Visual & Performing Arts

Carissa Maske, piano 

From Impromptus D. 935 op. 142 by Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
II. Impromptu in A-flat Major

***

From Eight Memories in Watercolor by Tan Dun (b. 1957)
IV. Blue Nun

From The Mermaid Suite (1982) by Mingxin Du (b. 1928)
III. The Dance of Waterweeds

From Delightful Holidays by Ding Shande (1911-1995)
Butterfly Catching

***

Fantasy in D-Minor K. 397 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

***

Hungary: Rapsodie Mignonne op.410 by Carl Koelling (1831-1914)
Cia Stephani, primo
Carissa Maske, secondo

Impromptu in A-Flat Major by Franz Schubert is one of his four Impromptus D. 935 op. 142 that was published at the end of 1827. Schubert was an Austrian composer who lived from 1797 to 1828 and he was a bridge between Classical and Romantic music. His career in composition started under the influence of his father and brother Ignaz. This impromptu is in ternary form, where the A sections are hymn-like, and a middle section with broken chords that offer a contrasting flow and a dramatic climax before returning the final A section.

The middle set of pieces for this program is a dedication to Chinese composers who have blended classical and Chinese musical traditions. Written before he moved to the United States, Tan Dun (b.1957) chose to publish the Eight Memories in Watercolor as his first opus, although he is more famous for his chamber, opera music as well as his film scores. Mingxin Du (b. 1928) is known both as a composer and educator who has mentored many Chinese composers at the Central Conservatory of Music (Beijing). Ding Shande (1911-1995) remained in Shanghai for most of his professional life, although he did study under Nadia Boulanger and Arthur Honegger.

Blue Nun from Eight Memories in Watercolor by Tan Dun draws on the composer’s childhood memories and Chinese musical traditions. Described as a “diary of longing,” the work unfolds with a gentle, meditative quality. A simple folk-like melody expands into layered textures, creating a delicate and expressive sound world.

In a similarly reflective mood, The Dance of Waterweeds by Mingxin Du evokes the graceful motion of plants drifting in water. Flowing broken chords and lyrical lines suggest fluidity and calm, while subtle shifts in texture add color and depth.

Providing a sharp contrast, Ding Shande’s Butterfly Catching captures the playful unpredictability of chasing fluttering butterflies. Quick changes in dynamics and articulation bring this lively scene to life, conveying both anticipation and fleeting motion.

W.A. Mozart was an Austrian composer of the Classical era who gained fame in Vienna as a prolific composer and pianist. While rooted in Classical conventions, Mozart’s Fantasy in D Minor creates a dark, operatic, and spontaneous character foreshadowing the intense emotionalism in the Romantic era. Operatic in style, the work unfolds through contrasting musical ideas separated by moments of silence. The ending, which concludes in D Major, was completed after Mozart’s death and remains a topic of discussion among musicians and scholars.

Carl Koelling’s 4-hand version of Hungary: Rapsodie Mignonne is a Romantic era character piece written in D minor with a contrasting D major section as well. Koelling was a renowned German composer and pianist who took on music very early in his life and spent most of his life in Chicago teaching and composing for piano. Koelling’s Rapsodie is often characterized by its drama, fast tempo and passing of the melody between the primo and secondo.

UW-La Crosse Blue Note Jazz Combo
Dan Driesen, Faculty Coach

St. Thomas, by Sonny Rollins
Work Song by Nat Adderly
Sea Journey by Chick Corea

Mica Hoverman, trumpet
Tony Barnett, guitar
Carter Manock, guitar
Stella Blum, bass
Camden Rafftery, drums

 

UW-La Crosse Jazz Messengers
Jon Ailabouni, Faculty Coach

My Favorite Things by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
Baby Man by Mary Lou Williams
Lazy River by Hoagy Carmichael
Boogie Stop Shuffle by Charles Mingus

Annette Cortez, tenor saxophone
Ayden Retcheski, trumpet
Callan Schultz, trombone
Noah Hronis, piano
Samuel Baudek, bass
Magnus Davidson, drums

 

