Welcome to my music blog - The Soundtrack of My Life!

Many of you have asked me “What’s with all the music, Dr. Weiss?” Well, as I’ve told some of you:

I personally call every surgery patient on the evening of surgery just to make sure they are doing well and have no questions that need answering. Occasionally, I would be at the piano and play a song that we had listened to that day. I gradually realized that I wanted to go through all the music that I had played during my life and at least start making a list of the songs that I had recently played.

Well, there are now about 600 songs on the list and I realized that it in a way it represented the ‘soundtrack of my life’! And that’s how I got the idea to record these songs and share them with my patients, friends and family. After I record them they will reside here, for easy access.

Music is truth. It’s honest. It’s really the first social media, where in a way, people could share their souls directly. And isn’t that what the purpose of social media is and why it’s so popular - trying to share who you really are, as completely and directly as possible?

Finally, it has been (and will continue to be) a genuine pleasure sharing these different songs with you and I really appreciate all of your positive feedback!!

Musical Genres

Casablanca Movie Poster

As Time Goes By

February 1, 2019

Casablanca is consistently rated as one of the most important and influential movies ever made.   Many of its elements are synonymous with classic Hollywood - black and white film grain, Humphrey Bogart in a trench coat, the oh-so-quotable lines and of course, the indelible soundtrack! Today's On This Day is a performance of the song "As Time Goes By", memorably performed by Sam in the famed nightclub, in honor of composer Herman Hupfeld's birthday. Interesting factoids: The "piano player" Dooley Wilson was actually a drummer, so the piano was actually played by someone off screen!  Also interesting, is that one of the lines most often associated with the film ("Play it again, Sam), is actually a misquote!  When Ilsa first enters the Café Americain, she spots Sam and asks him to "Play it once, Sam, for old times' sake." After he feigns ignorance, she responds, "Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By'".  Finally, the aforementioned song might have been dropped from the film entirely if not for a haircut Ingrid Bergman got for her next film - making reshoots impossible. So if not for a haircut, we might never have known this song!! Thanks for watching and "here's looking [...]
The original members of singing group The Platters.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

January 25, 2019

This romantic ballad was popularized by artists like Sarah Vaughan and Nat King Cole! Jerome Kern, one of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century,  wrote more than 700 songs, including including such classics as "Ol' Man River", "A Fine Romance", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "All the Things You Are” and  "The Way You Look Tonight. “ He was nominated eight times for an Academy Award, and won twice.  At the time of Kern's death, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was filming a fictionalized version of his life, Till the Clouds Roll By, which was released in 1946 starring Robert Walker as Kern. In the film, Kern's songs are sung by Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, June Allyson, Lena Horne, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra and Angela Lansbury, among others. Bosendorfer piano sound - For this recording I’m playing a Yamaha Clavinova – which has the same keyboard action as a traditional acoustic piano, but there are no strings. Pressing a key activates (in this case) a sound which was sampled from a Bösendorfer Imperial Concert Grand piano. Try listening to it with a good set of headphones! It sounds better than any piano I've ever owned!!
The composers, Harry Ruby and Bert Kalmar

Nevertheless (I’m in Love With You)

January 25, 2019

Nevertheless was composed by Harry Ruby (born January 27, 1895) with lyrics by Bert Kalmar.  Their songwriting partnership was portrayed in the 1950 MGM musical 'Three Little Words', starring Fred Astaire as Kalmar and Red Skelton as Ruby. I love those old ’tin-pan alley’ movies! Notable cover versions of Nevertheless: (I especially want to track down the Telly Savalas (Kojak) version!) The Andrews Sisters Fred Astaire Count Basie Bing Crosby Barry Manilow  Dean Martin Liza Minnelli Olivia Newton-John Andy Gibb Harry Nilsson Frank Sinatra  Rod Stewart Rudy Vallée Betty White Telly Savalas Bob Dylan Other songs by Ruby and Kalmar: “Who's Sorry Now?”, "I Wanna Be Loved by You” (sung by Marilyn Monroe in the film Some Like It Hot), "Three Little Words”, and the television them for “The Real McCoys” (1957-1963).  They also wrote the musical scores for three classic Marx brothers films, Animal Crackers, Horse Feathers and Duck Soup which Included the classics “Hello I Must Be Gong”, “Whatever It Is, I’m Against It”, and “Everyone Says I Love You!”  Bosendorfer piano sound - For this recording I’m playing a Yamaha Clavinova – which has the same keyboard action as a traditional acoustic piano, but there are no [...]
how insensitive pic

