Plays Standards

Plays Standards

ASIN: B000068WSY

Track Listings

1. Memory of a Dream

2. Prelude to a Kiss

3. What More Can a Woman Do?

4. Collard Greens and Black-Eyed Peas

5. Cheek to Cheek

6. You Are My Sweetheart

7. Lullaby of Birdland

8. Someone to Watch Over Me

9. Willow Weep for Me

10. Deep Purple

11. Good for Nothin' But Love

12. If I Had You

13. Polka Dots and Moonbeams

14. Just You, Just Me

15. I Surrender Dear

16. Sweetie Pie

17. Ain't Misbehavin'

Tracks:

Sweet And Lowdown
Novelette In Fourths
That Certain Feeling
So Am I
Rhapsody In Blue
Swanee
When You Want 'Em, You Can't Get 'Em...
Kickin' The Clouds Away
Idol Dreams
On My Mind The Whole Night Long
Scandal Walk
An American In Paris

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully American.......2007-05-14

I've had a copy of this CD for years and love it. The power and optimism of the music is really quite remarkable... regardless of who or what is actually playing here. The arrangement of Swanee is light but rich with major chord trains like you just want to go marching around the room. And American In Paris leads you on a swaying, dischordy journey the deeper you go, as the narrative begins to trade delicacy for passion. (and I love renditions where you can hear the MUSIC and the instruments don't get in the way, like four-voice midi versions of Bach which reveal the eloquence).

When I listen to this CD now, and which is most surpring to me, I hear a profound pride in America - back "before." I play it when I have people over and we put burgers on the grill. This CD is the song of sitting in my back yard with the clouds blowing by and for the moment things feel OK.

"Before" - OK, there is no old perfect Amercia; but I'm thinking of the time before we learned to distill petroleum into toxic pollution, before pride meant vanity and thuggery, before hate-filled invective became public amusement, and before presidents went to war because it was good for business.

A Gersh-winner.......2007-01-07

George Gershwin had a long association with the mechanical device known as the player piano. At the age of ten, Gershwin used a neighbor's pianola to teach himself how to play, by very slowly pumping the foot pedal that advanced the hole-punched rolls, and placing his fingers on the depressed keys. His parents were so impressed by his abilities they enrolled the boy in formal piano studies when he turned 13. Thus, an American genius was born.

The existing films of Gershwin (who died of a brain tumor at age 38 in 1937) show him to be a virtuoso at his instrument. His 1924 acoustic recording of Rhapsody In Blue (with the Paul Whiteman orchestra) is further evidence of this. But no film or recording has what is contained within the album GERSHWIN PLAYS GERSHWIN: THE PIANO ROLLS, and that is-- full fidelity range.

The CD comes in a standard jewel case packaged in a heavy paper slipcover. Biographical liner notes are included along with details on the rolls. The earliest performance in this set is from 1916, made when Gershwin was an 18-year-old song plugger. My favorites here are "Swanee," from 1920, and "An American In Paris," from 1933, which is undoubtedly one of the last significant piano rolls ever made.

Gershwin's dynamic performances are not in the least obscured by the few extra notes added to the piano rolls (such practice was standard in those days). Listening to these recordings is like sitting next to this brilliant man, observing his fingers fly over the keys as he plays some of his best work.

TOTAL RUNNING TIME -- 60:36

Interesting... but I think I'd prefer a good Gershwin interpreter.......2006-05-14

Composers are not necessarily the best performers of their own work. A songwriter's songwriter like Jules Shear or Jimmy Webb comes to mind -- surely the best representations of their songs are on other artist's albums.

This album is charming in its own way -- a taste of the music and performance style of a bygone era. Someone complained that these rolls were edited. So what? I'm going to review the final product, now how it was made. Do you eat sausage? Ask not what's in it!

I like to listen to this CD in short bits -- a few songs at a time. For some reason I find it to be fatiguing if I listen for more than 20 minutes or so. I'm not absolutely sure why this is so. Possibly the meter is just a little too metronomic on many of the songs. This lends a "mechanical" quality to the performances.

