Another classic song about this time of year is “April Showers,” written for the 1921 Broadway musical “Bombo” by two men from New York City: composer Louis “Lou” Silvers (1889-1954) and songwriter George Gard “Buddy” DeSylva (1895-1950). Here it is sung by Mel Tormé in a Los Angeles studio in 1950, with a trio led by Al Pellegrini on piano. The harpist is probably June Weiland.

The times that Count Basie's guitarist Freddie Green contributed a composition of his own to the band's repertoire are scarce. During his 50 year career with Basie Green wrote only 18 pieces of music. This is one of them, "Down For Double."

None of the people in the Jewish community of Tyumen, on the border of Russia and Kazachstan, watching how little Israel Isidore Beilin looked up with admiration to his cantor father, could have imagined that little Izzy would come to write both of America's two classic seasonal anthems: "White Christmas" and "Easter Parade."

This version of "Easter Parade" was recorded by the Roy Eldridge Quartet for Vogue in Paris, France, on June 14, 1950, with Roy Eldridge-trumpet, Gerry Wiggins-piano, Pierre Michelot-bass and Kenny Clark-drums.

One year ago this weekend singer/actress Lola Albright died, age 92. Here she sings "How High the Moon," a classic song written in 1939 by composer Morgan Lewis (1906-1968) and singer/songwriter/actress/author Nancy Hamilton (1908-1985).

One of the giants of tenor sax in Billy Eckstine's band, which I discussed last week, was Gene "Jug" Ammons. He was ranked among the better tenor saxophonists of the late 1940s and is among the most prominent Chicago-born jazz artists. Here is Gene Ammons All Star Sextet with "Juggernaut."

Ammons own composition "Juggernaut" was recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Hackensack, New Jersey on June 15, 1955, with Art Farmer-trumpet; Lou Donaldson-alto saxophone; Gene Ammons-tenor saxophone; Freddie Redd-piano; Addison Farmer-bass; Kenny Clarke-drums.

One the composer duos who had a fruitful collaboration was formed by two New Yorkers: Harry Akst (1894-1963) -- who wrote "Dinah," one of the most recorded songs of the 1920s -- and Benny Davis (1895-1979) -- who had his first 1920s hit with a song about another girl, "Margie." Together they wrote such hit songs as "Baby Face" and "There's Nothing Too Good For My Baby." And this one: "A Smile Will Go A Long Long Way."

When a handsome young man with an exciting baritone voice came along with a new band that broke attendance records, that’s unusual. But, when he made a single recording that sold far beyond the capacity of the record company to produce it, and theatres were paying him prices never before paid for a new attraction -- then it’s pretty evident that a new star had been born.

Ella Fitzgerald had not made any significant appearance on the movie screen since she sang "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" in Abbott and Costello's "Ride 'Em Cowboy" in 1942.

In 1955 she appears as singer Maggie Jackson in Warner Bros' "Pete Kelly's Blues." Here she sings "Hard Hearted Hannah" and really displays that her voice works like a musical instrument.

One of the small jazz groups that -- besides making records -- also had engagements as a group at clubs (unlike for instance the small groups from the Ellington band, which were only recording groups) was a sextet led by violinist/composer Stuff Smith: Stuff Smith and his Onyx Club Boys.

With his innovated style and amplified hot violin Smith took jazz in a new direction and formed a bridge between the swing era and the bebop years.

Enjoy the wonderful lyric job of singing by baritone Hartman — the only vocalist Coltrane ever used in his recordings — with some exquisitely delicate accompaniment in "You Are Too Beautiful For One Man Alone." The 1933 lyrics are by Lorenz Hart and the music is by Richard Rodgers.

"Sir" Charles Thompson (1918-2016) was a pianist/composer who had a particular style that separated him from other piano players. Thompson had the unique quality of combining Basie's swing with bebop's harmonic notions, thus creating a bridge between the two music styles.

"I Wish I Were Twins" was a 1934 song composed by Joseph Meyer (1894-1987). Meyer's compositions were very popular and have featured in over 120 movies and Broadway shows.

The lyrics to this song were written by Eddie DeLange (1904-1949) and Frank Loesser (1910-1969).

In this 1935 movie segment Coleman Hawkins introduces and plays "I Wish That I Were Twins."

One afternoon in 1939, New York-born Edward Chester Babcock -- better known as Jimmy Van Heusen (1913-1990) -- composed the jazz classic "I Thought About You."

Enjoy this rendition by the innovative jazz trombonist Carl Fontana.

Fontana is accompanied by the Dutch Pim Jacobs Trio: pianist Pim Jacobs, his brother Ruud Jacobs on string bass, and drummer Peter Ypma. The date is Monday May 23, 1988.

Sam Coslow (1902-1982), the first Broadway songwriter to be hired by Paramount in 1929, has been writing songs from his teens. Later he came up with such songs as "Mister Paganini," "My Old Flame," "Cocktails For Two" (both with Arthur Johnston) and this one, "In The Middle Of A Kiss" which he composed for the 1935 Paramount comedy film "College Scandal".

Yesterday, January 6, 2018, Australia born trombonist/bandleader John Maxwell Collie (1931-2018) passed away.

From the 70s to the 90s I had the pleasure of attending several of his performances with his traditional jazz band Max Collie and his Rhythm Aces. The left-handed trombonist, was a tall imposing man who, despite his wildhaired, wild-eyed look on stage was a very gentle person when you talked to him between sets.

Jazz music has always known musical married couples. Such as Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Brown, Peggy Lee and Dave Barbour, Cleo Laine and Johnny Dankworth, and Pug Horton and Bob Wilber.

One such musical couple that was very influential for later jazz music was pianist/composer Clarence Williams and blues vocalist/actress Eva Taylor. Here they are with Williams' Jug Band playing "Chizzlin' Sam."

As we approach Christmas, we have to include "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" in our Sunday Classics.

In 1938, Vitaphone Varieties presented a Warner Bros short called "Swing Cat's Jamboree,” recorded in New York, where at the time Louis Prima and his New Orleans Gang were a big hit on 52nd Street.

Lyricist Johnny Mercer (1906-1976) probably wrote more popular hits than anyone else. Besides being a songwriter/composer, who wrote for many Hollywood movies, and being the co-founder/co-owner of Capital Records, Mercer could never fulfill his life-long ambition to write an entire Broadway show.

"Harlem Butterfly" is one of his few songs for which Johnny Mercer wrote the words as well as the music. It was first released in 1942 and this week's Sunday Classic is performed by Maxine Sullivan in 1969.

Between the time William Henry Webb was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on February 10, 1909, and the day he died age 30, following an operation for a kidney ailment at John Hopkins Hospital in New York, on June 16, 1939, Chick Webb had risen from a gnome-like little newsboy to a young man who drummed his way into America's brightest entertainment spotlight.