1913–1990 · American Composer
Van Heusen wrote for Frank Sinatra the way a tailor cuts a suit — songs that fit a particular voice at a particular moment with unerring precision. His melodies move with easy confidence: they leap and glide with a naturalness that sounds effortless but reveals, on close study, a master craftsman at work.
Jimmy Van Heusen was born Edward Chester Babcock in Syracuse, New York in 1913, and adopted his stage name from the shirt company whose ads he saw on a billboard. He began his career as a pianist, worked in Tin Pan Alley, and eventually became Frank Sinatra's favorite composer — a collaboration that produced dozens of recordings and four Academy Awards for Best Original Song. His primary lyricists were Eddie DeLange, Johnny Burke, and Sammy Cahn, each bringing distinct literary sensibilities to Van Heusen's flowing, wide-interval melodies.
This workshop brings together eleven essential Van Heusen songs. Here's That Rainy Day is arguably the most perfect ballad in the songbook — a melody that descends with such inevitability it feels both surprising and inevitable simultaneously. Darn That Dream, Imagination, and Like Someone in Love are each beloved by jazz musicians for their harmonic richness and singability. Call Me Irresponsible and It Could Happen to You offer lighter, swingier settings.
Van Heusen understood how the voice works — his songs sit well in the range, the difficult notes arrive at moments where emotion demands them, and the lyrical peaks align with the musical ones. Singing his music is an education in what it means for a song to be truly vocally idiomatic.
Each song includes lead sheet and lyric sheet in both a men's and women's key, plus a practice backing track. In addition, there are YouTube links to a variety of artist renditions to inspire you.