Additionally, I felt that the dynamic range was restricted. The music does get louder and softer, because of the piano rolls themselves and because of the computer programming used to read the piano rolls -- the dynamics were deliberately adjusted by the record producers in some spots, if I read the liner notes correctly. And yet. And yet. Still these songs do not dynamically "breathe" fully in and out the way they ought to. I find this disappointing, but I think it has something to do with inherent limitations in piano roll recording technique. I'm guessing.

Taken for what it is, it is an interesting concept, and the sound quality is very pleasant. The performances are very good for piano rolls, but fall short of what a good interpreter could do. Take, for example, the Rhapsody in Blue from Woody Allen's Manhattan soundtrack. Listen specifically to the piano part -- the dynamics and variations in rhythm. This is not by any means the best performance of Rhapsody, but it is better than the Gershwin rolls.

Gershwin's playing overated.......2006-04-09

After I heard this cd I bought Gershwin plays Gershwin on the naxos label which arn't piano rolls. Any pianist can tell that many of these rolls are heavily edited and can't be played by a pianists with two hands. On the naxos album that has some of these same songs Gershwin's actual playing doesn't sound very good. Many of Gershwins contempories such as James P. Johnson, Eubie Blake, Luckey Roberts and even Zez Confrey were much better pianists than he was, however they didn't have his melodic gifts as a composer. I would recommend Artis Whodhouse's
transcriptions of Jelly Roll Morton's piano rolls (on the same label) instead because most of those are exactly how he played them and in my opinion Morton was a better musician in every way than Gershwin.

The jazzy Gershwin. What a CD!!!!!!!.......2006-02-23

I got this CD as a gift. I am all for the austrogerman post- romantic music and as imagined Gershwin is not my favourite composer. I know him from his best known works such as the 'Rhapsody", the 'American' and his great songs. This CD is a treasure as mentioned from other reviewers of this site. Gershwin full of passion, his music being jazzy to the very end and that great feeling you get after a great live performance is present all over the length of this 'treasure'. No question about the presence of the music. Not to be missed

Oscar Peterson Plays the Cole Porter Songbook

Average customer rating:

EVERYONE LOVES THIS
Oscar Peterson's Trio Performance:One of the Best.
BUY IT EYES CLOSED
Oscar Peterson is S'wonderful
cole porter and rythm

Oscar Peterson Plays the Cole Porter Songbook
Oscar Peterson
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Oscar Peterson Plays The George Gershwin Songbook
Night Train
Stan Getz & The Oscar Peterson Trio: The Silver Collection
Plays the Harold Arlen Song Book
Oscar Peterson Plays the Duke Ellington Song Book

ASIN: B0000046UF
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

In The Still Of The Night
It's All Right With Me
Love For Sale
Just One Of Those Things
I've Got You Under My Skin
Every Time We Say Goodbye
Night and Day
Easy To Love
Why Can't You Behave
I Love Paris
I Concentrate On You
It's De-Lovely

Customer Reviews:

EVERYONE LOVES THIS.......2006-02-04

This album, these performances, are simply must-own. The music is jazz, but the audience is anyone, everyone. My mother-in-law, who is not a jazz fan (her normal listening fare is, ahem, Neil Diamond), heard this at my home and instantly wished to have a copy of it. That is most unlike her. Fortunately I had two copies of this CD--yes, it's something to do with wanting to have a pristine copy always--and I gave it right then. Oscar Peterson makes converts. And his Gershwin album is a lovely complement to this one, though this is the desert-island absolute fave.

Oscar Peterson's Trio Performance:One of the Best........2003-07-02

This re-release by Verve preserves, in my opinion, one of the best trio performances. 'In the Still of the Night',
Peterson's subtle single melody nuances and left hand chords are complimented by Ray Brown's wonderful bass. Ed Thigpen maintains the tempo with his stylish brush technique. The rest of the CD is hampered only slightly by the 'volme' inconsistencies from one number to the next, created by the studio. This is a great CD.

