IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR Set for Weill Recital Hall Tonight

Seven outstanding vocalists, songwriters, and musicians born in 1915 will be honored at Weill Recital Hall tonight, June 9th, at 7:30 p.m., when The Mabel Mercer Foundation presents the annual concert, "It Was A Very Good Year." Cohosted by the Foundation's artistic director KT Sullivan and the distinguished critic Rex Reed, the one-night-only event celebrates the centennial birthdays of (alphabetically) Alice Faye, Billie Holiday, Bart Howard, Edith Piaf, Frank Sinatra, Billy Strayhorn, and Cy Walter.

The Weill Recital venue is part of the Carnegie Hall complex at 154 West 57th Street. The cast list for June 9th includes Joyce Breach, Alexis Cole, Jed Distler, Merrill Grant, Allan Harris, Valerie Lemon, Gay Marshall, Marcus Simeone, Lumiri Tubo, Jon Weber, Aaron Weinstein, and Bill Zeffiro.

Patron seat tickets @ $150.00 are directly available from The Mabel Mercer Foundation and include a cocktail reception with the performers and musicians after the presentation. Please call: 212 980-3026. General tickets @ $75.00, $50.00, or $25.00 may be purchased at the Carnegie Hall box office between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday, or by calling CarnegieCharge 212 247-7800.

The "It Was A Very Good Year" series was launched by KT Sullivan and Jon Weber in 2007 with permission granted by the late great composer Ervin Drake to use the title of his song, famously recorded by Frank Sinatra. This year's honorees -- preeminent twentieth century artists all -- were born one hundred years ago in 1915:

Alice Faye - One of the top-ranked movie musical stars of the late 1930s and 1940s, Faye also had her own radio program, appeared on Broadway, and introduced such classic songs as "When I'm With You," "Goodnight, My Love," "I Feel A Song Comin' On," "There's a Lull in My Life," "Now It Can Be Told," "You're a Sweetheart," "No Love, No Nothing," and the Academy Award-winning "You'll Never Know."

Billie Holiday - Jazz-singer, vocalist extraordinaire, recording star, and big-band, nightclub, and café songbird, Holiday's artistry of phrasing, tempo, and interpretation changed music performance for all-time.

Bart Howard - Composer/lyricist of "Fly Me to the Moon," Howard also wrote "Don't Dream of Anybody But Me," "Let Me Love You," and many others. He additionally worked as skilled accompanist to such stellar singers as Mabel Mercer, Johnny Mathis, and Eartha Kitt.

Edith Piaf - The legendary French cabaret and concert performer enjoyed international success, both in concert and cabaret appearances, as well as through the sales of her extraordinary recordings. Her signature songs included "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien," "La Vie En Rose," and "Milord."

Frank Sinatra - Across a six-decade career, "The Voice" became and remains a legendary figure in popular music: on recordings, in film, and on television. He also was an acclaimed and Academy Award-winning actor; a producer and director, and humanitarian. Sinatra's contributions to The Great Popular Songbook cannot be overestimated and he stated often "Everything I learned I owe to Mabel Mercer."

Billy Strayhorn - An exemplary jazz musician, Strayhorn also wrote music and lyrics, played piano, and did musical arrangements, working for nearly three decades with Duke Ellington. Strayhorn's compositions include "Take the 'A' Train" and "Lush Life."

Cy Walter - The epitome of café society pianists, Walter held forth in New York City for decades, renowned for his knowledge of show music, his improvisational skills, and his ability to accompany the greatest singers of the cabaret world. He also enjoyed immeasurable success as a recording and radio artist.