My Funny Valentine

The Palo Alto Sessions - 1981 - 1985; Dianne Reeves, vocals

Inevitably, whenever I play a Valentine’s Day gig, some hipster approaches the piano and asks, “Hey, can you play ‘My Funny Valentine’?” I nod and say, Sure. But, inside, I’m saying, “My Funny Valentine” isn’t a Valentine’s Day song, friend.

Today, I blog before you to inform the uninformed. “My Funny Valentine” comes from the Broadway show “Babes In Arms” with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart. In the show, the character Billie Smith sings “My Funny Valentine” to her friend Valentine “Val” LaMar. His mannerisms and attributes make her smile and she considers him … funny.

My funny Valentine

Sweet comic Valentine

You make me smile with my heart

Your looks are laughable

Unphotographable

Yet you’re my favorite work of art

Is your figure less than Greek

Is your mouth a little weak

When you open it to speak

Are you smart?

But don’t change a hair for me

Not if you care for me

Stay, little Valentine stay

Each day is Valentine’s day

Dianne Reeves recorded this Rodgers and Hart treasure earlier in her career on the Palo Alto Jazz label. Most of the tracks on this label-compilation album date from the early 1980’s. Although this recording finds Ms. Reeves at an early stage of musical and vocal development, you can hear stardom and artistry in the making. It’s kind of like looking at someone’s old high school yearbooks.

“Babes In Arms” also featured the songs “Where Or When”, “The Lady Is A Tramp”, “Johnny One Note” and “I Wish I Were In Love Again”. Boy, they just don’t write them like that anymore, do they?

Credits: To Lorenz Hart, for artful lyrics. Rhyming “Your looks are laughable” with “Unphotographable”? Genius! Thank you.