Page Cavanaugh
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| Q and A by Phil Mallory |
Q: Why did Page select the songs for the CD? A: Some of the songs were requests. For example, Susan Le Vitus, the producer of this CD, requested All The Things You Are. You Were Meant For Me is her husband Jim’s favorite song. Page’s favorite is More Than You Know and Lee Solter’s favorite is Love Is Here To Stay. We just filled in the other tunes to make a nice flow to the set, taking into account tempo, content, and feel. Of course, we had the album title, Return to Elegance, which ruled out “Tiger Rag.” Q: How long has the current trio been together? A: I have been with Page almost 16 years, and the drummer Jason Lingle has been with Page almost 3 years, so the answer would be almost 3 years. Q: Why did Page choose to keep playing this kind of music even though music styles have changed through the years? A: Page loves this kind of music, and hates the other stuff. He just can’t stand rock-and-roll, and what some people call music these days...just ain’t music. Q: Who are some of Page’s favorite composers? A: Most of the classic composers, including, in no particular order, the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart (but not Rodgers & Hammerstein II), Burton Lane, Nacio Herb Brown, Harold Arlen, Vincent Youmans, Jerome Kern, James Van Heusen, Vernon Duke, Rube Bloom, Irving Berlin, Hoagy Carmichael, Walter Donaldson, Sammy Fain, Frank Loesser, Harry Warren, Richard Whiting, etc. He loves the songwriting team of DeSylva, Brown, & Henderson. His all time favorite lyricist is Johnny Mercer. Q: What have other people said about Page Cavanaugh? A: Page has acres of reviews, starting in the 1930s. He should have them copied; I think they would fill several books. Here are several… On the liner notes of Crazy Rhythm, an album of Page produced by Michael Feinstein in 1995: “I am an unabashed Page Cavanaugh fan, which is why I produced this record. He thrills me every time I hear him play and sing.” Stefanie Powers, talking in 2001 about making her album On The Same Page, “And nothing would have even begun without the fabulous fingers and unparalleled musical talents of Mr. Page Cavanaugh.” Art Tatum told Page, “I wish you were on the bill with me instead of (some now-forgotten trio), because you guys swing and those guys don’t.” about 1947 when Art was appearing on 52nd Street. Page first met Frank Sinatra in 1946 at the Le Bocage in Hollywood. Frank said to Page, “You’ve got a hell of a group there, kid. I’ll have some news for you in a couple of days.” And sure enough, Frank took the Page Cavanaugh Trio into the Wedgewood Room at the Waldorf Astoria, backing Mr. Sinatra for 3 weeks prior to Christmas, 1946. |
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