Mort and Dot #2: "For You"

A New Album In Ten Parts

Note: Mort and Dot is a new album of ten piano pieces that will be digitally released on May 1. They are based on the popular sheet music collection of my grandparents, dating back to the beginning of the twentieth century. In this series, you can listen to exclusive tracks before the official release and learn more about how the project was made.

Here is a photo of my grandparents, Dorothy and Mordecai Williams. My mom is there, too (Marilyn). I love this photo: in the few photos that I have of them, I think this is the only one where Mordecai is almost smiling. As a couple, and as new parents, you might say they even look serene. This is how I like to think of them.

Track #2: “For You”

Like this? If so, please consider supporting my work by preordering the album here:

And here is the cover from my grandmother’s sheet music, which inspired my piece. Once again, I love the design. Note how she signed “Dottie” up in the left hand corner. The blue background and the stars are my favorite aspects. I also like seeing the wrinkles in the paper, revealing its age and use:

Yes, I directly lifted the title. The music, however, is quite different. The original, by Joe Burke and Al Dubin, is the type of music that saunters in the room and leaves you singing the catchphrase. Here is a 1941 version by Tommy Dorsey, with Jo Stafford singing:

My version is simple and spare. And short, too. In fact, you can’t really tell that it is connected to the original, except that it shares a similar easygoing feeling. But mine carries with it a touch of melancholy. When recording my piano at home, I realized that less was more: I gave the notes more space, and they felt like they just continued to expand in the room. I liked listening to the sounds float all around me.

Again, if you like this, consider supporting my work by preordering the album over on Bandcamp (there’s also a PDF of the Mort and Dot score that comes with each purchase):

Happy listening, and see you in a few days with another track,

Brian