BUY IT EYES CLOSED.......2003-05-31

OSCAR PETERSON's 1959 piano tribute to COLE PORTER is a joy even if it's only 33 minutes long.We could have take an another half hour of this music.What makes it so enjoyable is the variety of moods it delivers.There was actually another PORTER songbook recorded in mono,but for a reason i ignore,they did not coupled it with this one to make it last longer.A message to VERVE:did they lost the masters of the RICHARD RODGERS songbook,and if not,what are they waiting for?

Oscar Peterson is S'wonderful.......2003-01-27

How can one go wrong setting Cole Porter music down... How can the Great Oscar Peterson go wrong either? He didn't. Oscar is a shining example of what makes a truely wonderful, gifted musician. His dynamics, touch and feeling are really a joy to listen to. Well done! Enjoy!

cole porter and rythm.......2001-02-25

well, i can play Cole in 1.000 ways . All the ways are wonderful.

Plays My Fair Lady and a Dozen Great Standards

Average customer rating:

Early effort.
PREVIN AND FRIENDS DELIGHT ON TIMELESS PIANO JAZZ

Plays My Fair Lady and a Dozen Great Standards
Andre Previn
Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Alone: Ballads for Solo Piano
Essential Collection
Andre Previn Plays Harold Arlen
After Hours
Like Love

ASIN: B000M344ZW
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Tracks:

Get Me To The Church On Time
On The Street Where You Live
I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
Wouldn't It Be Loverly?
Ascot Gavotte
Show Me
With A Little Bit Of Luck
I Could Have Danced All Night
I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
Take The 'A' Train
This Can't Be Love
Should I?
Hallelujah!
Just One Of Those Things
September In The Rain
Lullaby Of Broadway
Black And Blue
I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling
Honeysuckle Rose
Who's Sorry Now?

Customer Reviews:

Early effort........2007-05-29

This is one of Previn's early efforts. Easy listening piano jazz interpretations of My Fair Lady and other broadway type tunes. It is a pleasant listening but not up to his later standards.

PREVIN AND FRIENDS DELIGHT ON TIMELESS PIANO JAZZ .......2007-04-28

Andre Previn has diversified his talent through classical and piano jazz with composing credits too comprehensive to detail. His piano skills, utilised to devastating effect on a series of show scores, reached ultimate perfection on the most celebrated of these when Andre teamed with drummer Shelly Manne and Leroy Vinnegar on double-bass for jazz-tinged songs from the newly-opened MY FAIR LADY in 1956. Listening to brilliant interpretations of GET ME TO THE CHURCH ON TIME, I'VE GROWN ACCUSTOMED TO HER FACE, SHOW ME and five others, is indeed worth the price of this compilation alone but a previous teaming with Shelly Manne in 1953 also brings forth HONEYSUCKLE ROSE and BLACK AND BLUE.

Previn's earlier expertise is also recalled by standards recorded in 1946/47, with Ellington's I GOT IT BAD AND THAT AIN'T GOOD and TAKE THE "A" TRAIN heading equally impressive versions of THIS CAN'T BE LOVE and JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS from Richard Rodgers and Cole Porter respectively. Such seminal recordings display the extent of influence eminent keyboard stylists, Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson and Nat King Cole played on Previn's developing piano skills with overall this collection displaying a timeless quality.

The Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls, Vol. 2

Average customer rating:

BRILLIANT
Pure Gold
Pure Heaven
Gershwin "Live"

The Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls, Vol. 2
George Gershwin
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

Tin Pan Alley | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls
Essential George Gershwin
Gershwin Plays Rhapsody in Blue
Levant Plays Gershwin
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue/Cuban Overture/Porgy and Bess Suite/An American in Paris

ASIN: B000005J3K
Release Date: 1995-09-19

Tracks:

Havanola (Have Another)
Con Conrad: Singin' The Blues ('Till My Daddy Comes Home))
From Now On
Harry Akst: Jaz-O-Mine
Louis Silvers: Just Snap Your Fingers At Care
Jerome Kern: Whip-Poor-Will
Rialto Ripples
Waitin' For Me
Buzzin' The Bee
Chris Schoenberg: Darling
For Your Country And My Country
Kangaroo Hop
Pastime Rag No. 3
Chinese Blues
Whispering
Arrah Go On I'm Gonna Go Back To Oregon

Customer Reviews:

BRILLIANT.......2006-08-08

This CD is just BRILLIANT. It is every bit as good as the first Gershwin piano rolls CD. Gershwin plays Gershwin (and others) and his genius comes through. A total delight!

