Cole Porter, Too Darn Hot

Professor Carol was in Ljubljana, Slovenia, for the first time earlier this summer. I’ve never been, but she tells me we’re moving there. She described its many attributes, all of which sound nice. But she left out two very important things: (1) you can listen to Big-Band music there, and (2) it’s not too darn hot (although this summer in Europe may be the exception).

Those of you who know us may need some reassurance that we probably won’t really move there any time in the next thirty years, but it does sound pretty near perfect.

There’s never enough big band music. On the other hand, it never completely goes away. I remember musician friends from 50 years ago who had bumper stickers saying “Big Bands are Back.” Well, not quite. But musicians will continue to play it, I think, whether there’s a market for it or not. It’s too much of a challenge and too much fun. And this video by the Ljubljana Conservatory of Music Big Band provides some evidence that young conservatory students in Eastern Europe will keep it alive for another generation.

Cole Porter (1891-1964) churned out numerous Broadway hits in the 1920s and 1930s. The list of noteworthy songs is too long, but it includes standards like “Anything Goes,” “You’re the Top,” “Night and Day,” and the favorite of Classical educators: “Brush Up Your Shakespeare.” Unlike many of his contemporaries, Porter wrote his own lyrics as well. “Too Darn Hot” comes from Kiss Me Kate, which premiered in 1948 and won the Tony Award for Best Musical.