Shim Sham Shimmy

The back of the Economist always has a one-page obituary. We love this one for Leonard Reed. I like this round-up of the Shim Sham. The tributes in the NYT are not so oddball and interesting as they once were, but there was a good one recently for Ruth Ellington Boatwright that I can't find in a hurry. When looking for it, I found this great case: Tempo Music v. Famous Music. It has to do with division of royalties when Satin Doll is performed without the lyrics, which are mostly by Billy Strayhorn, with contributions by Johnny Mercer. Lyrics add nothing to this piece, just as they detract from Lush Life, no matter who sings them. Lush Life is perfect as it is, unadorned except by Coltrane.