Heart and Soul

photo and post by Guy Biederman

Returning on foot from pancakes at the Lighthouse, we find two people playing Heart and Soul on a found-art piano near Dunphy Park. Laughter and music fill the air and we applaud their impromptu performance. Later, I do some research on Google and discover The Larry Clinton Orchestra, Heart and Soul, 1938. I think about our friend Larry Clinton, editor and historian who lives on Gate 6 1/2.

I ask him, “Is that your dad?”

“Yes”, he replies. “The story goes that my father visited Hoagy Carmichael’s office and was riffling through his files of unfinished songs when he found Heart and Soul. He was intrigued, but Carmichael protested, ‘Oh, that? That’s just been lying around. You don’t want to record that!’ Fortunately for him, and for piano students forever after, Pop went ahead.”

And fortunate for us – we went for a walk and found Heart and Soul floating in the air.

This and other intriguing stories appear on Guy’s personal blog.