Page "Hoagy Carmichael" Paragraph 12

The elegy for hot jazz was premature, but Swing was just around the corner and jazz would soon turn in another direction, with new bandleaders like the Dorseys and Benny Goodman, and new singers like Frank Sinatra leading the way.

Carmichael ’ s output soon would be heading in that direction.

In 1933 Carmichael began his collaboration with newly arrived lyricist Johnny Mercer on " Thanksgiving ", " Moon Country ", and " Lazybones ", which was a smash hit selling over 350, 000 copies in three months.

Carmichael's financial condition improved dramatically as royalties started to pour in, affording him a comfortable apartment and dapper clothes.

So did his social, finding him hobnobbing with George Gershwin, Fred Astaire, Duke Ellington, and other music giants in the New York scene.