Pure Gold.......2004-01-25

When I first heard Rhapsody in Blue on this CD it didn't sound quite right. It was more free, more spontaneous, more joyous.
But that is because it went from the composer's mind directly to his fingers, bypassing the compromise of sheetmusic. It goes right to the heart of the listener.

If I was stranded on a desert island and allowed to bring only 10 CDs, this one just might have to be one of the ones I would have to take.

Pure Heaven.......2003-11-11

How would you feel if George Gershwin himself suddenly appeared out of nowhere, sat down at the piano in the corner of your own living room, and played away to his heart's content?

Amazement and delight would perhaps be fair, but not quite good enough words to describe it - pure heaven may just hit nearer the mark!

Such is the feeling that pervades this wonderful collection, which, no less magnificently done than the 1st Volume - an all-Gershwin program - also includes some of the sources of his inspiration.

This is a rare authentic glimpse into the mind of a giant, and listening to him in person affords a feeling of connecting directly to his universe, a feeling as magical as it is palpable.

The style of his playing is positive, decisive, clean, straightforward, no-nonsense, resolutely devoid of either sentimentality or cynicism. However somewhere between the lines engraved is his own heartbeat, full of hope, gentle irony, and complete and utter belief in everything good - be it friendship, love, or life itself.

A must for Gershwin lovers, a much-needed reminder of faith, in these turbulent times, for everyone else.

Gershwin "Live".......2000-08-04

Listening to these modern recordings taken from old piano rolls cut by George Geershwin between 1916 and 1921, one might be compelled to conclude that there's something to be said for older technology. We are able to listen to Gershwin performances that sound as though they occurred today. Obviously, an actual recording made at the time these rolls were cut would have had very primative sound quality, and nowhere near the immediacy which is present here.

The only reason for rating this four, rather than five stars, is that there's a certain player piano quality to the performances that I suspect is not exactly how Gerswin actually sounded; but, having said that, this is about as close as you're going to be able to get to a "live" Gershwin performance with modern sound.

Kessel Plays Standards
Average customer rating:

Barney Was Great! So Is This Collection!

the late, great Barney Kessel

music on guitar

Kessel & Coop Swing Unconventionally

Kessel Plays Standards
Barney Kessel
Manufacturer: Ojc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
General | Jazz | Styles | Music
Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Solo

Easy Like, Vol. 1

Barney Kessel, Vol. 3: To Swing or Not to Swing

Plays for Lovers

Walk, Don't Run!

ASIN: B000000YDE
Release Date: 1991-07-01

Tracks:

Speak Low
Love Is Here To Stay
On A Slow Boat To China
How Long Has This Been Going On?
My Old Flame
Jeepers Creepers
Barney's Blues
Prelude To A Kiss
A Foggy Day
You Stepped Out Of A Dream
I Didn't Know What Time It Was
64 Bars On Wilshire

Customer Reviews:

Barney Was Great! So Is This Collection! .......2006-09-13

The late, great Barney Kessel could play guitar with his feet better than Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton----with all of their fuzz boxes, distortion chambers, and inane three chord, twelve barre redundancy----could play with their hands. Listen to Kessel play on "Our Love Is Here To Stay" and "My Old Flame." That's brilliant technique. He was truly a giant among jazz guitarists. I highly recommend this collection of great American standards by a truly great American guitarist.

the late, great Barney Kessel.......2006-07-29

This is really more on his body of work than this release alone. Get anything you can get your hands on by Barney. Everything he did was great and it was never about what he could do but about the music. I've been reading some webpages about him recently to find out more about him. First off, he may well have been the most recorded guitarist of all time. Like the guitar on the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds?" It's Barney. Elvis' "Return to Sender?" Barney, too. He did work with the Beatles. In fact, "counted among his fans such superstars as the late Beatles John Lennon and George Harrison.

