Nobody But You represents the mature album of Manu Lafer singing American Standards, his long-standing passion.
It is also the name of one of the tracks, which reminds us of his other works (Someone Like You, Somebody Like Me and Como Tu Ninguém). It was recorded in New York, with arrangements by guitar virtuosi Jack Wilkins and Howard Alden, accompanied by drummer Mike Clark double-bassist Andy McKee. Chuck Redd, the guest of honor, plays the vibraphone on Guys And Dolls, Opus One, Ding! Dong! The Witch Is Dead and Look Who’s Dancing.
The repertoire, sung in bass tones as part of the tradition of baritones who croon in the American songbook, like Bing Crosby and Sinatra, eschews the more popular and covered songs. Thus, Feelin So Good, the youthful rock song, appears clothed in jazz. We Could Make Such Beautiful Music Together, famously sung by show business mother and daughter queens, Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli, on American television – is included almost at the end.
The creative, surprise-filled playlist leans toward swing, up-tempo and joyful beats, like in Mimi, by Rodgers & Hart. But, there are two exceptions, where Manu sings accompanied only by guitarists and where the harmony is unparalleled, not just because of the virtuoso displays, but because of the long years together: Two Sleepy People and Broadway Baby, this latter sung softly, without drama and in the Brazilian bossa nova style, with a man’s, despite the role being female, voice that swings between caricature and archetype.
Look who’s dancing, look who’s on air
Silly and dizzy, and too dumb to care
Will you look, he’s floating like a feather
Since she said that we belong together
Look who’s dancing, look who’s a fool
Young as a chick with a kick like a mule
Look who hasn’t got a wrinkle on his brow
Look who’s dancing, look who’s dancing
Look! Look! Look who’s dancing now!
I don’t want a wedding with flowers
All I want is standing right here
Everywhere there’s music and flowers
Got to kick by heels,
Got to let them sing,
Here’s a boy with everything
Regarde je danse comme Fred Astaire
Léger, insouciant, et très débonnaire
J’ai mes pieds qui n’arrêtent pas de bouger
Veux-tu devenir ma partenaire?
Et tu me dis, oui, je flotte dans l’air
Viens dans mes bras, tu suivras tous me pas
Je serais ton Fred tu seras ma Ginger
Nous férons un coup
Et nous y dansons, dansons toute la nuit
Look who’s dancing without a blush
Loony and spoony, on moonlight and mush
Look who hasn’t got a wrinkle on his brow
Look who’s dancing, look who’s dancing
Look! Look! Look who’s dancing now!
Bewitched, bewitched
You’ve got me in your spell
Bewitched, bewitched
You know your craft so well
Before I knew what you were doing
I looked in your eyes
That brand of woo that you’ve been brewing
Took me by surprise
You witch, you witch
One thing is for sure
That stuff that you pitch
Just hasn’t got a cure
My heart was under lock and key
But somehow it got unhitched
I never thought my heart could be had
But now I’m caught and I’m kind of glad
1ª vez:
To be… to be bewitched
2ª vez:
That you… you do
That crazy voodoo
And I’m bewitched by you
I still get jealous when they look at you
I may not show it, but I do
It’s more than I can bear
When they start to stare
‘Cause they think you’re too good to be true
I still get jealous when we kiss goodnight
Unless you hold me extra tight
And, dear, I know a secret
You didn’t know I knew
I still get jealous ‘cause it pleases you
Once there was a wicked witch
In the lovely land of Oz
And a wickeder, wickeder, wickeder witch,
There never, ever was
She filled the folks in Munchkin land
With terror and with dread
Till one fine day from Kansas
A house fell on her head
And the coroner pronounced her dead
And through the town the joyous news went running
The joyous news that the wicked old witch was finally done in
Ding! Dong!
The witch is dead!
Which old witch?
The wicked witch
Ding! Dong!
The wicked witch is dead!
Wake up you sleepy head
Rub your eyes
Get out of that bed
Wake up!
