Harold Arlen

Arlen's melodies are uniquely infused with the blues — wide intervals, blue notes, and gospel-influenced phrasing give his songs a soulful depth rare in the Broadway/Hollywood tradition. His harmonic language is richer and more chromatic than most of his Tin Pan Alley contemporaries, with an improvisatory quality that makes his tunes feel spontaneous even when they're meticulously crafted. His vocal lines often demand — and reward — a jazz singer's flexibility.

Arlen grew up singing in his father's synagogue and absorbed African American musical traditions through the Harlem jazz scene of the 1920s. His primary lyricists — Ted Koehler, Yip Harburg, and Johnny Mercer — each drew out different facets of his genius. Duke Ellington and Ethel Waters were key artistic allies, and his songs became vehicles for some of the greatest interpreters in jazz and popular music.

Arlen began writing for Harlem's Cotton Club revues in the early 1930s, producing classics like 'Stormy Weather' and 'I've Got the World on a String.' His Hollywood years in the late 1930s-40s yielded The Wizard of Oz and other film scores. He returned to Broadway with ambitious shows like House of Flowers and Bloomer Girl. His later years were marked by declining health and a tragically sparse output, but his existing catalog remains a cornerstone of American song.

Arlen supposedly came up with the melody for 'Over the Rainbow' while sitting in his car outside Schwab's drugstore on Sunset Boulevard. He hummed it to his wife, who said it sounded too symphonic for a children's movie. MGM executives tried to cut it from The Wizard of Oz three times before the film's release. It went on to become the most beloved movie song of the 20th century.

Arlen's score for the 1954 film A Star Is Born (with Judy Garland) is considered by many to be his most complete and ambitious dramatic work — particularly 'The Man That Got Away,' which showcases the full range of his blues-inflected sophistication in a single devastating performance piece.

Arlen's songs are everywhere — in jazz clubs, cabaret acts, and vocal recitals — but he's rarely the subject of dedicated tribute concerts the way Gershwin or Porter are. Classical crossover artists and jazz vocalists keep his catalog alive. A well-curated Arlen program is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that audiences may not realize they're hungry for.