"Barney Kessel is incredible. He's just amazing . . . . Nobody can play guitar like that," Lennon said following a recording session in the 1970s.

Harrison was even more enthused, telling an interviewer in the 1960s: "Barney Kessel is definitely the best guitar player in this world, or any other world."
I'd always heard that he was very friendly to up-and-comers and everybody, really. What I didn't know is that he was a devoted Christian, acc. to his wife. That's really nice to know. There are very few great guitarists left. You have Herb Ellis, Bucky Pizzarelli from the days when there really was jazz. Barney was among the best. Seriously, get anything by him. My particular favorites are this one, "Easy Like," and "Solo." But they're all great. His albums are not your typical guitar as frontman shredding away but real group efforts. Very enjoyable. For Barney, it was always about the music first.

music on guitar.......2004-06-09

For all of the technique on hand in the 21st century, most of it is empty . Barney Kessel could play whatever was put in front of him, or compose limitless variations on the spot; elite technique, always in the service of the music.

Kessel & Coop Swing Unconventionally.......2000-12-23

I'm generally not a big fan of experimental instrumentation in jazz, especially swing. I like the traditional ensembles with saxes, trumpets, trombones, bass, piano & drums (preferably brushes). But this disc is an exception. It features swing guitarist Barney Kessel with a first rate (if traditional) rhythm section and the unusual addition of west coast tenorman Bob Cooper on (wait for it).....oboe! But what a treat! On the tracks where the oboe is featured it's done really well and counters the guitar in a relaxed and natural way. A big part of it is the careful arranging work - very impressive. Recorded in 54 and 55, this disc features 12 tracks, no alternate takes, and if you didn't guess from the title, they're all standards - both swinging up tempo charts and ballads. Highly recommended swing guitar with a twist.

The Greatest! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards

Average customer rating:

Just what I expected
THE BEST COMBINATION
It doesn't get any better
Disco obrigatório pra quem curte jazz
S,Womderfull

The Greatest! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards
Count Basie with Joe Williams
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings
The Best of Joe Williams: The Roulette, Solid State & Blue Note Years
Definitive Joe Williams
Count Basie/Sarah Vaughan
Basie Swings, Bennett Sings

ASIN: B00000476B
Release Date: 1990-06-01

Tracks:

Thou Swell
There Will Never Be Another You
Our Love Is Here To Stay
'S Wonderful
My Baby Just Cares
Nevertheless
Singin' In The Rain
I'm Beginning To See The Light
A Fine Romance
Come Rain Or Come Shine
I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
This Can't Be Love

Customer Reviews:

Just what I expected.......2005-10-03

I have been a Basie and Joe Williams fan since I first heard them live in 1958. A couple of these tracks were on an LP that I bought later that year, for roughly half of my week's army pay, but it was worth it.

It would be difficult to imagine a track by either of them that
I would't like, and it doesn't happen here. Anyone who wants to learn how to phrase a song, whether as a singer or instumentalist buy this and listen.

THE BEST COMBINATION.......2005-06-03

I first bought the reel-to-reel version of this album in 1963. It is now 43 years since, and finally, found a copy of it on cd. Without a doubt, the quintessential combination of Joe Williams' voice and Count Basie's band are beyond comparison. "Standards" sung and played the way they should have been. No "gimmicks," etc. Just plain, honest and musically incomparable renditions of these songs. It was a sad day for me, when it was announced that, Williams and Basie would no longer appear and record together again. Even sadder is the loss of both of these "GIANTS" within the Jazz and music world. I miss both of them beyond comprehension. This is a MUST recording to include in your musical library.

It doesn't get any better.......2002-09-01

This is classic Basie and Williams. If you love either performer you have to have it. These standards swing like they rarely have before or since. Buy it!

Disco obrigatório pra quem curte jazz.......2001-03-09

Pra quem gosta de standards de jazz ( canções americanas) esse disco é uma preciosidade. Além da orquestra de Basie, para surpresa de ninguém, swingar como nunca, Joe Williams, que eu erradamente pensava só cantar blues, é um intérprete muito especial. O repertório foi muito bem escolhido e só tem pérolas mas eu destacaria três faixas especialmente empolgantes: Thou Swell e My Baby Just Cares for Me e I'm Beggining to See The Light. Foi o melhor disco que eu comprei nos últimos meses. Nota 1000.

