10 Favorite September Songs

With the arrival of September, summer is unofficially over and autumn is sort of here. It's just a matter of time now in New York when the temperature will downshift into the low 70s and then the 60s. Apples, suede and boots follow, with Central Park turning color and the distant smell of brownstone fireplaces on Manhattan's Upper West Side. So today, I figured I'd welcome the ninth month with 10 of my favorite September songs:

Here's Artie Shaw in 1945 on September Song. Most later versions of this song take it way too slow. Shaw gives the song the fox-trot treatment, which adds spirit and animation...



Here's James Moody in Paris in July 1951 recording September Serenade for French Vogue backed by strings arranged and conducted by Andre Hodeir. Listen for tags of Thelonious Monk's 'Round Midnight and Moody's own Moody's Mood for Love...



Here's the Sauter-Finegan band in February 1954 recording Eddie Sauter's September's Sorrow...



Here's Jo Stafford singing a glorious swinging version of September in the Rain in the mid-1950s. Best of all, it comes with a smart arrangement by husband Paul Weston. Stafford sings backed by flutes conversing with fleshy trombones and chrome trumpets, a wandering piano, chiffon strings and winding down with billowy reeds and a muted trumpet tag at the tail end... 



Here's Helen Shapiro on the BBC's Top of the Pops in 1963 singing Carole King's It Might As Well Rain Until September...



Here's Tony Bennett in 1965 recording Maybe September for his Movie Song Album. The song was written by Jay Livingston, Ray Evans and Percy Faith for a film called The Oscar...



Here are The Happenings in 1966 singing See You in September, with a Four Seasons voicing...



Here's Johnnie Taylor in 1974 singing Dennis Gilmore's It's September...



Here's Earth Wind & Fire in 1978 singing their hit September...



And here's Barry White in 1978 singing September When I First Met You...