|
“[Alto saxophonist
Paul Desmond's] lyrical reading
... is almost haunting as it floats
atop the sweeping horns and swirling
strings.” |
|
 |
|
- Ben Maycock
|
|
|
|
Bob
Allen introduced “I Should Care”
with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra
in MGM’s
Thrill of a Romance in 1945.
Soon after the release of the film
Martha Tilton had a hit with the
song, the first of four appearances
it would make on the pop charts
that year. (Bob Allen's rendition
is included on
Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey: Swingin' In
Hollywood.)
|
| |
|
The hit recordings of “I Should
Care” include:
- Martha Tilton (1945, with
Eddie Miller and His Orchestra,
#10)
- Jimmy Dorsey and His orchestra
(1945, Teddy Walters, vocal,
#13)
- Tommy Dorsey and His orchestra
(1945, Bonnie Lou Williams and
the Sentimentalists, vocals,
#11)
-
Frank Sinatra (1945, with
Axel Stordahl and His Orchestra,
#8)
- Ralph Flanagan and His Orchestra
(1952, Harry Prime, vocal, #4)
- Jeff Chandler (1954, with
Victor Young and His Orchestra,
#21)
|
| |
|
|
The glossy musical,
Thrill of a Romance starring
Esther Williams and Van Johnson,
appealed to war-weary audiences
perhaps, in part, because of its
lack of substance. Johnson is an
air-force pilot who falls in love
with a honeymooning swim instructor
(Williams) while her husband is
away on an emergency business trip.
Adding spice to an otherwise bland
production were Tommy Dorsey and
His Orchestra and Wagnerian tenor
Lauritz Melchior in his film debut.
Critical appraisals are generally
unfavorable and run the gamut from
“Delightful! A film well worth seeing…”
to “Cloying … a waste of time and
money.” Other songs included in
the soundtrack were “Please Don’t
Say No, Say Maybe,” “Lovely Night,”
“Vive L’Amour,” “Thrill of a Romance,”
and “Schubert’s Serenade.”
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
It is curious that Sammy Cahn,
Axel Stordahl, and Paul Weston chose
to share the credit for both the
words and the music of “I Should
Care.” As a rule, Cahn was the lyricist
of the three. It is also perplexing
that Cahn decided to use the song’s
title for his 1974 autobiography
I Should Care as he did
not receive full credit for it in
the first place.
|
|
|
|
Musical analysis of
“I Should Care”
|
| Original
Key |
C major |
| Form |
A- B1 - A
- B2 |
| Tonality |
Unsettled;
the chord progression spends little time
in the tonic key of C, using a number of
half-diminished 7th chord substitutions
to keep wandering from one tonal place to
another before finally resolving to I in
mm. 4, 20 and 31-32 at the very end. |
| Movement |
Primarily
step-wise, with some skips no larger than
a downward fifth. |
|
Comments
(assumed
background)
|
|
This is a gorgeous ballad with a rich, but
challenging, harmonic progression that contains
several deceptive resolutions. Strong chromatic,
descending, guide-tone lines are evident
throughout the piece, however. A careful
linear analysis of the harmonic progression
is necessary. Most of these lines begin
on the 7th of a half-diminished (flatted
fifth of a minor) chord. Piano skills are
helpful in preparing this tune for effective
performance. Play through the progression,
attempting to move the voices step-wise,
and chromatic lines will become apparent.
If the performer is unfamiliar with the
piano keyboard, it is imperative to learn
the melody “as-is” before attempting improvisation.
Initial attempts at soloing over the changes
should focus on melodic embellishment; don’t
stray too far from the melody, at first.
After some experience with the tune, the
ear should be able to start picking out
the guide-tone lines, which are valuable
in expanding improvisational ideas for this
tune.
|
K. J. McElrath - Musicologist for JazzStandards.com
Check out K. J. McElrath's book of Jazz Standards Guide Tone Lines at his web site (www.bardicle.com). |
|
|
Like all well-crafted standards, Sammy Cahn’s
gem, “I Should Care,” marries a beautiful melody
with some predictable diatonic cadences. And like
all great tunes from this golden era of American
song, there are some little twists and unpredictable
turns to the harmony that make this song an interesting
challenge for the jazz soloist.
John
Stowell, jazz guitarist
www.johnstowell.com
Are you a
published Vocalist or Instrumentalist?
Add a comment and we'll credit you with a link
to your site. (more...)
|
“I Should Care”
was included in these films:
- Thrill of a Romance (1945,
Bob Allen, Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra)
- Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser
(1989, Thelonious Monk)
|
|
Click on a CD for more details
at Amazon.com
Mel Tormé
Tormé
2003, Verve
Original recording, 1958
|
| Tormé’s superb, melancholy vocals
suit this Marty Paich arrangement to a tee.
It is poignant without being overly sentimental. |
Jay Thomas
Rapture
1996, Jazz Focus 13
|
| The trumpet of multi-instrumentalist
Thomas is smooth and languid on “I Should
Care.” He’s ably accompanied by Travis Shook
(p), Jon Wikon (d), and Phil Sparks (b). |
John Lewis
The Wonderful World of Jazz
1990, Atlantic 90979
Original recording, 1960
|
| Lewis, the pianist and often composer
for the Modern Jazz Quartet, has assembled
an all-star cast for this session. His quiet
reading of “I Should Care” is just one of
the jewels in this classic jazz album. |
Hampton Hawes
Bird Song
2004, Water
Original recording, 1958, Orig. Jazz Classics
1035
|
| Pianist Hawes delivers a passionate
reading of “I Should Care” which flows along
with plenty of embellishments. |
Paul Desmond
Desmond Blue
2002, RCA 63898
Original recording, 1961
|
| This album finds alto saxophonist
Desmond in the rare position of playing
outside of the Dave Brubeck Quartet. His
lyrical reading of “I Should Care” is almost
haunting as it floats atop the sweeping
horns and swirling strings. |
Shirley Scott Trio
Like Cozy
2001
Prestige Records 24258) Original recording,
1960
|
| There is a lazy blues feeling to
Scott’s straight ahead piano playing, dubbed
over her gospel-flavored organ which sways
in the background and takes the song to
a spiritual level. |
|
|
“I Should Care” has enjoyed popularity with the
public from the day it was written. In 1947 jazz
pianist Bud Powell introduced it as a jazz vehicle
where it has found favor ever since.
-JW
Prior to Bud Powell’s 1947 trio recording, this
pretty ballad was the property of big band vocalists.
By the mid-1950s, however, it was increasingly played
as an instrumental. Tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon
recorded a beautiful rendition of it in 1955, and
the next year tenor player Hank Mobley, along with
trumpeter Donald Byrd, would cut yet another marvelous
rendition.
A session in 1956, Presenting Ernie Henry,
featured the alto saxophonist with a band which
included the excellent trumpet playing of Kenny
Dorham, and their version of “I Should Care” is
a classic. Sadly, Henry’s career would be cut short
by his untimely death at age 31, fourteen months
after this session.
Chris Tyle - Jazz Musician and Historian
|
| This section shows the jazz standards
written by the same writing team. Click on a name
to see all of a writer's jazz standards.
|
|
Additional information on “I Should Care” may be found in:
1 paragraph including the following types of information: film productions, history and performers.
1 paragraph including the following types of information: summary.
Includes the following types of information: song lyrics.
5 paragraphs including the following types of information: music analysis and performers.
5 pages including the following types of information: music analysis and sheet music.
|
|
