She Dances Overhead

Matt Dennis is remembered more for the songs he composed than for his career as a singer. Tunes such as "Everything Happens to Me," "Let's Get Away From It All," and "Angel Eyes" are evergreens whose place in the Great American Songbook is well established. But he was an entertainer as well, playing pianist for some of the top singers of the 1940s and 1950s, including Margaret Whiting and Martha Tilton. Dennis also made four albums for RCA Victor during this period. On this particular one, he plays piano and sings as he pays tribute to one of the most successful songsmith teams in popular music history, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. Joined by a sterling group of studio musicians under the leadership of Harry Geller, Dennis treads his way through 12 of the team's best-known songs, most of which are from the musical stage. The ballads, such as "Dancing on the Ceiling," have lush arrangements made more luxuriant by strings. The swingers, such as "Mimi," are done with brass alone and often feature a short solo by one of the horn players. While this recording is not a momentous musical occasion, Dennis does have a pleasing way with tunes, given his understated style and very professional manner.