Brooklyn, Blintzes, Baseball and Ballads With Johnny Mercer

(My father, songwriter Carl Sigman, was born on Sept. 24, 1909. He died on Sept, 20, 2000. Portions of this blog were published last summer.)

Rae Sigman, Carl's strong-willed mother, was proud of her son's ability to navigate Beethoven sonatas and improvise pop tunes at the piano. But when he turned 21 and declared his intention to make a living as a songwriter, Rae gave him two choices: doctor or lawyer. Blood nauseated him, so dutiful son that he was, he earned a law degree from NYU and passed the New York State Bar Exam.

In lieu of practicing law, Carl practiced songwriting. Before long he'd composed a trunkload of tunes and set out to play them for anyone who'd listen.

Many months of unanswered phone calls, unreturned letters and fruitless meetings followed. Finally, an uncle who owned steam baths in Harlem got Carl an audience with regular patron Ira Gershwin at the master's Upper West Side apartment. Carl played song after song until Gershwin sent him on his way with a polite, "Keep on trying."

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