Music by Harold Arlen and Vernon Duke
Hyman Arluck aka Harold Arlen was one-of-a-kind, a completely unique composer whose musical language was melodic, trenchant, heartfelt, fun, bluesy – he really could do anything well, but when you hear an Arlen tune you know it’s an Arlen tune. He wrote for Broadway and films and wrote the score for one of the most beloved movies of all time, The Wizard of Oz and won an Oscar for “Over the Rainbow,” one of the most performed songs ever.

Vladimir Dukelsky entered this world in 1903 and is certainly one of the most underrated composers in all of The Great American Songbook. Of course, he changed his name to Vernon Duke and for someone who had some very huge hits over the years, mention his name to most people and they won’t know who you’re talking about. But anyone who wrote with such luminaries as Johnny Mercer, Ira Gershwin, Howard Dietz, Ogden Nash, Sammy Cahn, E.Y. Harburg is not exactly chopped liver.

And here they are, together again for the first time, thanks to Ben Bagley. From Arlen we get some great songs from the revue Life Begins at 8:40, as well as cut songs from Jamaica, the rare Sadie Thompson, and a few other rarities. From Vernon Duke we get rare songs from Banjo Eyes, Zenda, Walk a Little Faster, The Lady Comes Across, and more. Plus additional Harold Arlen songs in a bonus section.

For Harold Arlen and Vernon Duke Revisited Volume II, we have the usual eclectic and fun Bagley cast of Dolores Gray, Helen Gallagher, Sandy Duncan, Tammy Grimes, Blossom Dearie, and the ever-present Arthur Siegel. The wonderful arrangements and orchestrations are by Dennis Deal and Albert Evans. The rarities included are all gems and wonderful discoveries and we really do have to be grateful to the self-described “incurably insane” Ben for giving these treasures to us. As we’ve done for all these releases, we’ve considerably spruced up the sound for this new release. And the cover art is, of course, by the great Harvey Schmidt. -KRITZERLAND

HARLOD ARLEN
1 Life Begins At 8:40 (Medley)
1a Life Begins At 8:40 Or Thereabouts
1b C'est La Vie
1c Will You Love Me Monday Morning?
2 Such Unusual Weather
3 When The Wind Blows South
4 Things
5 Sweet Wind Blowin' In May
6 Poor As A Churchmouse
7 Promise Not To Love Me
8 The Elks And The Masons

VERNON DUKE
9 I'll Take The City
10 Let Him Not Be Beautiful
11 Off Again, On Again
12 The Lady Comes Across (Medley)
12a This Is Where I Came In
12b I'd Like To Talk About Weather
13 You Took Me By Surprise
14 Sailing At Midnight
15 Walk A Little Faster (Medley)
15a That's Life
15b So Nonchalant
15c A Penny For Your Thoughts

ADDITIONAL HAROLD ARLEN SONGS
16 Midnight
17 I Could Be Good For You
18 Why Do You Make Me Love You
19 Little Travel Bug
20 Summer in Brooklyn