Hoagy Carmichael

With a laid-back, familiar style, the composer, pianist and singer Hoagy Carmichael created popular hits for decades – and logged numerous entries into the Great American Songbook. When asked about his tuneful gift, he credited his early roots in jazz. But his foremost gift was melody, as “Star Dust,” “How Little We Know” and “The Nearness of You” attest. In jazz-influenced pieces like “Lazy River,” “Memphis in June” and “Baltimore Oriole,” he created themes that move through unexpected inter...