Rediscovered Vaudeville Songs - Review of CD by Annie Lebeaux

While cruising down the Mississippi, Annie Lebeaux discovered gold in the form of old sheet music. Written by composers and lyricists who went on to illustrious careers in musical theater, the songs represent the first quarter of the 20th century. The result is her CD: ANNIE LEBEAUX Performs Rare & Ridiculous Vaudeville Songs (1903- 1926,) a delightful and witty collection from the era in which Vaudeville and Broadway co-existed. Included is material by Irving Berlin, Gus Kahn, Bert Kalmar, Sam Lewis, Joe Young, and Harry Von Tilzer; several numbers were originally introduced by Sophie Tucker, Eddie Cantor, Al Jolson, and Belle Baker. Each of the sixteen songs tells a story, and few would be considered politically correct. Where Did Robinson Crusoe Go With Friday On Saturday Night?, If You Talk In Your Sleep Don’t Mention My Name, and Heinie Waltzed ‘Round On His Hickory Limb, and the rest will bring laughter to your heart. Had Annie Lebeaux presented these lively, funny songs then as she does now, she would have been the Toast of New Orleans. (You may also want to check out another of her CD’s, Am I in Love? featuring several standards, and a number of Lebeaux’s compositions, including Beyond That Fog and Speed Dial.)