Johnny Mercer wrote lyrics with many of the most renowned composers of the classical era of American pop music, which ran from the 1920’s to the 1960’s. Mercer wrote with Harold Arlen, Hoagy Carmichael, Walter Donaldson, Duke Ellington, Jerome Kern, Henry Mancini, Jimmy Mchugh, Jimmy van Heusen, Harry Warren, Kurt Weill and Richard Whiting, to name a few (and all of whom are in the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, of which Mercer was a founding member and the first president). Mercer is credited with the most extensive catalog of published songs, with well over 1000. Mercer wrote mostly for films, but also wrote for a few Broadway shows during his career. In the early part of his career he was known as a singer as much as he was a songwriter. He appeared on nationally broadcast radio shows during the 1930's and 40's and had 13 Top Ten hits as a singer. As a songwriter, he received 19 Academy Award nominations, and won 4, as well as receiving 2 Grammy awards. Mercer was one of the founders of Capitol Records in 1942. Many of the greatest pop and jazz singers of that era recorded with Capitol Records, including Frank Sinatra, Nat "King" Cole, Judy Garland and Dinah Shore. Johnny Mercer's lyrics are a unique combination of charming colloquialisms and profound poetry. Frank Sinatra once said, “A Johnny Mercer lyric is all the wit you wish you had and all the love you ever lost.” Mercer's era produced a rich musical tradition which will endure as long as the classics from any earlier era. This was the pop music of its day, but its timeless appeal has resulted in it being repeatedly reinterpreted by prominent jazz artists of the recent and current eras. The album was produced by award winning producer and musician Ken Whiteley. I am privileged to have had the following musicians play on the album: PARMELA ATTARIWALA - violin (tracks 2, 7, 12) ANDY BALLANTYNE - baritone sax (tracks 5,10,11) , alto sax (tracks 2, 4, 8) BUCKY BERGER - drums (all tracks) ROMAN BORYS - cello (tracks 2, 7, 12) WILLIAM CARN - trombone (tracks 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11) DEBBIE FLEMING - background vocal (tracks 3, 5, 11) CHRIS GALE - tenor sax (tracks 6, 7) PETER HILL - piano (tracks 1, 6) KELLY JEFFERSON - tenor sax (tracks 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11) KATHLEEN KAJIOKA - viola (tracks 2, 7, 12) MARK KIESWETTER - piano (tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) GEORGE KOLLER - bass (tracks 3, 7, 9, 12) ROSS MACINTYRE - bass (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11) REG SCHWAGER - guitar (tracks 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 12) LENNY SOLOMON - violin (tracks 2, 3, 7, 12) KEVIN TURCOTTE - trumpet (tracks 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11) CHRIS WHITELEY - harmonica (track 1), trumpet (tracks 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11) KEN WHITELEY - guitar (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12), ukulele (track 9), organ (tracks 6, 11), vibes (track 9), background vocal (tracks 3, 5, 11) ANDREW JONES - Horn arrangements (tracks 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11) ANDREW DOWNING - String arrangements (tracks 2, 7, 12)