Kander and Ebb
John Kander - Fred Ebb
The songwriting team of Kander and Ebb consisted of composer John Kander (born in 1927) and lyricist Fred Ebb (1928 - 2004). They worked together from 1962 until Ebb’s death in 2004, writing songs and scores for Broadway musicals, Hollywood films, and Television productions. They produced many hit musicals including Cabaret, Chicago, New York, New York, Funny Lady, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Woman of the Year and Liza with a Z. Their famous 1977 song “New York, New York” became a signature song for Frank Sinatra and the theme song for New York City. They received 3 Tony Awards for best scores, 2 Emmy Awards, 2 Grammy awards, and were nominated for 2 Academy Awards and 4 Golden Globe awards. In 1991 Kander and Ebb were inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame in New York City, and in 1998 they were recognized for their contributions to theatre and music with the Kennedy Center Honors.
John Kander was born into a musical household in Kansas City, Missouri, and was included in annual family visits to the New York City’s Broadway theater district. He started piano lessons at the age of 6 and ultimately received college degrees in Music from Oberlin College and Columbia University (Masters in Music). In the 1950s he worked as a rehearsal pianist, dance music arranger, and summer-stock musical conductor before joining lyricists James and William Goldman to write the score for the 1962 musical A Family Affair.
Fred Ebb was born in New York City and quickly developed a natural love for the city’s theatrical scene. After receiving college degrees from New York University and Columbia University (Masters in English Literature), he began writing New York nightclub acts and teamed with various composers to write songs for musical revues, most notably the 1960 Broadway revue From A to Z.
John Kander and Fred Ebb were introduced in 1962 by a mutual music producer and decided to test their compatibility as writing partners with a "mock title song" for a musical comedy already running on Broadway. Kander suggested they try a ballad and, in relatively short order, they wrote the song “My Coloring Book”. The song became an instant hit, and the Barbra Streisand cover rose on the pop charts. It was the beginning of their 40 year collaboration in which they wrote songs for 18 stage musicals, 8 Hollywood films, 7 television productions, and established what was to become Kander and Ebb's iconic musical style: melodies which have deceptively sophisticated harmonic progressions and lyrics which are campy, cynical, and ironic. They developed a collaborative process which permitted stage actors to contribute ideas toward character creation. The entire creative team often met at the home of Harold Prince, one of Kander and Ebb’s main producers.
Kander and Ebb’s scores produced many songs made popular by top musical performers including Lauren Bacall, Joel Grey, Gwen Verdon, Frank Sinatra, Robert Goulet, Barbra Streisand, and their two long-time favorite female performers Liza Minelli and Chita Rivera. Their best songs included “A Quiet Thing” from Flora, The Red Menace, “Cabaret”, “I Don’t Care Much”, and “Maybe This Time” from Cabaret, “I Don’t Remember You” from The Happy Time, “Yes” from 70, Girls, 70, “Isn’t This Better” and “How Lucky Can You Get” from Funny Lady, “And All That jazz” and “I Move On” from Chicago, “But The World Goes ‘Round” and “New York, New York” from New York, New York, “Sometimes a Day Goes By” from Woman of the Year, “She’s a Woman” from Kiss of the Spider Woman, ”First You Dream” from Steel Pier, “You, You, You” from The Visit, and “Go Back Home” from The Scottsboro Boys the last one using posthumous lyrics from Fred Ebb.
After Fred Ebb’s death in 2004, John Kander continued to compose for the musicals Curtains (lyrics Fred Ebb and John Kander), The Scottsboro Boys (lyrics Fred Ebb and John Kander), The Landing and Kid Victory (lyrics Greg Pierce), and The Beast in the Jungle (lyrics David Thompson).
Kander and Ebb Stage Musicals
Kander and Ebb Films
Kander and Ebb Television Productions
John Kander was born into a musical household in Kansas City, Missouri, and was included in annual family visits to the New York City’s Broadway theater district. He started piano lessons at the age of 6 and ultimately received college degrees in Music from Oberlin College and Columbia University (Masters in Music). In the 1950s he worked as a rehearsal pianist, dance music arranger, and summer-stock musical conductor before joining lyricists James and William Goldman to write the score for the 1962 musical A Family Affair.
