Can’t Take You Nowhere

Liner Notes

1. Can’t Take You Nowhere (2:28)
(Frlshberg-Kahn.Cohn) Swlftwater Music

The lyric and title is by me. The main melody is a blues line by the influential drummer Tiny Kahn called “T.N.T.,” which in turn was drawn from part of a Lester Young solo on a Count Basie record. Then, because it seemed natural, I grafted on the “shout chorus” from Al Cohn’s “Tiny’s Blues,” which I remember first hearing on a Columbia 78 by Chubby Jackson’s big band. Is this confusing enough?

2. Frank Loesser Medley (7:33)

I Believe in You (Loesser) Frank Music/ What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? (Loesser) Frank Music/The Lady’s in Love with You (Loesser-Lane) Paramount Music/ Guys and Dolls (Loesser) Frank Music

When I first began examining songs analytically, and trying to write them myself, I took Frank Loesser as my model. I met him and got to have a couple of conversations with him, during which he encouraged me and also bestowed some insightful and valuable criticism on my work. Loesser wrote words and music, but the music on ” Lady’s in Love with You” Is by Burton Lane.

3. Zoot Walks In (2:49)
(Frlshberg-Slms-Mulllgan) Swlftwater

Again I took a stab at writing lyrics to an instrumental jazz line, ” Red Door,” this one indelibly associated with Zoot Sims, who is the composer along with Gerry Mulligan. You may understand how I consider Zoot if I point out that in my jazz/baseball analog Zoot is Ted Williams.

4. What Am I Here For? (4:04)
(Duke Ellington) CBS Robbins Catalog Inc.

This is a Duke Ellington piece from the early 1940s. For a long time I made it a practice to begin every performance with Ellington music, in the firm belief that not doing so would result in seven years’ bad luck. Actually it did happen that way at least once.

5. Bodega Bay (3:34)
(Jack Sheldon) Swiftwater

You have to admit that Jack Sheldon is one of the most gifted of all jazz musicians. This is my favorite of his songs. The lyric is typically mysterious, and the music provides jazz players with something to get their teeth into. When Jack sings this he pronounces it “Bo-dee-ga Bay.” If on this recording you hear me unconsciously imitating his pronunciation, it’s because I’m so accustomed to hearing it that way.

6. My Attorney Bernie (3:34)
(David Frlshberg) Swiftwater

This Is a remake of my original recording, which has become minimally available to record buyers. During the course of many agitated phone conversations (with the meter running, I later found), Bernie counseled me that it might be wise to re-record this song.

7. Irving Berlin Medley (7:45)
(Berlin) Irving Berlin Music

(Cheek to Cheek/ Russian Lullaby/ How Deep Is the Ocean /Say It Isn’t So/ I’m Putting All My Eggs in One Basket)

I have discovered Irving Berlin again and again, and I have to conclude that he’s the champ of the ” music and lyrics” guys. Besides, he has written practically every song known to mankind.

8. The Green Hills of Earth (3:48)
(Frishberg) Swiftwater

Friends have accused me of dwelling in the past, and writing songs full of murky reminiscences. Determined to prove them wrong, I came up with this, my science-fiction song, an anthem to be sung by the inhabitants of some far-off planet centuries In the future. Typically, I ended up with more murky reminiscences, but from a different point of view. I guess you could say it’s just tomorrow’s nostalgia, and my accusers have won another round.

9. Drop Me Off In Harlem (3:23)
(Ellington) Mills Music

Another Duke Ellington piece, this time from the 1930s. I have an idea this was a production number for the Cotton Club revue.

10. Sweet Kentucky Ham (3:12)
(Frishberg) Swiftwater

As long as I’m into remakes, here’s another from a recording no longer available. I like this song and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be out there on the market. One night I started singing this song, and I got as far as “sixp.m.suppertime in South Bend, Indiana,” and a woman in the audience hollered, ” I’m from South Bend, and that’s not suppertime! ” There was no way I could argue with her, so I stopped and went into “Bernie.”

• 11 . Cole Porter Medley (6:27) (Porter)
Just One of Those Things (T.B. Harms, lnc.)/l t’s De-Lovely (Chappel l & Co.) / Why Shouldn’t I? (T.B. Harms)/ Let’s Do It (T.B. Harms)

Everyone raves about Cole Porter’s lyrics, and with good reason. But I think if he had never written a lyric in his Ille, he would still go down in history as a genius composer of music. Everyone probably agrees with me.

*12. I’m Hip (4:31)
(Dorough-Frishberg) Swiftwater/Aral Music

This is one of my earliest efforts at writing lyrics. Bob Dorough wrote the music. Blossom Dearle, as she herself announces, “made it famous.” My apologies to Burton Lane and Gerry Mulligan for omitting their names from my spoken introductions to the songs they were involved in.

•available on Compact Disc only. All selections ASCAP.