THE GREAT AMERICAN SONG BOOK

First of all, you need to know that this is my favourite genre.   I have researched the eligibility of songs exhaustively and the list is pretty impressive!

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My aim is to gradually record more songs with my own arrangements or to include some I have done in collaboration with others.

People often refer to The Great American Songbook as if it’s a physical book with a list of songs. But there’s no such thing. It’s just a construction that you can find quite a few versions of.

People always debate which songs should earn a place in the “book.”

The list below – and the Spotify playlist tied to it – includes the songs that most agree should be in there.

In total, there are 275 tracks and 14 hours of music.

The Great American Songbook is said to represent the best, most influential composers from the 20th century and their songs.

Surprisingly, though, there are no songs from the latter part of the century. When rock’n’roll was born, the book closed for some reason.

Instead, the focus is Broadway musicals, Hollywood films and theater stages. Big names among the composers are Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Rodgers/Hammerstein and George/Ira Gershwin and we hear the songs performed by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Billie Holliday, Judy Garland, Ray Charles, Bessie Smith and many others.

The Great American Songbook is not only a piece of American history and music heritage, it’s also packed with great, great songs.

So drop your guard.

Deep down inside you love this, don’t you?