Sang a few at Bar d’Artur last night with John (woodwinds) and Bina (guitar). Audience seemed to like it; one tipsy customer told me I sang like Chet Baker. I THINK that’s a compliment.

Noticeable is how many (older) standards come from stage shows or more recently film. Who remembers the film The Sandpiper, with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor? Only Wikipedia … but when you start playing The Shadow of Your Smile, from that film, the audience sings along.

Also noticeable is how the standards are easy to sing – comfortable intervals, memorable melody – with usually one or two tricky intervals thrown in, to catch attention. Maybe that’s what makes a standard: good songwriting. Here’s the simple Astrud Gilberto version of The Shadow of Your Smile. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn3GA8jmGoU