Speak Low
"Speak Low" (1943) is a popular song composed by Kurt Weill, with lyrics by Ogden Nash.
Background
It was introduced by
The tune is a jazz standard that has been widely recorded, both by vocal artists from Billie Holiday and Tony Bennett to the Miracles and Dee Dee Bridgewater, and such instrumentalists as James Moody,[1] Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, Bill Evans, Sonny Clark with Donald Byrd and John Coltrane, Roy Hargrove, Coleman Hawkins, Woody Shaw, Bobby Shew, Eumir Deodato and Brian Bromberg. Pianist Walter Bishop Jr. in 1961 recorded an album, Speak Low, featuring the song. Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass recorded this in 1983 (on CD Speak Love). Al Caiola's 1961 version reached #105 on Cashbox magazine's "Looking Ahead" survey. Kurt Weill himself also recorded the song.
The opening line "Speak low when you speak love" is based on a line in William Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing (1600), in which Don Pedro says "Speak low if you speak love."
"Speak Low" is featured in the 2014 German film Phoenix.
"Speak Low" is featured in the 1975 episode of
Barbra Streisand version
"Speak Low" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Barbra Streisand | ||||
from the album Back to Broadway | ||||
Released | January 1, 1993 | |||
Genre | ||||
Label | Columbia Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Barbra Streisand singles chronology | ||||
|
In 1993, American singer, songwriter, actress and director Barbra Streisand released a cover of "Speak Low", taken from her twenty-sixth studio album, Back to Broadway (1993).
Critical reception
References
- ^ Allen, Warren (18 June 2010). "Moody 4B". All About Jazz. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
- ^ Flick, Larry (22 January 1994). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 61. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ^ Harrington, Richard (27 June 1993). "Streisand's Return: Nothing Subtle, Nothing New". The Washington Post. p. G06.