The wicked old witch is dead!
She’s gone where the goblins go
Below, below, below – yo-ho!
Let’s open up and sing
And ring those bells out
Ding! Dong! The merry-o
Sing it high and sing it low
Let them know the wicked old witch is dead
Why everyone’s glad
She took such a crowning
Getting hit by a house
Is even worse than drowning
Let them know the wicked old witch is dead!
Looky over there, sunshine in her hair
That’s my girl, her name is Skooby-Doo
Don’t you like her smile?
Don’t you like her style?
You know I’d walk a mile for Skooby-Doo
Oh, my Skooby-Doo
I’ll do you what you want me to!
Oh, my Skooby-Doo
You got my lonely head a-reeling all the time!
Feeling so good, so good
Feeling so good
Anytime at all I wanna have a ball
All I do is call my Skooby-Doo
She can make me laugh in a minute and a half
Yes, I’m going daff with Skooby-Doo
Oh my Skooby-Doo
I’ll do what you want me to
Oh, my Skooby-Doo,
You got my only head a-reeling all the time!
Feeling so good, so good
Feeling so good
Oh my! I love you
Skooby-Doo, I love you
I said a “s”, “k”, “oo”, “b”, “y”, “d-o-o”
“O-o”, “o-o”, “o”, “o”, “o-o-o-o”
Diamonds and a ring, presents I could bring
Wouldn’t mean a thing to Skooby-Doo
Sunday after mass, picnic in the grass
Digging Mamma Cass with Skooby-Doo
Oh, my Skooby-Doo
I’ll do what you want me to
Oh, my Skooby-Doo
You got my only head a-reeling all the time!
Feeling so good, so good
Feeling so good, so good
Feeling so good
When you see a guy reach for stars in the sky
You can bet that he’s doing it for some doll
When you spot a John waiting out in the rain
Chances are he’s insane as only a John can be for a Jane
When you meet a gent paying all kinds of rent
For a flat that could flatten the Taj Mahal
Call it sad, call it funny
But it’s better than even money
That the guy’s only doing it for some doll
When you see a dame change the shape of her frame
You can bet she’s reducing it for some guy
When you find a doll with her diamond in hock
Rest assured that the rock has gone to restock
Some gentleman jock
When you see a mouse hurry out of the house
And she runs twenty blocks for cigars and rye
Call it dumb, call it clever,
Oh, but you can give odds forever
That the doll’s only doing it for some guy
When a lazy slob takes a good steady job
And he smells from vitalis and barbasol
When a guy buys wine that the guy can’t afford
You can bet that a guy is making a try for some little broad
When you see a mug just left out of the jug
And he’s still lifting platinum folderol
Call it hell, call it heaven
It’s a probable twelve to seven
That the guy is only doing it for some doll
Love isn’t born
On a beautiful April morn
Love isn’t born, it’s made
And that’s why every window has a window shade
Love can’t do much
For a couple who don’t quite touch
Love can’t advance by chance
And that’s why folks who never care for dancing, dance
So, my precious young dove,
If your dreaming of love,
Better make the most of your charms
For the feeling won’t start in the gentleman’s heart
Till you’re in the gentleman’s arms
Love isn’t born, that’s a fable to treat with scorn
Let’s call a spade a spade
When he says “dear, come up, and see my antique jade”
Remember, love isn’t born, it’s made
Love has to climb,
To be certain to ring that chime
Climb, sister, time is short,
You’ll find there’s no partition in a davenport
Love won’t react
Till the cards are discreetly stacked
This is a fact to face:
A man won’t take an uber just to get no place
So, my precious young dove
If you’re dreaming of love
Better lead him into the trap
For you’ll never remain on the gentleman’s brain
Till you’re in the gentleman’s lap
Love won’t exist if you constantly slap that wrist
Right off his list you’ll fade
The elks don’t come to town just for the elk’s parade
Remember, love isn’t born
Love isn’t born,
Love isn’t born, it’s made
Mimi,
You funny little good-for-nothing, Mimi,
Am I the guy?
