An Evening With Johnny Mercer

They Say...

Review by JT Griffith, All Music Guide

This Johnny Mercer concert features the greatest of the folk poets at the piano and follows a biographical path through his career. Mercer tells stories about his life from being hummed to as a baby to his first visit to New York City. His first song, "Out of Breath and Scared to Death," was written one day when he was told a company needed songs, but not actors. "I must tell you, that the show was terribly important for me. Not only was it my first published song, but I met my wife. She was in the chorus." He also describes the influence of Yip Harburg: "The Beatles had their Maharani (sic) and I had Yip." The live concert includes short snippets of 52 tracks, including some of the most famous American compositions: "Bob White," "Strip Polka," "G.I. Jive," "Glow Worm," "Too Marvelous for Words," "Jeepers Creepers," "Satin Doll," "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby," "That Old Black Magic," "AC-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive," "Fools Rush In," "I Remember You," "Come Rain or Come Shine," "Hooray for Hollywood," "On the Atchison," "Topeka and the Santa Fe," "One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)," "I Wanna Be Around," "Skylark," "Charade," "Moon River," "Days of Wine and Roses." Other songs, like "I'm Going Back to the Farm," had never been on a recording before (according to Mercer himself). This is a great record for the Johnny Mercer fan, new and old alike. No other single CD could fit so many songs on one disc. However, if you are looking for complete versions, this is not the necessary collection. Decades before VH1 Storytellers, An Evening With Johnny Mercer shares the influences and histories of some great music. A question and answer session is included half-way through the concert and is followed by a greatest hits medley. Johnny Mercer successfully demonstrates his descriptive flair on this CD. A wonderful record and a historical gem.