No comments about Goodbye Cruel World.

No comments about Broadway: Timeless Classics of Stage and Screen.

3 comments about Live at the Café Carlyle.

1. Item arrived quickly and in excellent condition. Was listed very accurately so I knew exactly what I was buying. I recommend this item to anyone who has listened to Bobby Short's music - I first heard him on a Woody Allen movie soundtrack.



2. To many people Bobby Short exemplified sophistication and wit. To see him live at the Cafe Carlyle was to take a trip down memory lane. A time when people dressed up when they went out. Men wore suits and tuxedos, women wore evening gowns. You also had the pleasure of hearing some of the greatest songs ever written from the likes of Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Rogers & Hart, Noel Coward and Harold Arlen. Where else could one go and see an entertainer, of the stature of Short, and hear such songs?
   
   I had the honor, and I do consider it an honor, of seeing Bobby Short at the Cafe Carlyle. In fact I saw him twice. No record can really capture the feeling of being in the room, I've been slightly disappointed with some of his "live" albums, but "Bobby Short Live at the Cafe Carlyle" does have some bright moments, and at time we can sense the joy that filled the room.
   
   One of the reasons I haven't enjoyed Short's "live" albums is if you notice he usually sings too many slow songs. When you do that you run the risk of boring an audience. You have to mix things up a bit and throw in some up-tempo tunes. Listen to Short's "Late Night At The Cafe Carlyle" album, every song, with the exception of two, are slow. So far the best "live" album I've heard is called "Songs of New York".
   
   Short does start things off with a bright up-scale tune called "Real Live Girl" written by Cy Coleman, who also recently passed away. Short then follows that up with "Miss Brown To You", a song I personally associate Billie Holiday with. It too is up-scale.
   
   Now don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting Bobby Short did not how to sing a slow song, he did. I especially like a Stephen Sondheim tune called "Losing My Mind", which I'd never heard before.
   
   The program can be summed up by naming three composers; Cole Porter, Sondheim and Harold Arlen. Porter tunes consist of "Mister and Missus Fitch", a funny little tune, "All of You" Short sings some lyrics I never heard before, "Let's Misbehave" I like the song but didn't care for Short's arrangement but did like "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "Miss Otis Regrets" and finally "I Happen To Like New York". The Sondheim tunes are as mentioned "Mind" plus "Sorry-Grateful" and "Send in the Clowns". I was a bit surprised to hear Short sing Sondheim, I didn't think he had the right voice of those tunes but he handles them pretty well. And Arlen tunes include "Ill Wind", "One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)" and "I've Got The World On A String".
   
   Bobby Short fans should enjoy the album, though it seems to no longer be available on CD. I bought a copy of the LP. If you really want to hear this album you may have to do the same. New York's nightlife will never quite be the same now that the master is gone.
   
   Bottom-line: Pretty good "live album" that doesn't quite capture the feeling of seeing Short live but it does have some bright moments. Interesting song selection makes the album worthwhile for Short fans.



3. This album was recorded when Bobby Short was at the height of his talent. It contains what I consider to be the finest interpretation of Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns" It's simply the best album in my collection. Listening to Mr. Short changed my taste in music forever and for the better.

5 comments about Little Me: The New Broadway Cast Recording (1999 Revival).

1. This is a cheaply produced album of a cheaply produced revival. Compared to the brilliant original recording with Sid Caesar...well, there is no comparison. As someone else noted, the orchestrations (what there are of them) are dreadful, relying much too heavily on synthesizers; the result is a tinny, fake-sounding cacophony. (It's what I imagine the condensed shows in Vegas must sound like.) Short is amusing in fits and starts, but Prince does her one trick pony cutesy pie schtick to grating affect. This is one of the great Broadway scores (for a show that doesn't really work on stage), but one would never know if from this wan, completely unnecessary mess of a CD.



2. Martin Short is brillant, a little known show, but cute and funny, I love you....as much as I am able...good little show. Michelle



3. Little Me was one of the funniest shows of the sixties, Neal Simon's first book musical was riotous!! The Cy Coleman score is terrific, with I've Got Your Number and Real Live Girl standing out. Sid Ceasar had a field day in the leading male role, playing a variety of comedic characters.
   In this revival the book is altered to suit the talents of Faith Prince and it works fine. She is a gem in the role of Belle Poitrine.
   However, Martin Short taking on Ceasar's roles, played them like a parody of himself on SNL. I swear you can hear Ed Grimbly several times on the CD, and he flat out ruined Real Live Girl with his obnoxious voice. It get's a bit grating after a while. Still it's great to have a new recording of this terrific show.



