NYSMS President, Linda Amiel Burns, Elliott Ames, Mary Foster Conklin, bassist Eric Stiller, and John DiMartino, pianist

 Stories & Songs of Matt Dennis & Bobby Troup

by Gregg Culling

Mary Foster provided a superb potpourri of songs of two singer / songwriter/ pianists from the "other" coast who are two of the best of the cool jazz movement of the 1950's.  These two cool cats, Mary tells us, both owned Thunderkirds, wore sleek wardrobes, walked with beautiful women on their arms (Troup was married to the gorgeous Julie London!) and were talented, witty, and loved good food.  As producer Elliott Ames mentioned in his opening remarks, these talented hipsters wrote songs that were well-structured, both harmonically and musically.  He added that the talented and beautiful Mary Foster Conklin is not just a canary, but also a musicologist who researches her charts thoroughly and she proved this in her remarks.

Program:

"Will You Still Be Mine" ( Dennis/Adair)

"Everything Happens to Me"  (Dennis/Adair)

"It Wasn't the Stars That Thrilled Me"  (Dennis)

"Angel Eyes" (Dennis/Brent)

"The Three Bears" (Troup)

"Meaning of the Blues" (Troup/Worth)

"Blues for Breakfast" (Dennis/Gladstone)

"Walkin' Shoes" (Troup)

"Let's Get Away from it All"  (Dennis/Adair)

"Where Am I to Go"  (Dennis/Troup)

"Learn to Love" (Dennis/Troup)

"Route 66"  (Troup)

"The Night We Called It a Day"  (Dennis/Adair)