Singing in the Rain
Although Cliff Edwards, also known as Ukulele Ike, was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1920s he is almost forgotten today. He was the first performer to do the classic "Singing in the Rain," he debuted Gershwin's "Fascinatin' Rhythm" in 1924, and he acted in over 100 movies. Unfortunately, he received no screen credit for his most famous role--as the voice of Jiminy Cricket in Walt Disney'sPinocchio. His version of "When You Wish Upon a Star" is still the definitive version of that classic song. Cliff Edwards deserves to be remembered, and a good place to rediscover him is onSinging in the Rain, a collection of songs from the 1910s, '20s, and '30s recorded for radio in the early '40s. He accompanies his jazzy vocals with his virtuoso ukulele playing. His performances have a surprisingly modern feel with none of the stilted quality that performers from the '20s can have.--Michael Simmons