How Insensitive

January 25, 2019

On this day, Brazilian musician Antonio Carlos Jobim was born in 1927!  "How Insensitive" is one of his more popular songs, having been covered by a large and diverse swath of people - from Ella Fitzgerald and Diana Krall to Liberace, The Monkees and William Shatner of Star Trek fame! Jobim is also known perhaps for his most popular song (and one of the most recorded songs in the world )- The Girl from Ipanema. Bosendorfer piano sound - For this recording I’m playing a Yamaha Clavinova – which has the same keyboard action as a traditional acoustic piano, but there are no strings. Pressing a key activates (in this case) a sound which was sampled from a Bösendorfer Imperial Concert Grand piano. Try listening to it with a good set of headphones! It sounds better than any piano I've ever owned!!
Frank Sinatra with a hat

The Things We Did Last Summer

January 15, 2019

The Things We Did Last Summer On this day (January 15) in 1993, musician and songwriter Sammy Cahn passed away. Cahn wrote the song that I'm covering today - "The Things We Did Last Summer", which debuted in 1946. His songs won 4 Academy Awards including one for "Three Coins in a Fountain." This time I'm trying to let my "inner trumpet" out. I've always loved this melancholy and romantic song, and for me the classic version is sung by Sinatra. This was only one of many songs that Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen wrote for Frank Sinatra. They were almost considered to be his personal songwriters - producing such songs as "All the Way", "Come Fly With Me",  "High Hopes", "Call Me Irresponsible", "My Kind of Town (Chicago Is...)" and "Love and Marriage." With composer Jule Styne he is remembered for hits such as "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow", "I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry", and this song, "The Things We Did Last Summer".  He also wrote the lyrics to "Teach Me Tonight",  "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" and even "You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!" from the 1953 film classic Peter [...]
Weiss Music Minute - I'll Be Home for Christmas

I'll Be Home for Christmas

December 19, 2018

I'm beginning our Christmas countdown today with the classic, "I'll Be Home for Christmas."  The song was popularized by Bing Crosby, who first recorded the song back in 1943, and was written to honor troops away from home.  The composer, Walter Kent, was also responsible for another popular Christmas song!  Kent also wrote "The White Cliffs of Dover", a song that was popular with British troops during the war much like "I'll Be Home for Christmas" resonated with American troops. I'd like to dedicate this song to any of our family of patients who are serving or have served - we appreciate all you do and we're wishing you the beginnings of a very merry Christmas!
Picture of Frank Sinatra smiling

All The Way

September 7, 2018

And we here at Weiss Cosmetic love our family of patients “All The Way”! As promised, for those of you whose taste might be more appreciative of jazz standards and for you crooners out there, I’m thrilled to share with you another karaoke offering, “All The Way”. The song was written by famed songwriter Jimmy Van Heusen, and is dedicated to my dear friend Pat D – because she actually worked with the composer! Pat and Jimmy worked together in the 40s and 50s; she was his assistant, helping him as he composed hit after hit for Broadway, movies, TV and was even there for Jimmy’s first song!  She’s also had the pleasure of wedding dancing (and smooching) with Frank Sinatra and horseback riding with Jimmy – and that’s just a couple of her fascinating stories (such as the time she was crowned “Miss Dairy Queen” in Lindstrom, Minnesota for writing the song, “I Like My Eggs With A Kiss”). “All The Way” won the 1957 Academy Award for best original song from the movie “The Joker is Wild” – one of my favorite films. So here you are, Pat, after much delay: “All The Way.” Karaoke Participation Instructions You’ll […]