Born on this day in 1922, Jazz pianist Page Cavanaugh was the special guest in a concert I went to at the Greek Theater back in the 1980s. They mentioned that he performs at a club in Burbank, and that began a wonderful friendship. Every week I would go see Page, listen to him play and talk with him about music, learning about the great composers and performers of American music.

Page worked with everybody! Frank Sinatra, Chico Marx, Louis Armstrong and on and on. I miss Page and I miss his stories.

I had known Page for awhile before I learned that he provided his musical talents for a Disney cartoon short entitled “The Truth About Mother Goose.”

This animated short, featured segments explaining the story behind Mother Goose stories. Page and his trio introduced each segment in song. Here’s a clip from the opening of the film:

Although “The Truth About Mother Goose” was the only animated film Page appeared in, he was in a number of other movies including “A Song is Born,” “Lullaby of Broadway,” and “Romance on the High Seas.” In the latter, he accompanied Doris Day on piano and in voice for the song, “Put ‘Em in a Box.”

The big song “Romance on the High Seas” was “It’s Magic,” written by Jule Styne, with lyrics by Sammy Cahn. That song was nominated for an Oscar that year.

One of the last times I saw Page, I recorded him singing this parody, “It’s Tragic.”