| In 1974, Bunny Berigan’s 1937 recording of ‘I Can’t Get Started’ was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.” |
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- Chris Tyle
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“I Can’t Get Started” was introduced by Bob Hope, who sang it to Eve Arden in Ziegfeld Follies of 1936. Opening on January 30, 1936, at the Winter Garden Theatre, the Broadway revue ran for 115 performances.
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Less than a month later, Hal Kemp and His Orchestra, with vocalist Skinnay Ennis, saw their hit recording of “I Can’t Get Started” rise to 14th place on the recording charts. In 1938, Bunny Berigan and His Orchestra’s 1937 rendition rose to tenth place (Bunny Berigan, vocal.)
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Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 was remarkable in several ways: It was Fanny Brice’s last appearance in a Broadway show; it was George Balanchine’s Broadway debut as a choreographer; and, despite the name, Florenz Ziegfeld had been dead for over three years. Credit for production of the show was given to Billie Burke, but it was actually a Lee and J.J. Schubert production. The Schubert Brothers had purchased the rights to Ziegfeld’s name and had also used it to produce the Ziegfeld Follies of 1934.
It is quite surprising to find Bob Hope introducing a standard. In a New York Times article, theater and film critic Vincent Canby said, “It was, however, sung for laughs, with (Eve) Arden making caustic comments about Mr. Hope’s passion.” Bob Hope may not have been as gifted a singer as partner Bing Crosby, but he managed to see three of his songs make the recording charts:
In addition to Bob Hope, Fanny Brice, and Eve Arden, the original cast included Gertrude Niesen, Josephine Baker, Hugh O’Connell, Harriet Hector, and Judy Canova.
Other songs in Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 were “Time Marches On,” “He Hasn’t a Thing Except Me,” “My Red-Letter Day,” “Island in the West Indies,” “Words Without Music,” “Economic Situation,” “Fancy, Fancy,” “Maharanee,” “Gazooka,” “That Moment of Moments,” “Sentimental Weather,” “5 A.M.,” and “Modernistic Moe.”
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Gershwin’s lyrics are an example of a list song. (Other list songs include “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” and Cole Porter’s “You’re the Top” and “Let’s Do It.”) Describing frustration and defeat, the words itemize a series of grand accomplishments, which apparently have little effect on their object of affection.
Composer Vernon Duke originally had his sights set on a career in classical music. In the book The Song Is Ended: Songwriters and American Music, 1900-1950, William G. Hyland writes, “In order to make a living, Dukelsky was forced to adopt an alter ego, Vernon Duke (a name given to him by the Gershwins).”
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- Jeremy Wilson
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In “I Can’t Get Started,” Duke’s A-A-B-A construction
has a repeating bass line, called bass ostinato
or an ostinato bass line. The repetition
can be appealing to jazz musicians, acting as a
constant support, or underpinning, from which melodic
and harmonic improvisations can spring. -JW
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Musical analysis of
“I Can’t Get Started (with You)”
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| Original
Key |
Bb major |
| Form |
A1 – A2 –
B – A3 |
| Tonality |
Primarily
major |
| Movement |
Generally
arpeggiated upwards with some stepwise motion.
Sustained pitches in the “B” section. |
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Comments
(assumed
background)
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A soaring melody with a range of an octave
and a fourth, this song is more attractive
to instrumentalists than vocalists. Initial
harmonic progression is I - vi – ii7 – V7,
but it takes an odd detour in mm 3–4.The
V7 resolves to III7, which in turn leads
to vi, but then goes to a minor chord a
whole step higher, the root of which is
the melody note at this point. This chord
(Am7 in the key of Bb) seems inappropriate,
especially in that the restatement of the
initial melody is completely incompatible.
Is it possible that a common-tone diminished
or a V7 might have been there at some point?
In any case, the three-note, upward arpeggio
based on the tonic chord comes in right
on beat three, and there is virtually no
chord other than the tonic that will fit
gracefully here. One solution might be for
the rhythm section to simply lay out at
this point. The “B” section uses a “Laura”–type
chord progression, starting on the iii (Dm7-G7-C-Cm7-F7-Bb),
after which there is a I-vi-II7-V7 turnaround
back into the final “A”. |
K. J. McElrath - Musicologist for JazzStandards.com
Check out K. J. McElrath’s book of Jazz Standards Guide Tone Lines at his web site (www.bardicle.com). |
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Vernon Duke’s classic
ballad, “I Can’t Get Started,” combines a typical
diatonic turnaround with a chromatic phrase, and
that juxtaposition creates an unusual harmonic landscape
for the soloist to negotiate.
John
Stowell, jazz guitarist
www.johnstowell.com
Are you a published Vocalist or Instrumentalist?
Add a comment and we'll credit you with a link to your site. (more...)
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“I Can't Get Started (with You)” was included in these films:
- Save the Tiger (1973)
- Chinatown (1974)
- Avalon (1990)
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See the recommendations below for:
- Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra
- Carmen McRae
- Mary Lou Williams
- Sonny Rollins
- Chet Baker
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According to Alec Wilder’s book,
American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950,
trumpeter and bandleader Bunny Berigan’s recording
of “I Can’t Get Started” was instrumental in making
the song a standard. In fact, it became Berigan’s
theme song, and in 1974, his 1937 recording was
inducted into the National Academy of Recording
Arts and Sciences (Grammy) Hall of Fame.
