This is a great thread. It's wonderful to see people discussing the classic tunes of the Great American Songbook!
I work at the Great American Songbook Foundation, which is based in Carmel, Indiana. Our organization was founded by performer and preservationist Michael Feinstein in 2007. We define the "Great American Songbook" as the music of Broadway and movie musicals, standards, and jazz that were written prior to the mid-1960s. This is the focus of our education and preservation efforts, and the Songbook Archives (the only archives in the world focused exclusively on the Songbook) is presently limited to this historical period.
That said, the "American Songbook" is still very much being written. The music of Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick, Ann Hampton Callaway, and Larry Kerchner, to name just a few, is exemplary of the new generation of composers who are writing unique American standards. Other quintessentially American artists like Billy Joel, whose music crosses the boundaries of style and genre, will likely be considered significant contributors to the American Songbook by future generations.
To learn more about the Great American Songbook, and the Songbook Foundation, please visit us online at TheSongbook.org. We're also active on social media- I've included links below!
Have a great day,
Chris Brush
Great American Songbook Foundation
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Christopher Brush, Program Coordinator | The Great American Songbook Foundation
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