varied cultural groups. Authenticity, in this context, is the prized craft of creating an ideal amalgam of sounds, rhythms, and sentiments, appealing to a broad population of listeners who could recognize some part of their own roots and experience in the music. The ensuing chapters describe this fundamental craft as expandable through songwriters bringing nuances of prediction, memory, anticipation, and a sense of time (or timelessness) to each work. A final chapter on the collaboration between lyricists and composers emphasizes the pragmatic work of synthesizing text and sound. Students, performers, teachers, and scholars can find applicable models for learning and presentation in their own work. Recommended. All readers.

Depending on your point of view, the Great American Songbook may be on its last legs or ready for a revival. Lasser and Greenblatt fall into the latter category. The essence of the songbook tradition, they argue, is to help singers and musicians maintain not only a mastery of technique but also the ability "to express intense emotion by merging sentiment and wit." The songs discussed here may appear "effortless," but, of course, they are not. The songwriters and their collaborators worked long hours to get down on paper what they heard in their heads. Lasser and Greenblatt write with great nuance and appreciation about the craft and authenticity of the work, from the early Tin Pan Alley days to the present. Among the great songwriting teams they discuss are Ira and George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, and John Kander and Fred Ebb. As the authors note, this is less a history of the Great American Songbook and more of a "personal testimony." Each chapter includes a list of recommended recordings. An illumination for music lovers and an inspiration to songwriters.

Lasser and Greenblatt easily break down the history and talent displayed in the Great American Songbook. From well-known songs to hidden gems, they break down what made the songwriters of Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, and more so timeless. This is a well-rounded account of popular music from the late 1800s to the 1950s.... Lasser and Greenblatt know when to home in on specifics or pull back to look at the big picture, which is much appreciated in a book covering such a large timeline. Excellent photographs of songwriters, performers, and historic landmarks help immerse readers into the period and bring the stories to life. A valuable addition for collections or courses on popular culture or music history. Fans of old musicals, movies, and music will appreciate learning more about the names and tunes they love.

About the Author

Michael Lasser is the author of three previous books on the Great American Songbook. His nationally syndicated public radio show, Fascinatin' Rhythm on WXXI Radio, won a George Foster Peabody Award and was on the air for over forty years. He has appeared at hundreds of museums and performing arts centers from New York to Los Angeles.
Harmon Greenblatt has spent his entire career teaching and working in the arts. He has worked as a presenter, agent/manager, and educator and as CEO of two arts councils. Harmon is most proud of his time teaching arts management at three universities: Columbia College Chicago, the University of Hartford, and the University of New Orleans.