S,Womderfull.......2000-02-09

I bought this album the first time around after seeing Joe in London it knocked me out then thirty years later it is still fresh as a Daisy. In the mid seventies on a visit to New York once again I heard him sing this time in the Half Note Club to a small audience no words can describe that evening it will stay with me for ever the World is a poorer place without him

Average customer rating:

Let the Buyer Beware
Historical and Pristine
"Rhapsody In Blue"

Gershwin Plays Rhapsody in Blue

Manufacturer: Shout Factory
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

Tin Pan Alley | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls
Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue/An American In Paris
The Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls, Vol. 2
Levant Plays Gershwin
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue - Piano Concerto in F - An American in Paris

ASIN: B000098ZSS
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Tracks:

Rhapsody In Blue
An American In Paris
Swanee
Walkin' The Dog
Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
Somebody Loves Me
Our Love Is Here To Stay
S'Wonderful
Embraceable You
Oh, Lady Be Good

Customer Reviews:

Let the Buyer Beware.......2007-01-12

I do not disagree on any level with the other reviewers of this CD. However, the content is recorded from piano rolls rather than directly from the artist. This fact is not explicitly presented on the web page. Yes, if one clicks on the CD cover photo to get an enlarged image, one can read "First recording 1924 from rare piano rolls" at the bottom in small type. Not everyone will do this however. For this reason alone I only rate this product 3 stars.

Historical and Pristine.......2006-12-22

This compilation of Gershwin selections taken from the piano rolls of the composer offer a perfect introduction to the music of Gershwin, offering a balance between his serious symphonic pieces and his accessible popular songs. Beginning with two of his concert works, "The Rhapsody in Blue" and "An American in Paris," the CD just hints at what the composer accomplished in the concert hall and the world of serious music. To my understanding, the "Rhapsody in Blue" was originally performed at a concert titled 'An Experiment in Modern Music' in 1924 at Aeolian Hall in New York. The piece was performed by an orchestra with Paul Whiteman as director, and with the composer at the piano as part of a concert experiment in jazz. The version on this CD is a piano adaptation created by the composer based off of the original symphonic work.

"An American in Paris" is also a concert work that did not achieve the widespread adoration that the Rhapsody has garnered. It was intended by the composer to capture the emotions of a tourist visiting Paris, and was purportedly auto-biographical. It was performed in 1928 at New York's Carnegie Hall with Walter Damrosch conducting the New York Philharmonic. It received mixed reviews at the time but remains a favorite of Gershwin's classical works. Like the "Rhapsody," the version included here is a piano adaptation of the original orchestral work.

The remaining works on the CD are those of a popular composer, the flipside of Gershwin's career. No other American composer (or any for that matter) has strattled these two different fields of music with the success with which George Gershwin did. And the popular songs, among them, "Embraceable You," "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," and "Love is Here to Stay" have achieved enormous pop culture penetration and secure Gershwin's place in history as a master of popular song composition. Notably missing from this CD, however, are Ira Gershwin's contributions, i.e. the words, which add an element important to these songs' true place in history. Along with Ira's contributions come the countless Gershwin vocal interpreters who helped to realize these songs' true significance and their dispersion throughout the American popular music idiom.

On these versions, it is simply Gershwin playing his works (albeit the recordings are taken from his piano rolls, not an actual live recording). In these arrangements, the melodies are incorporated into lush and often convoluted harmonic accompaniment, in which the melody often becomes lost (i.e., the bridge or B section of "Oh, Lady Be Good!"). However, the opportunity to hear the composer express the harmonic possibilities of these disguisingly "simple" American tunes is truly a valuable one. The particular bouncing style with which Gershwin jumps from chord to chord to accompany his melodies is clearly apparent on many of these tunes, and that is an aspect borrowed from Ragtime that contributes to Gershwin being labeled as a uniquely "American" styled composer. The idiosyncracy of his composition and playing are tied together and come to life on this CD. The harmonic statements are sophisticated and evasive to the common ear, and the rhythmic precision and prolificity are legendary. Together with the melody, these elements of the musical composition on which Gershwin demonstrates mastery come together to produce a truly quintessential and essential Gershwin compilation.

