Of the four veteran songwriters who have collaborated with
Michael Feinstein on his series of songbooks of their work thus far (the others being
Burton Lane,
Jule Styne, and
Jerry Herman), 81-year-old
Hugh Martin is probably the least well known. Those who do recognize the name may associate it with another,
Ralph Blane, since
Martin and
Blane were responsible, among other things, for a trio of famous songs in the 1944 movie musical Meet Me in St. Louis, starring
Judy Garland: "The Boy Next Door," the Oscar-nominated "The Trolley Song," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," all of which are featured here. It's not clear why
Blane was excluded from this album, but he may have been too ill to participate. (Suffering from Parkinson's disease, he died two months after the record's release.) In any case,
Martin had an extensive songwriting career without his on-again, off-again partner, including the Broadway musicals Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'!, Make a Wish, and High Spirits. (Like
John Lennon and
Paul McCartney toward the end of their partnership,
Martin and
Blane didn't actually write together; they wrote separate songs, then got together to polish them and shared credit.) So, there was plenty of material for
Feinstein to choose from, also including another Oscar nominee,
Martin and
Blane's "Pass the Peace Pipe" from the film adaptation of Good News. He seems not to have felt comfortable with another
Martin and
Blane hit, however, since there is no performance of "Buckle Down, Winsocki" from their musical Best Foot Forward.
Martin obligingly provides gender-switched lyrics for what is now called "The Girl Next Door" and "The Trolley Song," and also pens some updated words referring to himself and
Feinstein to lead things off with "The Two of Us" from Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'!, on which he duets as well as playing piano; he also sings on "I Like the Feeling" and "I Never Felt Better." As a pianist who once accompanied
Garland at the Palace, he is fully up to expressing his music in support of
Feinstein's vocals, occasionally slipping in interesting touches, such as a bit of atonality at the end of the bittersweet "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Just as he did with
Lane,
Styne, and
Herman,
Feinstein exhibits a warm and comfortable rapport with his songwriter/accompanist here, showing off
Hugh Martin's body of work to best effect. ~ William Ruhlmann