4. After reading the previous reviews of this 1998 Roundabout Theatre Company revival of LITTLE ME, I can only assume that none of the writers had ever heard the 1962 original Broadway cast recording. It only takes a few bars of Harold Wheeler's Las Vegas-style, synthesized overture (what happened to the strings?) to conclude that this is just a cheap facsimile. Such a disappointment. No wonder it ran for only 99 performances!
   
   What's wrong with this "revival" - and that of KISS ME KATE, 110 IN THE SHADE, PAJAMA GAME, etc. - probably boils down to economics. Imagine the producer on the telephone: "Musicians, singers, dancers. That's big money. We can save a bunch of bucks by trimming their numbers. What do you mean the original orchestrations and choral arrangements won't work anymore? Just hire some hack to write new ones with lots of brass and drums and synthesizers. Who needs strings? Since the public schools ain't teachin' music no more, no one'd recognize a viola if one fell on his head. With the money we save on musicians, we can add some cool special effects. Can we work a helicopter into this scene? Audiences really go for that kind of thing today.
   
   "Another thing, what's this baloney with having TWO temperamental actresses play one character? I don't care if Neil Simon wrote it that way. If that Ceasar guy could play seven different men in 1962, then Faith Prince can play the young Belle AND the older Belle! What happens with the two Belle's 'Little Me' duet? No problem! Just throw in a bunch of cute show boys to back up Ms. Prince. And, by the way, move the song from late in Act II and make it the show's opening number. That's the name of the show, isn't it? LITTLE ME? (Duh!) Another thing. I'm not sure the audience is going to 'get' this Neil Simon guy's humor. Make sure Martin puts in a lot of his Saturday Night Live schtick. The audiences will love it!"
   
   It's a wonder the show ran as long as it did. Well, someone said you can fool some of the people some of the time, but . . . . . . .
   
   John Kendrick, in his recent review of City Center's Encore! production of GYPSY, wrote: "The budget goes into a full-size orchestra, directed by Patrick Vaccariello with a stylish hand. By the time they finish playing the hell out of the greatest overture Broadway can lay claim to, you know you are in for a memorable evening." David Barbour, in "The TheaterMania Guide to Musical Theater Recordings," wrote pretty much the same thing about LITTLE ME's 1962 recording. However, just a few bars into the overture of this recording, and the only word that comes to mind is CHEAP! Some the time the recording sounds like a seedy lounge show; at other times like Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey.
   
   It's not a total waste. Faith Prince is always fun to listen to, and she is quite good here. And everyone seems to be having a good time. But overall, it's a big misfire. Other reviewers have complimented Michael Park for his version of "I've Got Your Number," but just compare it to Swen Swenson's "original." Sexy and seductive, it stopped the show and received standing ovations. How Martin Short won a Tony, I'll never understand. His braying and bleating (at least on the recording) has got to go down in history as one of the most grotesque caricatures every created.
   
   Do yourselves a favor. Pick up a copy of ArkivMusic's faithful transfer of the "original" and see how the pros did it. For one thing, the pros back then respected the intelligence of their audiences. My only reservation about the 1962 recording was its sound quality, but it's no worse than this one.



5. As composer Cy Coleman says in the liner notes, the star of LITTLE ME is Neil Simon's book: it's hysterically funny. Happily, this recording includes enough dialogue to convey the book's hilarity.

   THE BOOK:
   LITTLE ME tells the life story of Belle Poitrine (Faith Prince), whose name in French means "beautiful chest." While the only gift with which the Creator has endowed her is a large bosom, Belle rises from being a poor drifter by marrying, doing business with, and/or killing an angry unloved miser (Martin Short), a fast-talking vaudeville agent (Martin Short), a French nightclub singer (Martin Short), an innocent nearsighted soldier (Martin Short), an overzealous Hollywood director (Martin Short), and a destitute dying prince (Martin Short) to attain wealth, culture, social position, and a happy ending with the true love of her life, the innocently-egoistic millionaire Noble Eggleston (Martin Short).