"Rhapsody In Blue".......2006-07-12

"This piece (Rhapsody In Blue) seemed to sweep through my mind. It was the heart of America, the feverishness of life, the musical welter of races, of peoples, their joys and their passions, their dissipations and their exaltations." ~ George Gershwin (September 26, 1898 - July 11, 1937) ~

Today, July 11, 2006, marks the 69th death anniversary of one of America's most versatile songwriters, George Gershwin. The birth of one of my favorite jazz-infused-classical pieces, "Rhapsody In Blue" in 1924 made Mr. Gershwin an overnight and sensational star and had gained him a worldwide recognition. He had been my late parents' (and mine, too) favorite composer along with Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and Cole Porter. His harmonious collaboration with his brother, Ira Gershwin, had produced the most beautiful songs of all-time. They were the most prolific team of songwriters and their compositions have been recorded countless times by famous interpreters of Great American Songbook such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, Tony Bennett, Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Michael Feinstein, Natalie Cole, Linda Ronstadt, Rod Stewart, Steve Tyrell, Diana Krall, John Pizzarelli, Michael Bublé and Chris Botti, among many others.

This CD is a musical treasure and one that I would strongly recommend not only to any Gershwin enthusiast but also to any new fan for this includes the original recording of "Rhapsody In Blue" from rare Piano Rolls. The sound quality is just terrific. It highlights two of his major works - "Rhapsody In Blue" (1924) and "An American In Paris" (1928). It also features some of his well-known popular songs and favorites of mine, my parents' theme songs "Our Love Is Here To Stay" and "Embraceable You." It has been said that Mr. Gershwin functioned best and had written his very best compositions at 3 o'clock in the morning and when he finish eight bars that he likes, he can finish a chorus in a few minutes, like the songs "`S Wonderful" and "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off." This recording also includes "Swanee," "Walkin' The Dog," "Somebody Loves Me," and "Oh, Lady Be Good."

It's so amazing that he composed frequently and never run out of inspirations for writing melodic tunes that are so pleasing to the ears. He can write three to five songs in a single afternoon. When he completed the melody of a song, he gives it to Ira to write words to it. He was such a genius and played the piano by ear after a fashion, tapping out the tunes with a finger.

Not known to many, Mr. Gershwin had tried his hand at painting. I've seen a portrait of himself that he painted a year before his death from brain cancer, and I would say, it's a beautiful work of art, almost like a work of a professional painter. He could have been a great painter.

George Gershwin will always be remembered as one of the greatest 20th Century composers and his music will always linger in the hearts of music lovers like me who truly appreciate and enjoy fine music.

Average customer rating:

huggy likes jazz

Plays Jazz Standards
Earl Bostic
Manufacturer: Definitive
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Complete Quintet Recordings
The Very Best of Earl Bostic
The Best of Earl Bostic
Earl Bostic Story
Earl Bostic 1952-1953

ASIN: B000FTBJDI
Release Date: 2006-06-12

Tracks:

Harlem Nocturne
When Your Lover Has Gone
Where or When
Blue Skies
Blue Moon
Twilight Time
Arrivederci Roma
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
Moonglow
Be My Love
Third Man Theme
Sentimental Journey
Who Cares
East of the Sun
Very Thought of You
Stairway to the Stars
Always
Deep Purple
I Can't Get You Anything But Love
Lover Come Back to Me
You Got to My Head
O Sole Mio
Night and Day
These Foolish Things
I Hear a Rhapsody
Cherokee
Sweet Lorraine
Flamingo

Album Description

2006 compilation CD featuring some of the most beautiful Jazz standards performed by a true master of Alto Sax. The great majority of Earl Bostic's recordings consist of Blues and Rhythm and Blues tracks. On this collection, however, Lonehill Jazz have selected some of his best readings of Jazz standards, along with some popular melodies, which are not strictly Jazz tunes but are treated here as standards ('Arrivederci Roma', 'Third Man Theme' and 'O Sole Mio'), which gives Bostic space for an impressive improvisation. Features musical assistance from John Coltrane, Blue Mitchell, Benny Golson, Benny Carter, Barney Kessel and Stanley Turrentine. 29 tracks. Lonehill Jazz.

