Jazz standards have that name, standards, for a reason. Practically everyone knows them and can, quite possibly, sing them from off the top of their head. Yet “It’s Only a Paper Moon,†written in 1933, managed to surprise me.
I knew there were several renditions of the song, in nearly 80 years there would have to be, but I wasn’t prepared for just how many people have recorded the song over the years. Searching Wikipedia and Allmusic quickly revealed more than 80 versions, while secondhandsongs.com lists 61 versions, many with audio samples. Some artists were no great surprise (Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby) others were unexpected, to say the least (James Taylor, Miles Davis, Fiona Apple, Over the Rhine, Marvin Gaye, Adam Ant); almost as numerous and varied selection as “Mack the Knife.â€
E. Y. Harburg and Billy Rose wrote the lyrics for music by Harold Arlen for a Broadway play called The Great Magoo. The play was unsuccessful, yet the song remains a staple to this day. After it’s 1933 release, there was a 12-year gap until Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, and Benny Goodman all did versions in 1945. Since then, it’s been recorded by someone every few years; as true testament to staying power as I’ve ever seen.
Every version I listened to was pretty much the same, sticking to the original lyrics and music. A few played with the arrangement a bit, but most opted to keep it straight even there. Notable exceptions were Adam Ant, who went completely kitschy, lounge-esque, and not with good effect and James Taylor who somehow kept the underpinnings of the original, yet made it unmistakably a James Taylor song. Miles Davis and Herb Alpert each do trumpet-centric instrumental versions, Alpert’s taking it in about double-time. The Count Basie and Dave Brubeck recordings sound exactly as you would expect, very much in their own styles.
One of my favorite covers (if we’re to call an updated standard a cover) is by Erin McKeown on her album Sing you Sinners. Truthfully, the whole album knocks me out, but then I’ve developed a penchant for jazz classics and big band material. Short of Adam Ant’s bizarre take, McKeown’s rendition does the most with the arrangement, speeding it up a bit, adding a snappy, but not over the top drum part, and subtle guitar line that takes a bit of a vibraphone cast to it. Add her voice, which I simply can’t get enough of, and you have the best version of the song in it’s 75+ year history.