   THE MUSIC:
   While no tune of the score is a standout, there are no clunkers, either. Almost every song is upbeat and melodic. Highlights include "I Love (Sinking) You," in which Belle and Noble reprise their love song as Noble (who has degrees from Harvard and Yale in law and medicine) saves the passengers and crew of the sinking S. S. Gigantic, and the title song, in which Belle and her bevy of buff men in her Southampton mansion proclaim the publishing of her memoirs.

   THE RECORDING:
   In its 1999 reincarnation, LITTLE ME is a two-person show: only one song does not feature Short or Prince. While neither lead has the most melodious voice, and both can get a trifle whiny, they are perfect in their roles. (One critic of Belle's vaudeville debut implies that Belle could have killed a man with her voice alone!)

   RECOMMENDATION:
   LITTLE ME is by no means a standard that you need for your Broadway collection, but it's a lot of fun. Buy it anyway.

5 comments about Oscar Winners: The Lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II.

1. Barbara Cook is an amazing performer. If you've ever seen her in person (I have twice), you know how she has her audience totally engrossed in the songs she sings. This collection of Rodgers & Hammerstein standards is one of her best CD's, and its highlight is "This Nearly Was Mine" from "South Pacific," an absolutely mesmerizing interpretation. The arrangements on the CD are lush, but never overshadow Cook's beautiful soprano. She is one of a handful of performers championing and keeping alive the great American Songbook catalogue -- the songs of Gershwin, Porter, Kern, Rodgers and Hart, Loesser, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Harold Arlen, etc.



2. I wonder what some of the reviewers on this page are reviewing, at least those who mention Wally Harper's orchestrations. This CD is orchestrated by Peter Matz and in my opinion is a misfire. It oughtn't to have been but when one considers that it contains seven songs with music by Rodgers, seven with music by Kern and one with music by Romberg - and that the songs that don't work are the R&H songs - and when one considers that Miss Cook's forte is the romantic ballad, the torch song and the bright and breezy up tempo number and that all the R&H songs are book songs, one is less in the dark as to the reasons why the seven R&H songs don't convince. The songs selected do not fit into the ballad/torch category and while most are up tempo, that tempo is too slow and the "sound" Matz creates seems to me, ordinary and uninteresting. Ms. Cook is at her best in I WON'T DANCE and the pairing of DON'T EVER LEAVE ME and ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE. Here are the three songs on the CD that are superbly thought out, sung and orchestrated. The rest are dreary and unconvincing. This is only one of two CDs by Ms. Cook that I don't care for (the other being her collection of "new" songs - AS OF TODAY - where the songs are all pretty poorly conceived and written - there the content does her in, not her valiant attempts to put them across). The rest of her work is uniformly fabulous.



3. I kept putting off seeing Barbara Cook at the Carlyle over the years, but obviously I missed out. Wonderful voice, "I Won't Dance" is a Royal Flush. Ms. Cook sounds (to me, at least) strikingly similar to Barbra Streisand, but with more warmth. Hopefully, I'll catch Ms. Cook at Feinstein's this fall. I play this CD back to back with Julie Andrews and Rebecca Luker...si sic omnes.



4. The arrangements by Wally Harper not only do justice to Barbara Cook's wonderful,but also enhance the pure poetry of Oscar Hammerstein.Definitely one of the best CD's Ms.Cook has done.Her style is a terrific counterpoint to a great lyricist's poetry.



5. Barbara Cook only gets better with time. I, too, saw her at the Cafe Carlyle, in what was probably the finest concert/cabaret performance I've ever seen. No one can sing these songs like she can, and the arrangements by the incredibly sensitive and talented Wally Harper are perfect. One can only hope that Barbara Cook lives forever, so that she can continue to top herself. No one else ever will!

   P.S. I'm hoping her recent Carnegie Hall concert was taped for future release.

5 comments about Tell Me on a Sunday (2003 London Revival Cast).

1. `Tell me on a Sunday', one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's most interesting shows, has an interesting history. The composer wrote this rather short piece in the late 70-is, when he already made great success with his shows `Jesus Christ Superstar' and `Evita', written in the collaboration with Tim Rice. While looking for the subject for his next big show, he composed this song-cycle, which was to be his first collaboration with the lyricist Don Black, with whom he has subsequently written as much as he has with Rice.
   
