Jewish Songwriters: Books

Lehman, David. A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs. Nextbook/Schocken, 2009.

Armitage, Merle, ed. George Gershwin (A Memorial Volume). Da Capo Press, 1995.

Barrett, Mary Ellin. Irving Berlin: A Daughter’s Memoir. Simon and Schuster, 1994.

Barrios, Richard. A Song in the Dark: The Birth of the Musical Film. Oxford University Press, 1995.

Bergreen, Laurence. As Thousands Cheer: The Life of Irving Berlin. Penguin, 1990.

Bloom, Ken. The American Songbook: The Singers, Songwriters and the Songs. Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers, 2005.

Fordin, Hugh. Getting to Know Him: The Biography of Oscar Hammerstein II. Random House, 1977.

Friedwald, Will. Sinatra! The Song Is You. Scribner, 1995.

Furia, Philip. Ira Gershwin: The Art of the Lyricist. Oxford University Press, 1996.
——Irving Berlin: A Life in Song. Schirmer, 1998.
——The Poets of Tin Pan Alley: A History of America’s Great Lyricists. Oxford University Press, 1990.

Greenspan, Charlotte. Pick Yourself Up: Dorothy Fields and the American Musical. Oxford University Press, 2010.

Hal Leonard Corporation. The Great American Songbook - The Composers: Music and Lyrics for Over 100 Standards from the Golden Age of American Song (Piano/Vocal/Guitar Songbook), 2007.

Hischak, Thomas S. The Oxford Companion to the Great American Musical: Theatre, Film and Television. Oxford University Press, 2008.

Hyland, William G. George Gershwin: A New Biography. Praeger, 2003.
——The Song Is Ended: Songwriters and American Music, 1900-1950. Oxford University Press, 1995.

Jablonski, Edward. Harold Arlen: Happy with the Blues. Doubleday, 1961.

Kimball, Robert and Robert Gottlieb, eds. Reading Lyrics. Pantheon, 2000.

Kimball, Robert and Alfred Simon. Composers’ Voices from Ives to Ellington: An Oral History of American Music. Yale University Press, 2005.

Loesser, Arthur. Men, Women, and Pianos: A Social History. Simon and Schuster, 1954.

Loesser, Susan. A Most Remarkable Fella: Frank Loesser and the Guys and Dolls in His Life: A Portrait by His Daughter. Hal Leonard Corporation, 2000.

Marx, Samuel and Jan Clayton. Rodgers and Hart: Bewitched, Bothered, and BeDeviled. Putnam, 1976.

Melnick, Jeffrey. A Right to Sing the Blues: African Americans, Jews, and American Popular Song. Harvard University Press, 1999.

Meyerson, Harold and Ernie Harburg. Who Put the Rainbow in the Wizard of Oz?: Yip Harburg, Lyricist. University of Michigan Press, 1995.

Morath, Max. The NPR Curious Listener’s Guide to Popular Standards. Penguin Putnam, Berkley Publishing, A Perigee Book, 2002.

Most, Andrea. Making Americans: Jews and the Broadway Musical. Harvard University Press, 2004.

Nolan, Frederick. Lorenz Hart: A Poet on Broadway. Oxford University Press, 1994.

Pollack, Howard. George Gershwin: His Life and Work. University of California Press, 2006.

Riis, Thomas L. Frank Loesser. Yale University Press, 2008.

Rimler, Walter. George Gershwin: An Intimitate Memoir. University of Illinois Press, 2009.

Rodgers, Richard. Musical Stages. 1975, reprint by Da Capo Press, 2002.

Rosen, Jody. White Christmas: The Story of an American Song. Scribner, 2002.

Secrest, Meryle. Somewhere for Me: A Biography of Richard Rodgers. Applause, 2001.

Sheed, Wilfrid. The House That George Built. Random House, 2007.

Suskin, Steven. Show Tunes: The Songs, Shows, and Careers of Broadway’s Major Composers. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, 2000.

Wilder, Alec. American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950. Oxford University Press, 1990.

Wilk, Max. They’re Playing Our Song: Conversations with America’s Classic Songwriters. Da Capo Press, 1997; Easton Studio Press, 2008.

Winer, Deborah. On the Sunny Side of the Street: The Life and Lyrics of Dorothy Fields. Schirmer Books, 1997.

Hal Leonard Corp., ed. Kids’ Broadway Songbook (book/CD). Hal Leonard Corporation, 2001. Ages 8 and up.

Rodgers, Richard and Oscar Hammerstein. My Favorite Things. HarperCollins, 2005. Ages 4-8.
—— Rodgers and Hammerstein Children’s Songbook. Hal Leonard Corporation, 1981. Ages 8 and up.

Seskin, Steve. Sing My Song: A Kid's Guide to Songwriting. Tricycle Press, 2008. Ages 4-8.

Streissguth, Thomas. Say It With Music: A Story About Irving Berlin. Carolrhoda Books, 1994. Ages 9-12.

Venezia, Mike. George Gershwin (Getting to Know the World’s Great Composers). Children’s Press, 1995. Ages 9-12.

Whiting, Jim. The Life and Times of Irving Berlin. Mitchell Lane, 2003. Ages 9-12.
——The Life and Times of George Gershwin. Mitchell Lane, 2004. Ages 9-12.

http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/joanne-schmoll-at-the-american-traditions-competition-in-savanna-ga/
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/04/10/a-few-favorite-singable-books-part-59-rodgers-hammerstein/
These websites contain lists of singable picture books for children by composers of the great American Songbook, including Irving Berlin, and Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein.

American Library Association | 50 E. Huron, Chicago IL 60611 | 1.800.545.2433

       Copyright Statement     2011 © American Library Association