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"What were your early jazz influences?" is a question I am asked repeatedly.

I have to admit much of it was culled from TV. I was an unabashed lover of musicals. While most people went to fix themselves a snack, I sat transfixed by the musical numbers and knew that in real life when I grew up my true love would not kiss me first without bursting into song.

Back in the days before YouTube, we only had a chance to watch many of these movies once a year or maybe longer in the case of the Disney Vault.

There also seems to be a definite break between the music I consciously sought out as an adult or other musicians hipped me to once I started becoming a professional versus the things I grew up with as a child. I was fascinated by without necessarily realizing that it was jazz, promoted jazz culture or was written by the same composers who have written the vast body of music that have become standards in jazz. Therefore, I am going to limit this list to music I listened to before age 16.

1. "Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz"
    
2. "I'm In the Mood For Love" by Darla and Alfalfa in "The Little Rascals" (watch on YouTube)
    
3. "Blues in the Night" by Beaky Buzzard in "Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid" (watch on YouTube)
    
4. "I Love to Singa" by Owl Jolson in the "Merry Melodies" cartoon of the same name (watch on YouTube)
    
5. "Stormy Weather" by Lena Horne (watch on YouTube)
    
6. "Live at Newport" by Nina Simone
   My mother played this shellac 78 a lot, and I when I left the house I stole it!
    
7. "We've Only Just Begun" by Monty Alexander
   My great-grandmother loved Monty and had everything he ever issued.
    
8. "Babes in Arms" (the movie)
   Actually, any Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney movie, but this one subliminally programmed me to be a performer.
    
9. Horace Silver and the live music played at the yearly Portuguese Picnic in Connecticut
    
10. "Birth of the Blues"
    It was sung by someone like Leslie Uggums or Mabel King or Jenny Jefferson on a jazz-themed episode of "Fantasy Island." I learned that song and become fascinated with the Jazz Era after that.
     
11. "Pick up the Pieces" by the Average White Band
    My mother played AWB every Saturday while she cleaned the house. (watch on YouTube)
     
12. The Nicholas Brothers and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson vignettes
    They were so short it was easy to miss them, so I wouldn't move from in front of the TV set if they were making a cameo; otherwise, I wouldn't see it again until next year. (The younger generation is so spoiled by Youtube). After the movie ended, I proceeded to drive my mom crazy, tap dancing on our wooden staircase (watch Bojangles and Shirley Temple on YouTube)
     
13. "Being Green" by Lena Horne and Kermit the Frog on "Sesame Street" (watch on YouTube)
     
14. "A-Tisket A-Tasket" by Ella Fitzgerald
     
15. "Happy Talk" by Nancy Wilson
    I learned this one in kindergarten.
     
16. "Guess Who I Saw Today" by Nancy Wilson
    She had it going on wa-a-ay before Oran "Juice" Jones…
     
17. "Minnie the Moocher" by Cab Calloway (watch on YouTube)
     
18. "Five O'Clock Whistle" by Duke Ellington
     
19. "The Money Cat Can" from "Gay Purr-ee"
    I love this cartoon, which features Judy Garland with music by Harold Arlen & Yip Harburg. (watch on YouTube)
     
20. "Cheer Up, Charlie" from "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"
    Pianist Al Plank encouraged me to sing this song instead of "Pure Imagination." I love Leslie Bricusse songs.
     
21. "I Wanna Be Just Like You" by Louis Prima from the movie "The Jungle Book"
     
22. "Cheek to Cheek" by Fred Astaire & Ginger Rodgers
    The Fred & Ginger films always had the lush and lavish Art Deco sets that screamed JAZZ! (watch on YouTube)
     
23. "Charlotte's Web" with Debbie Reynolds
    Debbie Reynolds in "Singin' in the Rain" is too obvious, so I preferred this. (watch on YouTube)
     
24. "Bill Bailey" by Betty Rubble (who sang this song on top of a piano) from the TV series "The Flintstones"
     
25. "Linus & Lucy" by Vince Guaraldi
    Try and not dance! (watch on YouTube)
     
26. "Your Feet's Too Big" by Fats Waller (watch on YouTube)
     
27. "Guest Star Day: The Tuesday Theme Song" from "The Mickey Mouse Club" (watch on YouTube)
     
28. "It's You I Like" from "Mister Rodgers' Neighborhood"
    Mr. Rodger's Neighborhood's served surreptitious servings of jazz daily. I often sing "It's a Beautiful Day" but I prefer this song and I love the hip jazz ending. (check out these great lyrics)
     
29. "Blue" by Joe Raposo from "Raggedy Ann & Andy"
    I loved everything Joe wrote, including the "Sesame Street" songs "Being Green" and… (watch on YouTube)
     
30. "Somebody Come and Play" by Joe Raposo from "Sesame Street"
    This song always made my heart ache a bit… especially the lyrics, "Somebody come before it gets too late to begin" (watch on YouTube)
     
31. "The Number Song" from "Sesame Street" (watch on YouTube)
     
32. "Naughty Number Nine" from "Schoolhouse Rock!" (watch on YouTube)
     
33. "Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder
    This song taught me the names of jazz pioneers before I even really knew the history.