The Days of Ruddy Noses

That’s Rocky Gresset and some guy that owns a dog house playing a Henry Mancini/Johnny Mercer song.

Funny to think of what becomes a jazz standard. The Days of Wine and Roses was pretty predictable, but lots of other less predictable things make it into Real Books, or Fake Books, or whatever they call the bootleg books of songs that might be needed on a General Business bandstand.

I’m not in the business anymore, but I notice things. The Beatles have a bunch of things that trad jazz bands don’t turn their nose up at anymore. Stevie Wonder songs, quite a bit, too. It’s Not Easy Being Green, originally sung by Kermit the Frog is another one you might not see coming. Hell, Wichita Lineman gets murdered by naugahyde-and-well-drink assassins as often as Autumn Leaves. Honestly, would you expect My Favorite Things to become a jazz standard? I would, but I’m strange.

A good song is a cupcake, not a wedding cake.