Re: Nature Boy

[Leopold N Friedman <apikoyros...>]

Bob,
I've never had the pleasure of hearing any of your talks. I suspect
they'd be entertaining and enlightening. I wasn't asking anyone to
divulge material that's part of a performance set; I was asking about
facts in the public domain. I have been told that the tune and/or the 
lyrics (I don't remember which, if not both) had roots in Yiddish theater
or somewhere else in the Yiddish music realm. 

The person to whom the song Nat King Cole sang was ascribed 
was Eden Ahbez,  described as a "yogi" and a white man, (as far 
as can be determined from photographs on a web site describing 
him). Nat King Cole was a pioneer in breaking "white-only" barriers
in the wider American popular music market, including TV. 
Lee

On Wed, 13 Jun 2001 10:49:20 -0400 wiener (at) mindspring(dot)com writes:
> Lee,
> 
> I heard the same thing and investigated it for hours over months.  
> To
> hear what I discovered come to one of my talks on the music of 
> Blacks
> and Jews.  (Also connections between Bob Dylan songs and Black 
> music
> and much more.)
> 
> Bob
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Leopold N Friedman <apikoyros (at) juno(dot)com>
> To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
> Date: Tuesday, June 12, 2001 9:41 PM
> Subject: Re: Nature Boy
> 
> 
> >George,
> >Both your brother and I are glad that you brought up
> >the unforgettable Nat "King" Cole. I've been told by
> >reliable sources that a song he was successful with,
> >"Nature Boy," had its origins in Yiddish music. I wasn't
> >given additional details.  The notes on my copy credit
> >Eden Ahbez for the song. Can you (or anyone else)
> >provide more information?
> >Lee
> >
> >On Tue, 12 Jun 2001 18:25:55 -0400 George Robinson
> ><GRComm (at) concentric(dot)net> writes:
> >> With great embarrassment I stand (or fly) corrected.
> >> Is this what Nat Cole (not Jewish) meant when he sang, 
> "Straighten
> >> up
> >> and fly right?"
> >>
> >> George (My brother is the world's largest Nat Cole fan) Robinson
> >>
> >> Warschauer (at) aol(dot)com wrote:
> >> >
> >> > In a message dated 6/12/01 2:16:27 PM, GRComm (at) concentric(dot)net
> >> writes:
> >> >
> >> > << Nah, that would be Jewish Music re-goose. >>
> >> >
> >> > Ummm... not quite...
> >> >
> >> > (di) katshke=duck
> >> > (di) gandz=goose
> >> >
> >> > Jeff
> >> >
> >>
> >> --
> >> George Robinson
> >> Author, Essential Judaism
> >> Please visit my website, "Essential Judaism and Beyond"
> >> at www.GeorgeRobinson.freeservers.com
> >>
> >> ---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
> >> ---------------------+
> >>