   The show tells the story of a young English girl in New York, going through various love affairs and dealing with the life in another country. It is entirely sung-through and although various characters are mentioned, we only hear the English girl. The role was originated by Marti Webb and the show had its premiere as a one-off performance recorded for TV by BBC in 1980. Two years later, Webber created a double-bill show, whose first part was comprised of `Tell me on a Sunday' and the second included `Variations', a set of instrumental songs based on Paganini, which he wrote for his cellist brother Julian. The music of `Tell me on a Sunday' was neatly endorsed by the audiences, since it included the beautifully composed set of pop and ballad songs, among the finest Lloyd Webber has ever done. The orchestrations were very well made, as can be heard on the Song and Dance Cast recording.
   
   Yet, as the new millennium approached, it was clear that this little show (which never demanded the big effects and the monumental sets like, for example, `The Phantom of the Opera' or `Sunset Boulevard') has the potential of being modernised to match today's standards while still retaining its original appeal. So in 2003, a new touring UK production was set, featuring Marti Webb and the young Denise Van Outen, and it is this new and modernised production we get to hear on this CD.
   
   The changes to the material are done very satisfactory. The parts of the subject matter have been changed, so what we eventually get is a `Sex and the city' type of musical. In the original version the girl wrote the letters home to England and now she is using email, mentioning `Friends' and benefiting from online dating opportunities. The old standards, such as `Take that look off your face', `Unexpected song', `Nothing like you've ever known' and the title songs are all here, but they have been re-orchestrated in an updated rock and pop manner, whereas the original orchestrations had a bit more classical touch. Don Black's lyrics remain as witty as always.
   
   There are five new songs Lloyd Webber has written especially for this production. They are all nice melodies, especially `Heaven in the sky' (describing the girl's plane trip), `Speed dating' (a clever lyrical description of online dating), `Tyler King' (a rocky description of one of the girl's flames) and a personal favourite called `Somewhere, someplace, sometime' (a conclusion of story in which the girl contemplates about her unsuccessful love affairs, telling herself she mustn't loose hope and that love will eventually arrive).
   
   Denise Van Outen, upon which the whole show lies, gives a persuasive rendition. She is full of energy, both in terms of voice and acting, and she managed to bring something new to the role that is considered to be Marti Webb's best performance.
   
   The booklet contains full lyrics, but as with most ALW's recordings, there is no synopsis.
   
   For those familiar with this show, this recording will be a fresh update. The others will also find it appealing. Both the old Song and Dance recording and this new version are worth checking into.



2. I was blown away the first time I listened to this CD. I got it after listening to Song and Dance and also talking to some of my coworkers who had seen the musical in London's West End. Van Outen has an incredible voice. The new songs written for the revival made me laugh.
   
   While it's not my personal favorite, it's a staple in my musical theatre collection.



3. i own the original london cast with martti webb and the broadway cast with Bernadette Peters and i loved them both and now i got this one and it is awsome. Cause on each recording the girls give it her own twist and make it her own. cause you know the show was originally written for martti webb and she sung the hell out of it. but i love all 3 recordings cause they each have new songs, tempos and lyrics. but each is sung in the a diffrent style and in diffent meaning and feeling. i would recomend this to nayone who is a webber lover like i am!



4. I actually think this is one of ALW's better musicals. It is very simple and benefits from it compared to the more pretentious later works of his.

   This is also a nice recording of the show. Sure, Denise van Outen is no Bernadette, but she's not bad either. Besides, the orchestrations are a zillion times better here.

   The new songs are mainly trash, except Somewhere, Someplace, Sometime, which serves as a much needed finale to this piece. It is by no means Sondheim, and it borrows the first notes from (the now cut and actually more interresting) The Last Man In My Life.

   I would recommend getting the OLCR complete with the second "Dance" act before this, but it is a nice addition if you like TMOAS or S&D.




5. To be just like Bernadette Peters. I've listened to both and I Love both. van outen brings her won charm and spunk to this recording as well as having a killer voice. I saw this show in London, and as many of the other reviewers haven't I suggest going to amazon.co.uk to read the reviews of people who actually have. For the informantion of those who have not seen the show, It's a one woman show based on a television muiscal that lloyd webber and black wrote for Marti Webb in the 1980s. I'd definitely reccommend this, and I'd also suggest Bernadette's recording because It's nice to see what other people have done with the material. You can also hear how Sarah Brightman (lloyd webber's ex) sang the music on her album the andrew lloyd webber album. She does the title song and the immortal Unexpected Song.