“I Can’t Get Started” has been a favorite for
trumpet players ever since Berigan’s recording in
1937. In Mark C. Gridley’s
Jazz Styles: History and Analysis, the author
comments that
Dizzy Gillespie could “…make the trumpet tone
brittle and then crack it resoundingly in a burst
of high notes.” Gillespie could “…channel all his
terrific energy into a ballad, using his exceptional
skill with harmony and his fertile imagination to
mold a unique, personal creation.” As an example
of a “masterpiece of this kind” Gridley cites Gillespie’s
1945 “I Can’t Get Started,” which may be found on
The Complete RCA Victor Recordings 1937-1949.
-JW
An extremely sensitive person, tenor saxophonist
Lester Young recorded in July, 1942, what could
be described as a musical eulogy to the man to whom
this song was indelibly linked--Bunny Berigan--who
had died just a few weeks before. Along with Nat
“King” Cole on piano and “Red” Callendar on bass,
Young’s version was a departure from previous recordings
of the tune (he had been on
Billie Holiday’s version from 1938). Lester’s
inventive interpretation reflects his gentle, other-worldly
nature, the side of his work that would influence
the ballad playing of later musicians like Stan
Getz and Zoot Sims. Sandwiched between Lester’s
solos is a harmonically forward-thinking piano solo
by Cole, who was just beginning to make a name for
himself with his trio.
Chris Tyle - Jazz Musician and Historian
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| Click on any CD for more details at Amazon.com |
Billie Holiday
The Collection
2004 Sony 61538
Original recording 1938
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Holiday wonderfully captures the beauty of the melody and the wistful feeling of the lyric. Saxophonist Lester Young, as was so often the case, is the perfect foil for Holiday’s singing.
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Bunny Berigan
1937-1939
1996 EPM Musique 157622
Original recording 1937
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See the Jazz History Notes (above).
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Lennie Tristano
1946-1947
2002, Melodie Jazz Classic 1184
Original recording 1946
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This was one of the first recordings on which Tristano presented his asymmetrical rhythms and use of dissonance to the world. However, he never loses sight of the song and its mood.
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Mary Lou Williams
Live at the Cookery
1994 Chiaroscuro 146
Original recording 1975
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Williams digs into this tune, making a lush statement alongside her duet partner, bassist Brian Torff.
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Sonny Rollins
A Night at the Village Vanguard
1999 Blue Note 99795
Original recording 1957
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Rollins presents a warm-toned, lyrical take on this song which manages to sound full and lush in spite of the absence of a chord-playing instrument in his trio.
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The Jim Hall Trio
Circles
1992, Concord 4161
Original recording, 1981
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With bassist Don Thompson and drummer Terry Clarke the virtuoso guitarist makes an intensely romantic statement on “I Can’t Get Started.”’ The CD also includes a killer arrangement of “(All of a Sudden) My Heart Sings.”’
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Artie Shaw
The Last Recordings: Rare and Unreleased
1991, Music Masters Jazz 65071
Original recording, 1954
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This 2-CD set of standards is a treasure for Shaw fans. On “I Can’t Get Started”’ the clarinetist is heard with Hank Jones (piano), Tommy Potter (bass), Joe Roland (vibes) and Irv Kruger (drums).
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Carmen McRae
Here To Stay
1992 Verve 610
Original recording 1955
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Carmen’s voice and articulation are superb. Her accompanists on this song are Dick Katz, piano; Mundell Lowe, guitar; Wendell Marshall, bass; and Kenny Clarke, drums. Elsewhere on the CD she performs with Ernie Wilkins’ orchestra, and with the Mat Matthews Quintet.
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Chet Baker
Chet Baker: Young Chet
Blue Note Records 36194
Original recording, 1956, Pacific Jazz
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As always, Chet’s lyricism carries the day. Bobby Timmons’ delicate piano is an understated buoyancy. Other personnel include Jimmy Bond (bass) and Peter Littman (drums).
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Paul Bley
Introducing Paul Bley
1991, Orig. Jazz Classics 201
Original recording, 1953
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Pianist Bley filters the standards through his own creative spirit, but on this CD he adheres closely to the mainstream jazz idiom. For those wanting to become familiar with Bley’s piano mastery, this CD is a good start.
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| This section shows the jazz standards written by the same writing team. Click on a name to see all of a writer's jazz standards.
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Additional information on “I Can’t Get Started (with You)” may be found in:
1 page including the following types of information: lyric analysis.
4 pages including the following types of information: history, performers and sheet music.
1 paragraph including the following types of information: history and performers.
1 page including the following types of information: music analysis.
1 paragraph including the following types of information: anecdotal, summary and performers.
1 paragraph including the following types of information: history and performers.
1 paragraph including the following types of information: anecdotal. (Page 198).
Includes the following types of information: song lyrics.
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