UW-La Crosse Jazz Collective
Jon Ailabouni, Faculty Coach

Bright Size Life by Pay Metheny
Reggins by Larry Mizell
Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy / arr. Kamasi Washington
Black Classical Music by Yussef Dayes

Neil Clyne, trumpet
Obi Chavolla, tenor saxophone
Tommy Vote, guitar
Pablo Beisser, piano
Svend Luke, bass
Jacob Sabir, drums

Tommy Vote, guitar

Yardbird Suite by Charlie Parker (1920-1955)

Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum by Wayne Shorter (1933-2023)

Little Sunflower by Freddie Hubbard (1938-2008) / arr. Tommy Vote (b. 2003)

Spain by Chick Corea (1941-2021)

On Green Dolphin Street by Bronislaw Kaper (1902-1983)

Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Harold Arlen  (1905-1986) / Yip Hardburg (1896-1981)

Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers by Stevie Wonder (b. 1950)

Contusion by Stevie Wonder (b. 1950)

Little Shoes by Mike Stern (b. 1953)

Going Down by Freddie King (1934-1976)

Airblower by Jeff Beck (1944-2023) / Max Middleton (b. 1946) / Phil Chen (1946-2021) / Richard Bailey (b. 1955)

Scatterbrain by Jeff Beck (1944-2023) Max Middleton (b. 1946)

The Loading Zone by Tommy Vote (b. 2003)

Kiss by Prince (1958-2016)

Flirtin’ with Disaster by Danny Joe (1951-2005) / Joe Brown (1951-2017) / Dave Hlubek (1956-2017) / Banner Thomas

Foreplay/Long Time by Tom Scholz (b. 1947)

"Yardbird Suite" is a 1946 bebop composition by saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker. As a 32-bar AABA standard in C major, it showcases Parker’s revolutionary harmonic approach and melodic invention, becoming a foundational piece in jazz. The tune was originally titled after his nickname. Yardbird Suite is celebrated for the melodic sophistication Parker exhibits on his classic Dial recordings.

"Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum" is a hard-bop/post-bop composition by Wayne Shorter from his landmark 1964 album Speak No Evil. It is a 24-bar swing tune characterized in an ABA form. The melodic structure of the A section hints at B-flat major while using unexpected, non-diatonic chord progressions, while the bridge provides a bluesy contrast.

"Little Sunflower" is a soulful jazz-fusion composition by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, first released on his 1967 album Backlash. Known for its calm, bossa-nova-influenced, two-chord modal structure in D minor, it is regarded as a laid-back, melodic, and highly accessible classic often used for introspection. This version was arranged by Tommy Vote and features a reharmonization and harmony voicing for the horn players.

"Spain" is a landmark 1971 jazz fusion composition by pianist Chick Corea, famously recorded with his band Return to Forever on the album Light as a Feather. Blending Latin jazz, flamenco, and rock influences, it is widely considered a classic jazz fusion standard.

Green Dolphin Street was originally a novel that MGM made into a movie in 1947. The story, set in New Zealand, follows two sisters vying for the same man. The film adaptation features the song "On Green Dolphin Street", written by Bronislaw Kaper. It became a major jazz standard and has been recorded by many greats, including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and Cannonball Adderley. Guitarist Joe Pass greatly influenced my approach. He was known for his ability to incorporate single note melodies, chords, and bass lines simultaneously. His sense of balance, inventiveness, and swing is still unrivaled.

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is an iconic ballad expressing a deep desire for a peaceful, better world where troubles go away. Written for The Wizard of Oz in 1939. It symbolizes the universal human longing for safety, happiness, and the belief that dreams can come true. This version is inspired by Jeff Beck and all the great musicians we have lost in recent memory.

"Cause We've Ended as Lovers" is a renowned instrumental ballad famously recorded by Jeff Beck on his 1975 album Blow by Blow, composed by Stevie Wonder. Originally intended for Syreeta Wright, Wonder gave the song to Beck as a thank-you gift. The track is dedicated to guitarist Roy Buchanan and highlights emotional, vocal-like guitar techniques. 

