Easter Parade

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Happy Easter, everyone!

My friend, Jackie Hogan, and I accompany Irving Berlin’s 1933 classic — Jackie playing ragtime piano, and me singing in my best “Fred Astaire” style.

In your Easter bonnet,
with all the frills upon it,
You'll be the grandest lady
in the Easter Parade.

I'll be all in clover
and when they look you over,
I'll be the proudest fellow
in the Easter Parade.

On the avenue,
Fifth Avenue,
the photographers will snap us,
And you'll find that you're
in the rotogravure.

Oh, I could write a sonnet
about your Easter bonnet,
And of the girl I'm taking
to the Easter Parade.

Jackie and I have been friends for years, but I only became aware that she played the piano (with a real ragtime flair!) more recently, when she started posting her piano-playing on her Facebook page. I have always loved ragtime piano, and used to play it myself, extensively. So when she posted a delightful ragtime version of Irving Berlin's Easter Parade, I thought it would be a hoot to sing along with it. So that's where this recording came from. (I should add: Jackie loved it!)

The song is from 1933, Jackie's piano playing is from 2022, and my singing is from 2025.

The photo of Jackie and me is from around 1992, when we were both living in Natick, Massachusetts.