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[“My Funny Valentine” by Rodgers and Hart] – Marcya Daneille: I selected “My Funny Valentine,” which is one of the most famous, I think, and easily recognized jazz standards.
It is from a show.
It’s from a show, I believe, that mounted maybe in late ’20s, early ’30s called Babes in Arms.
In this performance of “My Funny Valentine,” we have just me and a piano.
What I like about working in that format is also kind of one of the things that scares me a bit as a performer, which is that it’s bare bones.
That’s the beauty and the fear of performing a jazz ballad like “My Funny Valentine.”
It really gives the pianist an opportunity to stretch and create.
I never know from one performance to the next what my introduction is going to be.
If you listen to the lyrics of the song, it sounds like, initially like, a lover is being thwarted or, you know, criticized for their appearance.
But it’s a little deeper than that.
It’s really this character saying, “In spite of the fact “that you may not be the most attractive person, you know, I have this undying love for you.”
It doesn’t matter what you look like.
You can still… Everyone is still worthy of love.
You know, what’s a better message than that?
[gentle piano notes] My funny valentine Sweet, comic valentine You make me smile in my heart Your looks are laughable Unphotographable Yet you’re my favorite work of art Is your figure less than Greek Is your mouth a little bit weak When you open it to speak Are you smart But don’t change a hair for me Not if you care for me Stay, little valentine, stay Each day is Valentine’s Day [gentle piano music] Is your figure less than Greek Is your mouth a little bit weak When you open it to speak Are you smart Are you smart But don’t, don’t change a hair for me Not, not if you care for me Stay, little valentine, stay Each day is Valentine’s Each day is Valentine’s Each day is Valentine’s Day [gentle piano music] [ending note]
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