“Contusion” is a high-energy, jazz-fusion instrumental track from Stevie Wonder’s 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. It was inspired by a near-fatal 1973 car accident that left Stevie in a five-day coma. The technically complex song features rapid, shifting time signatures and showcases funk-influenced guitar and keyboard arrangements. Stevie Wonder could not play the iconic guitar part, so he hired Michael Sembello to lay down the track.

"Little Shoes" is a high-powered jazz-fusion track by guitarist Mike Stern from his 1986 album Upside Downside. Known for its complex, melodic structure and strong bass parts often played by Jeff Andrews, the tune serves as a vehicle for intense improvisation, frequently featuring saxophonist Bob Berg and pianist Jim Beard. I got the chance to meet Mike Stern with Dennis Chambers at London’s famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club last summer. He told me to “Keep playing, man, never stop!”

"Going Down" is a classic blues-rock song written by Don Nix, famously popularized by Freddie King in 1971. The tune is also a staple for Jeff Beck’s rock guitar repertoire. Beck's version is characterized by high-energy rock improvisation, featuring an iconic piano intro and lengthy “out there” solos.

"Air Blower" is a standout funk-rock instrumental track from Jeff Beck's 1975 album Blow by Blow. Known for its tight ensemble grooves and a 9/8 time signature section, it features Beck's expressive finger style playing, whammy-bar vibrato, and an octave-divider effect, marking a key shift toward jazz-rock fusion for the guitarist. 

"Scatterbrain" is a jazz-fusion instrumental by Jeff Beck, released on his acclaimed 1975 album Blow by Blow. It is celebrated for its technical complexity, featuring a rapid, ladder-like melodic structure that originated from a warm-up exercise. This piece highlights intricate phrasing and a distinct melodic climb.

“The Loading Zone” is a jazz funk tune written by Tommy Vote for this recital. The groove features a classic funk feel in the style of James Brown. The melody utilizes difficult scalar motion, and the arrangement includes key changes and a shout chorus.

"Kiss" by Prince was made in 1986 and is a funk-pop song about prioritizing genuine romantic connection and intimacy over wealth, status, or artificial "coolness". Originally a short acoustic demo intended for the band Mazarati, Prince reclaimed it, adding his signature falsetto and a stripped-back, minimalist Minneapolis funk sound. Self-Titled’s favorite version of this song was played at Minneapolis’s First Avenue & 7th St Entry.

"Flirtin' with Disaster" is the title track from Molly Hatchet's 1979 second album, peaking at #42 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is a Southern rock anthem centered on themes of reckless living, substance abuse, and driving too fast, reflecting the band's own chaotic, high-partying lifestyle at the time. Self-Titled performed “Flirtin’ with Disaster” when they performed last year as a closing act for the Rock n’ Roll band 38 Special.

"Foreplay/Long Time" is a classic 1976 rock song by the band Boston, featured on their self-titled debut album. It is renowned for its two-part structure: a synth-heavy instrumental opening followed by a melodic, guitar-driven song. Written by Tom Scholz, it blends progressive rock influences with arena rock, featuring layered guitars and soaring vocals. Self-Titled played this song when they opened for Blue Öyster Cult last summer.

Self-Titled will perform A Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page tribute show at the Turf Club (St. Paul, MN) on May 21, 2026 and Crooner’s Supper Club (Fridley, MN) January 9, 2027. And they will be opening for the bands Warrant and FireHouse on September 11, 2026 for the Buck Hill Concert Series (Burnsville, MN).

Go to selftitledband.com for Self-Titled’s show schedule and booking Information.

 

Carson Schmidt, trombone
Mary Tollefson, piano

Trombone Concert, op. 114 by Derek Bourgeois (1941-2017)
I. Allegro

Trombone Concerto by Launey Grøndahl (1886-1960)
I. Moderato assai ma molto maestoso

Little Phat Shuffle by Gordon Goodwin (1954-2025)
Connor Schmidt, trumpet; Aly Cvikota, piano; Gavin Dillie, tenor saxophone; Magnus Davison, drums; Colin Miller, bass

Cora’s Tune by Marshall Gilkes (b. 1978)
Marhsall Dvorak, 1^st trombone; Carson Schmidt, 2^nd trombone; John Heck, 3^rd trombone; Leo Chavolla, 4^th trombone

Trombone Concerto (Bourgeois)

This work was composed in 1988 by Derek Bourgeois, a composer, lecturer, and orchestra director. Bourgeois composed a variety of music for brass bands, wind bands, and orchestras. He wrote 116 symphonies before his death in 2017. The first movement of his concerto begins triumphantly, then shifts into a beautifully lyrical section, which ends solemnly. It then transitions into a dramatic and rhythmic development section and ends with an emotional return to the original theme.