Fred Ebb was born in New York City and quickly developed a natural love for the city’s theatrical scene. After receiving college degrees from New York University and Columbia University (Masters in English Literature), he began writing New York nightclub acts and teamed with various composers to write songs for musical revues, most notably the 1960 Broadway revue From A to Z.
John Kander and Fred Ebb were introduced in 1962 by a mutual music producer and decided to test their compatibility as writing partners with a "mock title song" for a musical comedy already running on Broadway. Kander suggested they try a ballad and, in relatively short order, they wrote the song “My Coloring Book”. The song became an instant hit, and the Barbra Streisand cover rose on the pop charts. It was the beginning of their 40 year collaboration in which they wrote songs for 18 stage musicals, 8 Hollywood films, 7 television productions, and established what was to become Kander and Ebb's iconic musical style: melodies which have deceptively sophisticated harmonic progressions and lyrics which are campy, cynical, and ironic. They developed a collaborative process which permitted stage actors to contribute ideas toward character creation. The entire creative team often met at the home of Harold Prince, one of Kander and Ebb’s main producers.
Kander and Ebb’s scores produced many songs made popular by top musical performers including Lauren Bacall, Joel Grey, Gwen Verdon, Frank Sinatra, Robert Goulet, Barbra Streisand, and their two long-time favorite female performers Liza Minelli and Chita Rivera. Their best songs included “A Quiet Thing” from Flora, The Red Menace, “Cabaret”, “I Don’t Care Much”, and “Maybe This Time” from Cabaret, “I Don’t Remember You” from The Happy Time, “Yes” from 70, Girls, 70, “Isn’t This Better” and “How Lucky Can You Get” from Funny Lady, “And All That jazz” and “I Move On” from Chicago, “But The World Goes ‘Round” and “New York, New York” from New York, New York, “Sometimes a Day Goes By” from Woman of the Year, “She’s a Woman” from Kiss of the Spider Woman, ”First You Dream” from Steel Pier, “You, You, You” from The Visit, and “Go Back Home” from The Scottsboro Boys the last one using posthumous lyrics from Fred Ebb.
After Fred Ebb’s death in 2004, John Kander continued to compose for the musicals Curtains (lyrics Fred Ebb and John Kander), The Scottsboro Boys (lyrics Fred Ebb and John Kander), The Landing and Kid Victory (lyrics Greg Pierce), and The Beast in the Jungle (lyrics David Thompson).
Kander and Ebb Stage Musicals
- Flora, The Red Menace (1965)
- Cabaret (1966)
- The Happy Time (1968)
- Zorba (1968)
- 70, Girls, 70 (1971)
- Chicago (1975)
- 2 by 5 (1976)
- The Act (1978)
- Woman of the Year (1981)
- The Rink (1984)
- And the World Goes 'Round (1991)
- Kiss of the Spider Woman (1992)
- Steel Pier (1997)
- Fosse (1999)
- Over and Over aka All About Us (a.k.a. The Skin Of Our Teeth) (1999)
- The Visit (2001)
- Curtains (Fred Ebb Posthumous lyrics - 2006)
- The Scottsboro Boys (Fred Ebb Posthumous lyrics - 2010
Kander and Ebb Films
- Cabaret (1972) – 12 songs
- Funny Lady (1975) – 6 songs
- Lucky Lady (1976) – 2 songs
- A Matter of Time, aka Nina (1976) – 2 songs
- New York, New York (1977) – 4 songs
- French Postcards (1979) – 1 song
- Stepping Out (1991) – 1 song
- Chicago (2002) – 15 songs
Kander and Ebb Television Productions
- Liza with a Z (1972)
- Ol’ Blues Eyes is Back (1973)
- Gypsy in my Soul (1976)
- Goldie and Liza Together (1980)
- Baryshnikov on Broadway (1980)
- Liza in London (1986)
- Liza Minelli, Live from Radio City Music Hall (1992)