5 comments about Bloomer Girl (1944 Original Broadway Cast).

1. So often times, an old show like this, is just boring and not the best vocals. Well some women in this show aren't great, but for the most part this is a good CD. The lyrics are pretty funny, and the orchestrations arent to ancient. Good for collecotrs only. Favorite song: "The Eagles and Me"



2. While Bloomer Girl was a hit in its day, solidifying the stardom of Celeste Holm and enjoying some radio airplay and a 1950s TV version with Barbara Cook, no one seems to remember it much today, and they stage it even less than much. It appears that the book is weak by today's standards, and the costume requirements may be a bit much for most theaters today (Supposedly one of Celeste Holm's hoop skirts had to be lowered onto her by a crane backstage!), and the emphasis on Agnes de Mille-style ballets (Including a famous one in which women wait for their men to come home from the Civil War) might make the show somewhat dated today.

   But whatever the problems are that keep Bloomer Girl largely out of production, the score is not one of them. As evidenced by this delightful original cast recording, Harold Arlen's lilting and eminently hummable melodies are expertly set to sharp lyrics by E.Y. "Yip" Harburg that seem surprsingly modern in their viewpoints on sexual and racial equality (Long before either cause was fashionable). While this cast is not always the most technically polished, they do perform with great charm and warmth. Fresh from her scene-stealing as Ado Annie in the original Oklahoma!, Celeste Holm graduates to the lead role of the strong-willed Yankee Evelina (Who, though she of course falls in love with the leading man after some resistance, appears to get *him* to convert to her ways of thinking, rather than the other way around). Holm reveals a much more sumptuous vocal range than she probably ever exhibited before or since, but still tackles the role with the assurance and spirit that characterizes her best-loved work. She is well-matched by David Brooks (Who plays Jeff Calhoun, the Souther gentleman who courts Evelina, and would later originate the role of Tommy Albright in Brigadoon) in the duets "Evelina" and "Right as the Rain." Joan McCracken, a well-regarded dancer who had also first gained attention in the Oklahoma! chorus line but later lost many career oppurtunities-and her husband, Bob Fosse-to Gwen Verdon and drifted into obscurity, is a vivid presence here with her two numbers, "T'morra T'morra" and "Never Was Born." Dooley Wilson (Sam in the film Casablanca) plays Pompey, a slave whom Evelina and Jeff Calhoun conspire to help escape, and he makes a soulful cry for freedom with "The Eagle and Me." Yes, he's warm and genial enough to keep the middle-class 1940s Broadway audiences from feeling too threatened, but his deep conviction is clear. (The emphasis he puts on the final word is particularly haunting) Composer Arlen also appears on the album in a section of the chorus number "Sunday in Cicero Falls" and for his own solo (Taking over from a chorus member), "Man for Sale."

   Needless to say, this score is very welcome in its CD reissue, which also features bonus tracks of Bing Crosby and the Russ Morgan orchestra recording songs from the show. While this may not be the most recognizeable title to leap out at you from Amazon or your local CD store, I nevertheless urge you to buy it, as you are likely to be pleasently surprised.




3. BLOOMER GIRL was huge hit when it opened on Broadway in 1944 and ran for over two years. Decca recorded the original cast album as one of their largest 78 RPM sets (8 records) granting some of the longer numbers the luxury of two full sides. For the Lp reissue, the first part of "Sunday in Cicero Falls" was eliminated. It has been restored for this CD reissue.

   The score by Harold Arlen (who makes a couple of vocal apperances on the records, substituting for chorus member Alan Gilbert) contains "Right as the Rain", "The Eagle and Me" and the charming "Evelina." Therev are a couple of less interesting tracks ("Welcome Hinges", "Never Was Born" and "The Rakish Young Man with the Whiskahs.") but on the whole it's a pleasant score.

   The show is largely forgotten today because it was never filmed, and while there was TV production in the 1950s, the broadcast revealed a rather dull book.

   Decca's transfer from the original 16" glass-based transcriptions sounds quite good.




4. Celeste Holm sounds fabulous in this largely-forgotten musical, now re-issued as part of the new selection of releases from Decca Broadway.