Trombone Concerto (Launy Grøndahl)

Launy Grøndahl was a composer who is best known for his concerto for trombone written in 1924. It was said to be inspired by the trombone section of the orchestra of the Casino Theatre in Copenhagen due to their high standard of playing. He was also well known as the conductor of Danish National Symphony Orchestra for 31 years. This piece can be described as dramatic due to its ample use of rubato as well as constant dynamic changes.

Little Phat Shuffle

Little Phat Shuffle is a jazz combo piece that was published in 2013 by Gordon Goodwin and played by his group the Little Phat Band. Gordon Goodwin, known most notably for his Big Phat Band, has also won numerous Emmy’s and Grammy’s from his compositions and arrangements. This piece’s fast paced groove and exciting melody accentuates the shuffle feel. Adding to the challenge of the piece is the diverse articulation and the triplet feel throughout.

Cora’s Tune

Released in 2020 on his album Waiting to Continue, Marshall Gilkes (one of the most talented trombonists of our era) composed this piece for his daughter and performed it with his quartet, The Slide Monsters. Cora’s Tune features extreme range, intense rhythms, and dense chords. While originally written for a trombone quartet, it has recently been arranged for Big Band as well.

Colin Miller, baritone 
Joseph Louis, piano 

Liederkreis, Op. 39 by Robert Schuman (1810-1856) 
I. In der Fremde 
VI. Schöne Fremde 

Aprés un réve by Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)
Mandoline
Lydia  

Shropshire Lad by George Butterworth (1885-1916) 
I. Loveliest of trees
II. When I was One-and-Twenty 
V. The lads in their hundreds 
VI. Is my team ploughing? 

============Pausa============= 
 
L-O-V-E by Bert Kaempfert (1923-1980) / Milt Gabler (1911-2001)
Obi Chavolla, tenor saxophone; Ayden Retcheski, trumpet; Pablo Beisser, piano; Tommy Vote, guitar; Leo Chavolla, bass; Jacob Sabir, drums 

Come Fly with Me by Jimmy Van Heusen (1913-1990) / Sammy Cahn (1913-1993) 
Pablo Beisser, piano; Tommy Vote, guitar; Leo Chavolla, bass; Jacob Sabir, drums 

 Bourée by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) / Arr. Ian Anderson (b.1947) 
Beth Miller, flute 
Jerry Miller, guitar 
Jacob Sabir, drums 

The Tale of the Oyster by Cole Porter (1891-1964)  

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

During what is considered Robert Schumann's “year of song,” he composed his 12-song cycle “Liederkreis, Op. 39” set to the poems of Joseph von Eichendorff. The cycle focuses on the themes of isolation, longing, and nature. Schumann even calls it his “most Romantic music ever,” as this was all written with his dearest, Clara, in mind. 

In der Fremde (In a Foreign Land)
Aus der Heimat hinter den Blitzen rot, (From my homeland, beyond the red lightning), 
Da kommen die Wolken her, (The clouds come drifting in), 
Aber Vater und Mutter sind lange tot, (But father and mother have long been dead), 
Es kennt mich dort keiner mehr. (Now no one knows me there.)
 
Wie bald, ach wie bald kommt die stille Zeit, (How soon, ah! how soon till that quiet time) 
Da ruhe ich auch, und über mir (When I too shall rest)
Rauscht die schöne Waldeinsamkeit, (Beneath the sweet murmur of lonely woods,
Und keiner kennt mich mehr hier. (Forgotten here as well.)

