It’s not the pale moon that excites me…
Some might immediately think of Norah Jones, but she wasn’t the first to sing this charming tune. The original singer was Ray(mond) Eberle, as recorded by the Glenn Miller Orchestra in April 1940. Hoagy Carmichael wrote the melody in 1938, along with lyrics by Ned Washington.
Other popular versions included a duet by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong (including Oscar Peterson on piano!), Al Jarreau, Sammy Davis Jr., Etta James, and many, many others — like, of course, Norah Jones in 2002.
I did this recording on the Yamaha CP88 with a Natural CFX sound. Come to think of it, this melody is now over 80 years old, but still a beautiful reminder that sometimes it’s enough to be close to the people you love… Just "The Nearness of You".
Have a great weekend and stay safe!