Hoagy Carmichael was one of the most sophisticated composers of popular music. He should be ranked with people like Strayhorn, Ellington, Porter and Gershwin. And it's interesting to note that of that group, he is the only one to have made multiple recordings as a vocalist. Although there are vocal recordings of the others out there (try to hear Strayhorn singing "Lush Life", if you can - but it isn't easy to find), they were incidental to their main work. Carmichael, on the other hand, considered it a central part of his art, and it's fascinating to listen to. His version of "Skylark", for example, is probably my favourite, and that's saying something, because it has been recorded beautifully numerous times, but his unadorned, unaffected treatment seems to reveal information about the song's structure and origin, which of course only its composer could do. Unfortunately, I can't find it on YouTube, but here's a good recording of his wonderful "Memphis in June" instead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZnwIMw8emc

The terms "verse" and "chorus" don't have the same meaning in jazz as they do in rock. In rock, the chorus is a repeated big moment, which often makes use of the title in the lyric, and which usually contains the most memorable and energetic melody (i.e. the hook). The verse is a repeated section that leads to the chorus, and the bridge is a section that usually appears just once (but sometimes more), and is neither the verse nor the chorus. In jazz, via the broadway tradition, a verse is a written introduction with lyrics that permits a connection from a conversation to full-blown singing. The chorus is the main body of the song, often repeated many times for the purpose of improvisation. The term "refrain" is a synonym for chorus, by the way, and you can hear a reference to that term, and to the verse, in Cole Porter's "De-Lovely", where the chorus (or refrain, if you prefer) starts with the lyric, "The night is young...". Here's a link to Sarah Vaughan's version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PREOtMaDvI&feature=related

OK, now I'd like to return to yesterday's subject, Chet Baker: As a singer, he was among the most poignant interpreters of a lyric, and as a trumpeter, he displayed a deeper respect for the words of songs than do most improvisers. One of the ways that this is evident is in the fact that his recorded versions of standards would often include the verse, rather than a short intro and statement of the melody before repeated choruses of soloing. In this version of Gershwin's "But Not for Me", the opening trumpet melody is actually the verse of the song, which very few jazz musicians would have included. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_f_mMJAezM.