Mimi,
You sunny little honey of a Mimi
I’m aiming high
Mimi, you’ve got me sad and dreamy
You could free me
If you’d see me
Mimi, you know I’d like to have
A little son of a Mimi by and by
Well, my left shoe’s on my right foot
My right shoe’s on my left
Oh! Listen to me, Mimi,
Of reason I’m bereft
Oh! The buttons of my trousers
Are buttoned to my vest
Oh! Listen to me, Mimi,
There’s passion in my breast
Nobody but you ever loved me before
Nobody but you do I need more and more
Your wonderful eyes…My! how they shine
Your wonderful lips tell me you’re mine
Nobody but you do I see in my dreams
And now they’re all coming true
My heart and I care for nobody
Nobody but you
They’re racking their brain
To think of a name
To give to this tune
So Frankie can croon
And maybe Old Bing
Will give it a fling
And that start everyone
Humming a thing
The melody is gone
Repeat and repeat
But if you can swing
It’s got a good beat
And that’s the main thing
To make with the feet
‘Cause rockin’ rhythm
Is ruling the day
So they call it Opus One
Come on let’s join and jump
Hey, hey, hey!
It’s Opus One
This ain’t no time to slump, maybe
If Benny the King
Can do it and swing
And old Mister G
Could rock it for me
It’s never a doubt
You knock yourself out
If ever you should hear Opus One
When the red, red robin
Comes bob, bob, bobbing along, along
There’ll be no more sobbing
When he starts throbbing
His old sweet song
Wake up, wake up
You sleepy head!
Get up! Get up!
Get out of bed!
Cheer up! Cheer up!
The sun is red
Live, love, laugh and be happy
What if I’d been blue
Now I’m walking through fields of flowers
Rain may glisten
But still I’d listen
For hours and hours
I’m just a kid again
Doing what I did again
Singing a song
When the red, red robin
Comes bob, bob, bobbing along
Here we are out of cigarettes
Holding hands and yawning, look how late it gets
Two sleepy people by dawn’s early light
And too much in love to say goodnight
Here we are in the cozy chair
Picking on a wishbone from the Frigidaire
Two sleepy people with nothing to say
And too much in love to break away
Do you remember the nights we used to linger in the hall?
Your father did not like me at all
Do you remember the reason why we married in the fall?
To rent this little nest and get a bit of rest
Here we are just about the same
Foggy little fella, drowsy little dame
Two sleepy people by dawn’s early light
And too much in love to say good night
We Could Make Such Beautiful Music Together
We could make such beautiful music together
We could sing the loveliest music together
Sing the words
The words that I long for
Let them be the theme of our song
For we could make such beautiful music together
Broadway Baby
I’m just a Broadway baby,
Walking off my tired feet,
Pounding forty-second street
To be in a show.
Broadway baby,
Learning how to sing and dance,
Waiting for that one big chance
To be in a show.
Gee,
I’d like to be
On some marquee,
All twinkling lights,
A spark
To pierce the dark
From battery park
To Washington heights!
Someday, maybe,
All my dreams will be repaid,
Hell, I’d even play the maid
To be in a show.
Say, Mr. Producer,
Some girls get the breaks
Just give me my cue, sir
I’ve got what it takes
Say, Mr. Producer,
I’m talking to you, Sir
I don’t need a lot,
Only what I got,
Plus a tube of greasepaint
And a follow-spot!
I’m just a Broadway baby,
Slaving at a five-and-ten,
Dreaming of the great day when
I’ll be in a show.
Broadway baby
Making rounds all afternoon,
Eating at a greasy spoon
To save on my dough.
At
My tiny flat
There’s just my cat,
A bed and a chair.
Still,
I’ll stick it till
I’m on a bill
All over times square!
Someday, maybe, If I stick it long enough,
I may get to strut my stuff,
Working for a nice man
Like a Ziegfeld or a Weismann
In a great big
Broadway show!