I’m sure you know the song “My Funny Valentine.” It’s from Babes in Arms, a 1937 musical by Rodgers and Hart, and has been recorded more than 1300 times by more than 600 artists, from Frank Sinatra to Sarah Vaughan to Miles Davis to an enshrined version by jazz trumpeter/vocalist Chet Baker.
I guess those links will give you enough to chew one, but just in case you’re interested in the history of this classic, it was one piece—just one piece—in the theatrical production Babes in Arms. Dig some of the other tunes from that show: “Where or When,” “I Wish I Were in Love Again,” “Johnny One Note,” and “The Lady is a Tramp.” That’s about as many classics as you can imagine coming out of one show.
The song has received mixed reviews by musicians and music critics, but it has been and continues to be a favorite of jazz musicians: check out the classic live recording by Miles Davis and John Coltrane with Herbie Hancock on a piano that needed tuning. Visit our LifeandTimes.com podcast #28 for more info and insight into this classic.
And by the way, the song was not written about Valentine’s Day, but about the male protagonist in the production, a guy named Valentine. But who cares? Sing it to your lover. And Happy Valentine’s Day!