Schöne Fremde (A beautiful foreign land) 
Es rauschen die Wipfel und schauern, (The tree-tops rustle and shudder)
Als machten zu dieser Stund’ (As if at this very hour)
Um die halb versunkenen Mauern (The ancient gods)
Die alten Götter die Rund’. (Were pacing these half-sunken walls.) 
 
Hier hinter den Myrtenbäumen (Here beyond the myrtle trees)
In heimlich dämmernder Pracht, (In secret twilit splendour,)
Was sprichst du wirr, wie in Träumen, (What are you saying, fantastic night,)
Zu mir, phantastische Nacht? (Obscurely, as in a dream?)
 
Es funkeln auf mich alle Sterne (The glittering stars gaze down on me,)
Mit glühendem Liebesblick, (Fierily and full of love,)
Es redet trunken die Ferne (The distant horizon speaks with rapture)
Wie von künftigem großen Glück! (Of some great happiness to come!)

Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)

 

Gabriel Faurè (1845-1924) 

Considered the master of the French art song, or mélodie, Gabriel Faurè was a composer, organist, pianist, and a teacher known for his refined melodies and harmonic innovation. In his mélodie, Faurè often explored themes of intimate love and longing in a deeply poetic atmosphere.

 

Après un Rêve (After a dream)

Dans un sommeil que charmait ton image (In sleep made sweet by a vision of you)
Je rêvais le bonheur, ardent mirage, (I dreamed of happiness, fervent illusion,)
Tes yeux étaient plus doux, ta voix pure et sonore, (Your eyes were softer, your voice pure and ringing,)
Tu rayonnais comme un ciel éclairé par l’aurore; (You shone like a sky that was lit by the dawn;

Tu m’appelais et je quittais la terre (You called me and I departed the earth)
Pour m’enfuir avec toi vers la lumière, (To flee with you toward the light,)
Les cieux pour nous entr’ouvraient leurs nues, (The heavens parted their clouds for us,)
Splendeurs inconnues, lueurs divines entrevues. (We glimpsed known splendors, celestial fires)

Hélas! hélas, triste réveil des songes, (Alas, alas, sad awakening from dreams!)
Je t’appelle, ô nuit, rends-moi tes mensonges; (I summon you, O night, give me back your delusions:)
Reviens, reviens, radieuse, (Return, return in radiance,)
Reviens, ô nuit mystérieuse! (Return, O mysterious night!)

Mandoline (Mandolin)

Les donneurs de sérénades (The gallant serenaders)
Et les belles écouteuses (And their fair listeners 
Échangent des propos fades (Exchange sweet nothings)
Sous les ramures chanteuses. (Beneath singing boughs.)
 
C'est Tircis et c'est Aminte, (Tirsis is there, Aminte is there,)
Et c'est l'éternel Clitandre, (And tedious Clitandre too,
Et c'est Damis qui pour mainte (And Damis who for many a cruel maid)
Cruelle fait maint vers tendre. (Writes many a tender song.)
 
Leurs courtes vestes de soie, (Their short silken doublets,)
Leurs longues robes à queues, (Their long trailing gowns,)
Leur élégance, leur joie (Their elegance, their joy,)
Et leurs molles ombres bleues, (And their soft blue shadows)
 
Tourbillonnent dans l'extase (Whirl madly in the rapture)
D'une lune rose et grise, (Of a grey and roseate moon,)
Et la mandoline jase (And the mandolin jangles on)
Parmi les frissons de brise. (In the shivering breeze.)
 
Lydia (Lydia)
Lydia sur tes roses joues, (Lydia, over your rosy cheeks,)
Et sur ton col frais et si blanc, (and over your neck, so fresh and white,)
Roule étincelant (sparkling, rolls)
L'or fluide que tu dénoues. (the fluid gold that you untie.)
 
Le jour qui luit est le meilleur: (The day which is gleaming is the best:)
Oublions l'éternelle tombe. (let us forget the eternal tomb.)
Laisse tes baisers de colombe (Let your dove's kisses)
Chanter sur ta lèvre en fleur. (sing on your blossoming lips.)
 
Un lys caché répand sans cesse (A hidden lily ceaselessly diffuses)
Une odeur divine en ton sein: (a divine scent in your breast:)
Les délices, comme un essaim, (like a swarm, delights)
Sortent de toi, jeune Déesse! (escape from you, young Goddess!)
 
