'On The Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe' - Mary Cleere Haran

'On The Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe' sung by Mary Cleere Haran.

MARY CLEERE HARAN (1952-2011), was one of the most renowned singers of "The Great American Songbook" and hailed as cabaret's "most literate chanteuse", garnering rave reviews from audiences and critics alike for her witty, sophisticated performances. The San Francisco native, who has been compared to Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Doris Day and Rosemary Clooney, evoked the charm, style and wit of 1930s movie stars like Myrna Loy, Irene Dunne, Jean Arthur and Carole Lombard. She performed at some of the most prominent venues in the country, including Lincoln Center, Rainbow & Stars, The Russian Tea Room, Feinstein's at Loews Regency, The Carlyle, The Algonquin's Oak Room, The Cinegrill in Los Angeles, The Plush Room in San Francisco, and the Bellevue Hotel in Philadelphia.

It was Haran's love affair with classic movies of the 1930s and 1940s - most notably the black and white Warner Bros. films bursting with brassy, sassy Gold Diggers and Jazz Age Gershwin music - that sparked her love affair with American popular song. She cited Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee as primary sources of inspiration, but clearly Hollywood's Golden Age made an indelible impression on Ms. Haran's singing. She made her Broadway debut in 'The 1940s Radio Hour' and appeared Off-Broadway in 'Manhattan Music', 'Swingtime Canteen' and 'Heebie Jeebies'. On TV, she had a recurring role on Sidney Lumet's drama "100 Centre Street" on A&E.

In addition to her illustrious performing career, Ms. Haran was a respected writer and researcher who brought her talents to numerous PBS specials, including "Remembering Bing," "Irving Berlin's America," "When We Were Young: The Lives of Child Movie Stars," "Satchmo," a documentary about Louis Armstrong and "Doris Day: A Sentimental Journey." She was one of a select group asked to write on Frank Sinatra's death in The New York Times. Her numerous recordings have been praised by Entertainment Weekly, People Magazine and The New York Times. They include "Crazy Rhythm: Manhattan in the '20s", "There's a Small Hotel: Live at the Algonquin," "This Heart of Mine: Classic Movie Songs of the 40s," "This Funny World: Lyrics by Hart" and "Pennies From Heaven."

Category:

Entertainment

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• Mary
• Cleere
• Haran
• Harry
• Warren
• Johnny
• Mercer
• cabaret
• Judy
• Garland
• The
• Harvey
• Girls

[5SunkenHeights5]

Thanks for posting! I love the way Mary sings this... I heard her do it a number of times and it got even richer since this first recording... I think it's Fred Hersch playing piano...?