Album Details

Earl Bostic was Without a Doubt, a Successful Artist During his Twenty Year Career. He Had a Highly Distinctive Style, a Pure and Strong Sound on the Sax (Which was Sometimes Gentle, Sometimes Hard) and a Superb Sense of Rhythm. His Music was More Rhythm and Blues Than Strictly Jazz, and his Interpretations were More Interesting for their Force and Soul Than for their Improvisational Variety. Bostic Was, Nevertheless, Highly Respected Among Musicians for his Amazing Technique on the Sax and Strong Personality. The Great Majority of Earl Bostic's Recordings Consist of Blues and Rhythm and Blues Tracks. On this Collection, However, We have Selected Some of his Best Readings of Jazz Standards, Along with Some Popular Melodies, which Are Not Strictly Jazz Tunes but Are Treated Here as Standards, Like "Arrivederci Roma", "Third Man Theme" and "o Sole Mio", which Gives Bostic Space for an Impressive Improvisation. Earl's Treatment of Standards is Located on the Border Between R&B and Jazz.

Customer Reviews:

huggy likes jazz.......2007-01-03

This cd was the best jazz saxophone I have heard since Sydney Bechet. Can't stop playing it, for the selection of tunes is such,that I never weary of hearing them again & again.
Sent my cousin a copy after buying mine, & she was just as pleased as I was. I have also recommended it to my Jazz loving Brother.

Average customer rating:

Plays the Standards
Billy May
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Broadway & Vocalists | Imports | Stores | Music

Jazz | Imports | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music

Pop | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

A Band Is Born/Big Band Bash
A Proper Introduction to Billy May: Billy's Best
Big Fat Brass/Bill's Bag
Ultimate
Studio Recordings 1951-1953

ASIN: B0001NIZ1M
Release Date: 2004-05-10

Tracks:

Ain't She Sweet
Five Foot Two, Eyes Of Blue
Tuxedo Junction
You're Driving Me Crazy
Top Hat White Tie And Tails
Cheek To Cheek
High Noon
The Continental
Lulu's Back In Town
Say It Isn't So
Eager Beaver
In The Mood
Little Brown Jug
Making Whooppee
Mad About The Boy
Blues In The Night
'Till There Was You
Young At Heart
The Shadow Of Your Smile
Strangers In The Night
Autumn Leaves
Unforgettable

Average customer rating:

Lucky You!

Plays and Sings Matt Dennis
Matt Dennis
Manufacturer: Universal Japan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

She Dances Overhead: The Songs of Rodgers and Hart
Dennis, Anyone?

ASIN: B00008K75L
Release Date: 2003-06-02

Tracks:

Will You Still Be Mine?
Junior and Julie
Night We Called It a Day
We Belong Together
Angel Eyes
Violets for Your Furs
Everything Happens to Me
Compared to You
That Tired Routine Called Love
It Wasn't the Stars That Thrilled Me
When You Love a Fella
Let's Get Away from It All

Customer Reviews:

Lucky You!.......2003-12-16

Consider yourself lucky to find this, especially if you are only around 40 years old! Growing up in the musically eclectic Chicago during the 40s-50s gave some of us a head up on Matt Dennis, and many reasons to dig his style, which was definitely hip to the times...why, I was singing "Everything Happens to Me" at the age of six! It fit then and still does. The surprise is how well he holds up more than 50 years latter. In a lucky turnabout for fans and listeners, NPRs incomprable Terry Gross was recently being interviewed, talking about Matt Dennis, and giving his music airtime. It sure kicked off my quest for this recording...and what a reward it was. There was a time (pre-Amazonian, of course) that you couldn't even hope to find this record. Buy it and smile at your good fortune!

Jazz Music:

Jazz Music

Jazz Music