Je t'aime et meurs, ô mes amours! (I love you and am dying, o my loves!)
Mon âme en baisers m'est ravie. (My soul is ravished by kisses.)
O Lydia, rends-moi la vie, (O Lydia, give me back my life,)
Que je puisse mourir toujours! (that I might die eternally!)

Translation © Richard Stokes, from A French Song Companion (Oxford, 2000) 

 

George Butterworth (1885-1916) 

Born in London, George Butterworth was considered a promising young English composer during his time. Butterworth is known for his text settings of the poems from A.E. Housman, which can be seen in his 1911-1912 song cycle Shropshire Lad. This cycle explores love, nostalgia, beauty of the countryside, and the tales of young men dying at war, which Butterworth sadly was one of those young men during WW1.

Loveliest of trees 
Loveliest of trees, the cherry now 
Is hung with bloom along the bough, 
And stands about the woodland ride 
Wearing white for Eastertide. 
 
Now, of my threescore years and ten, 
Twenty will not come again, 
And take from seventy springs a score, 
It only leaves me fifty more. 
 
And since to look at things in bloom 
Fifty springs are little room, 
About the woodlands I will go 
To see the cherry hung with snow.

When I was One-and-Twenty 
When I was one-and-twenty 
I heard a wise man say, 
“Give crowns and pounds and guineas 
But not your heart away; 
Give pearls away and rubies 
But keep your fancy free.” 
But I was one-and-twenty, 
No use to talk to me. 
 
When I was one-and-twenty 
I heard him say again, 
“The heart out of the bosom 
Was never given in vain; 
’Tis paid with sighs a plenty 
And sold for endless rue.” 
And I am two-and-twenty, 
And oh, ’tis true, ’tis true.

The lads in their hundreds 
The lads in their hundreds to Ludlow come in for the fair, 
There’s men from the barn and the forge and the mill and the fold, 
The lads for the girls and the lads for the liquor are there, 
And there with the rest are the lads that will never be old. 
 
There’s chaps from the town and the field and the till and the cart, 
And many to count are the stalwart, and many the brave, 
And many the handsome of face and the handsome of heart, 
And few that will carry their looks or their truth to the grave. 
 
I wish one could know them, I wish there were tokens to tell 
The fortunate fellows that now you can never discern; 
And then one could talk with them friendly and wish them farewell 
And watch them depart on the way that they will not return. 
 
But now you may stare as you like and there’s nothing to scan; 
And brushing your elbow unguessed at and not to be told 
They carry back bright to the coiner the mintage of man, 
The lads that will die in their glory and never be old.

 

Is my team ploughing? 
“Is my team ploughing, 
That I was used to drive 
And hear the harness jingle 
When I was man alive?” 
 
Ay, the horses trample, 
The harness jingles now; 
No change though you lie under 
The land you used to plough. 
 
“Is football playing 
Along the river-shore, 
With lads to chase the leather, 
Now I stand up no more?” 
 
Ay, the ball is flying, 
The lads play heart and soul; 
The goal stands up, the keeper 
Stands up to keep the goal. 
 
“Is my girl happy, 
That I thought hard to leave, 
And has she tired of weeping 
As she lies down at eve?” 
 
Ay, she lies down lightly, 
She lies not down to weep: 
Your girl is well contented. 
Be still, my lad, and sleep. 
 
“Is my friend hearty, 
Now I am thin and pine, 
And has he found to sleep in 
A better bed than mine?” 
 
Yes, lad, I lie easy, 
I lie as lads would choose; 
I cheer a dead man’s sweetheart, 
Never ask me whose.

 

Bert Kaempfert and Milt Gabler (1923-1980, 1911-2001) 
Bert Kaempfert got his big break in music as a German orchestra leader, producer, and composing such “easy listens” as Strangers in the Night, and even producing one of the Beatles first recordings. Milt Gabler was an American producer and jazz entrepreneur and was quite influential in early rock and jazz, even being a producer for such artists as Billie Holiday and Bill Haley. The two collaborated often, with their most notable hit being the song L-O-V-E, made popular by Nat King Cole.

