Mario Lanza (1921-1959)

"The Song is You" (Kern-Hammerstein). Recorded July 29, 1951, for The Mario Lanza Show, with studio orchestra conducted by Ray Sinatra.

Lanza seemed to have a particular affinity for the music of Jerome Kern. His recordings of "All the Things You Are" and "They Didn't Believe Me" are considered classics, and rightfully so. This radio performance of "The Song is You", originally written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein for the 1932 Broadway show Music in the Air, belongs right up there with the others.

Few classically-trained singers have been able to move successfully between opera and the Great American Songbook, but Lanza does so effortlessly. His phrasing is utterly natural, instinctive, and unforced, yet full of nuance. And his obvious enthusiasm and sincerity convince the listener of the rightness of almost every musical gesture. Combined with that incredible voice, these elements make Lanza's legacy of popular song an enduring, ever-inviting musical treasure.

свернуть