From Harold Arlen to generations of artists who have graced Buffalo stages, the timeless music of the Great American Songbook continues to shape our city’s musical identity.
Every city carries its own musical story.
Some places are known for blues, others for rock, country, or folk traditions. But occasionally, a city develops a deeper connection to a body of music that becomes part of its cultural identity — music that resonates across generations.
Buffalo is one of those cities.
It is, in many ways, a Great American Songbook city.
At the center of that story stands Buffalo’s own Harold Arlen, one of the most important composers of the twentieth century and one of the defining voices of the Great American Songbook. Born in Buffalo, Arlen would go on to write some of the most enduring songs in American music — melodies and lyrics that have been carried across decades by singers and jazz musicians alike.
Songs such as Over the Rainbow, Stormy Weather, and Come Rain or Come Shine became part of the very fabric of American culture. They were performed by legendary artists including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Tony Bennett, and continue to be interpreted by jazz musicians around the world.
Buffalo has long embraced this music.
For decades, audiences in our city have gathered to hear the songs of the Great American Songbook performed in theaters, concert halls, clubs, and festivals. Generations of touring artists have brought this repertoire to Buffalo stages, while local musicians have carried the tradition forward through their own interpretations and performances.
Over the years, Buffalo audiences have had the privilege of hearing many of the greatest voices associated with the Great American Songbook. Legendary artists such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday all performed in Buffalo during the height of their careers, bringing these timeless songs directly to local audiences.
Many of these unforgettable performances took place in the revered Kleinhans Music Hall, a concert hall internationally respected for its remarkable acoustics and its long history of presenting the finest artists in music.
Today, that tradition continues.
Contemporary artists still bring the Great American Songbook to Buffalo stages, offering new interpretations while honoring the spirit of the originals. Most recently, audiences experienced this beautifully through the appearance of Tierney Sutton, widely regarded as one of the most superb interpreters of the Songbook performing today. Sutton appeared in Buffalo as part of the 2nd Annual Harold Arlen Celebration, held at Jazz at Kleinhans at Kleinhans Music Hall, honoring the Buffalo-born composer’s 121st birthday. Her performance served as a powerful reminder of how the music of Harold Arlen—and the Great American Songbook itself—continues to resonate with audiences today, bridging generations through timeless melody, lyric, and interpretation.
That is the enduring strength of the Great American Songbook.
These songs were written generations ago, yet they remain endlessly adaptable. A melody by Harold Arlen can inspire a fresh improvisation. A lyric written decades earlier can still resonate deeply with listeners hearing it today.
Buffalo’s musical story is inseparable from that tradition.
From the city that gave the world one of the Songbook’s greatest composers to the artists who have performed these songs on Buffalo stages for decades — and the musicians who continue to interpret them today — the connection remains strong.
Each performance adds another chapter to the story.
For all of these reasons, Buffalo holds a meaningful place within the ongoing story of the Great American Songbook.
It is not simply a city where these songs are performed.
It is a city where they are remembered, celebrated, and continually renewed.
Buffalo is — and continues to be — A Great American Songbook City.