L-O-V-E 
L is for the way you look at me 
O is for the only one I see 
V is very, very extraordinary 
E is even more than anyone that you adore can 
 
Love is all that I can give to you 
Love is more than just a game for two 
Two in love can make it, take my heart and please don't break it 
Love was made for me and you 

L is for the way you look at me 
O is for the only one I seed 
V is very, very extraordinary 
E is even more than anyone that you adore can 
 
Love is all that I can give to you 
Love is more than just a game for two 
Two in love can make it, take my heart and please don't break it 
Love was made for me and you 
 
Love a-was made for me and you 
Love a-was made for me and you 

Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn (1913-1990, 1913-1993)

Brought together by Frank Sinatra, Van Heusen and Cahn became a legendary songwriting partnership in the 50s and 60s. Van Heusen, the composer of the two, and Cahn, the lyricist, produced smash hits for the time, particularly for Sintra, which include such songs as All the Way, High Hopes, and Come Fly with Me.

Come Fly with Me 
Come fly with me, let's float down to Peru 
In llama land, there's a one man band 
And he'll toot his flute for you 
Come fly with me, let's take off in the blue 
 
Once I get you up there, where the air is rarefied 
We'll just glide, starry-eyed 
Oncе I get you up there, I'll bе holding you so near 
You may hear angels cheer 'cause we're together 
 
Weather-wise, it's such a lovely day 
Just say the words, and we'll beat the birds 
Down to Acapulco bay 
It's perfect for a flying honeymoon, they say 
Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away 
 
Once I get you up there, where the air is rarefied 
We'll just glide, starry-eyed 
Once I get you up there, I'll be holding you so near 
You may hear angels cheer 'cause we're together 

Weather-wise, it's such a lovely day 
You just say the words, and we'll beat the birds 
Down to Acapulco bay 
It's perfect for a flying honeymoon, they say 
Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly 
Pack up, let's fly away!

 

Ian Anderson (1947)

Born in Dunfermline, Scotland, Ian Anderson is most known for being the frontman and founder of the progressive rock band Jethro Tull in 1967. On top of this, he also is the lead vocalist, flautist, and acoustic guitar player, and is the only constant member in the band’s almost 60-year history. To pay homage to music's classical roots, Ian Anderson arranged Johann Sebastian Bach's Bouree in E Minor into a jazz influenced rock and blues record appropriately titled Bourée.

 

Cole Porter (1891-1964)

Celebrated for his witty and sophisticated lyrics for Broadway, Cole Porter was a rare talent in Tin Pan Alley. Not only was he writing the lyrics, but he also wrote the music, which made him a powerhouse of the time. Written for his 1929 musical 50 Million Frenchman, The Tale of the Oyster was considered “disgusting” by critics of the time as it hilariously depicts the higher society life and an oyster being a “social climber” among them.

The Tale of the Oyster

Down by the sea lived a lonesome oyster 
Every day getting sadder and moister 
He found his home life awf'lly wet 
And longed to travel with the upper set

Poor little oyster.
 
Fate was kind to that oyster we know 
When one day the chef from the Park Casino 
Saw that oyster lying there 
And said "I'll put you on my bill of fare." 
Lucky little oyster 
 
See him on his silver platter 
Watching the queens of fashion chatter 
Hearing the wives of millionaires 
Discuss their marriages and their love affairs 
Thrilled little oyster

See that bivalve social climber 
Feeding the rich Mrs. Hoggenheimer 
Think of his joy as he gaily glides 
Down to the middle of her gilded insides 
Proud little oyster 
 
After lunch Mrs. H. complains 
And says to her hostess, "I've got such pains 
I came to town on my yacht today 
But I think I'd better hurry back to Oyster Bay." 
Scared little oyster 
 
Off they go through the troubled tide 
The yacht rolling madly from side to side 
They're tossed about till that fine young oyster 
Finds that it's time he should quit his cloister 
Up comes the oyster 
 
Back once more where he started from 
He murmured, "I haven't a single qualm 
For I've had a taste of society

And society has had a taste of me." 
Wise little oyster