Christopher Schlegel Update 11-19-2010

“Isn’t This A Lovely Day?”

Irving Berlin’s lesser known gem is the ninth tune on my Solo Jazz Guitar Standards, Vol. 1 disc.

http://cdbaby.com/cd/schlegel8

Here’s a live performance from the Paris Arts Fest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9Hr93Nf6Ls

I remember watching Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers dance to this in an old movie. More recently, Diana Krall covered it one of her albums. But the thing that convinced me to put it in my repertoire and play it at just about every solo guitar gig I’ve done in the last few years was hearing it on Art Tatum’s Solo Masterpiece Volume 4 CD.

Wow. Stunning. But, of course. I must play this.

There are other Berlin tunes that are probably more well known; “Blue Skies” and “Cheek To Cheek” come to mind. I can and do play those quite often. They are also wonderful tunes. But, I really, really, really love “…Lovely Day”. Here is an older clip of me playing it at the Dixie Carter PAC a couple of years ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ARX0uJXU2A

Enjoy!