   BLOOMER GIRL was Holm's first musical after creating the role of Ado Annie Carnes in the original Broadway production of OKLAHOMA! (which starred Alfred Drake and Joan Roberts). BLOOMER GIRL also featured fellow OKLAHOMA! co-star Joan McCracken as the comic lead and choreographer Agnes De Mille, creating the now-legendary "Civil War Ballet".

   BLOOMER GIRL's rich score includes the lilting "Evelina" and the lullabye "Satin Gown and Silver Shoe" for Ms Holm to sing in her unmistakable vocal style.

   Decca Broadway has done a great job restoring the original session tapes of the 1944 recording. There is a large amount of crackle and background hiss and some minor dropouts, but with the limitations of the analogue format, this goes with the territory.

   A highly-recommended recording for Broadway fans.




5. This remaster of the 1944 recording sounds good. Hearing Celeste Holm is a treat. Joan McCracken is another voice from the past who was enjoyable to listen to. Some standout songs were "It was Good Enough for Grandma" sung by Ms Holm; "The Eagle and Me" sung by Dooley Wilson (Sam in Casablanca); I particualrly liked "The Farmer's Daughter."

5 comments about Dawn Upshaw Sings Vernon Duke.

1. Delightful: there's no better word to describe this recording. Upshaw succeeds on so many levels. First and foremost, it is an entertaining work. Nothing heavy, nothing forced. It is fun and very easy to listen to. In addition, her vocal production is marvelous. The quality of her singing, her technique, is a joy to behold. This recording should serve as a prime example for students of singing. You can be entertaining, approachable, "real" and still maintain exquisite technique. Finally, her singular interpretations of these songs are just wonderful. Try to sing along. You can't. These interpretations belong to her and her alone. Her phrasing is rarely predictable, notes are rarely produced in the expected manner. It is usually easy to dismiss classical singers' crossover albums and justifiably so. Most are schlock. Upshaw's crossover recordings are, however, delightful. Deceptively simple, they are masterpieces of the genre.



2. This is a really lovely album; nothing flashy, but very solid. The music will please both someone who appreciates solid vocal technique and someone who just wants some easy-listening music by a great vocalist. Upshaw is her usual light self, but the brightness in the voice is toned down, much to the listener's benefit. This is a top-notch album and I highly recommend it. Also, try "I Wish it So" if you are an Upshaw fan.



3. If you think that opera singers shouldn't dabble in a world of popular songs,listen to this:expensively produced,well orchestrated and beautifully sang,with lots of never-heard songs and verses.Since the first moment I heard Dawn Upshaw in a friend's house (it was her "I Wish It So",which I have to had right now that moment,almost stealed it) I loved her style and this album was again another discovery.I'm not easy to please musicaly,but cannot find a single flaw on this album.Duke Vernon was a composer overshadowed by Gershwins,Porter,Rodgers and Hart and other celebrities of his time,remebered only for his beautuful "April in Paris" and "Autumn in New York".I knew that Dawn is a magnificent singer,but she gave us a wonderful gift with this album:the whole new generation of listeners are discovering music of this half-obscure,moody and impressionistic russian guy.



4. I'm not an expert in classical music vocals, seldom listen at all, but this crossover album I very much enjoy. Dawn's voice is easy and soothing to listen to.



5. If anyone needed it, this album is solid proof that Dawn Upshaw's overwhelmingly positive reception in the popular field is no more dependent on sticking with charming chestnuts than her success in classical music was. Extending her commitment from the modernist George Crumb and the Kronos Quartet to Vernon Duke--most of whose works are even less known, despite the label "popular music"--she continues to enrich our experience and establish for future performers the standard repertoire, as well as the standard of performance.

   In interviews, Dawn Upshaw has said her sound on this album focuses on getting back to "the message" the song conveys, losing the obsession with physiology and mechanical precision. She sings on the consonants; she hits some explosive notes; she slides around. And the effect is wonderful. Sometimes even enthralling, as in "Water Under the Bridge", as her voice and the music and the words all merge into a shimmery liquid, or "Remember or Forget", whose lovely orchestration presents, with its alpine range of emotional expression, a challenge Dawn gracefully surmounts.

   Vernon Duke gives Dawn's voice a chance for expression in a way few "popular" pieces can. Some of the easiest to relate to, like "Round About", contain sections of vocal skips that would raise the hairs of a Lotte Lenya; Dawn gives "Swattin' the Fly" the difficult, intense patience it needs to be effective. It's no accident that few songs besides "Autumn in New York" and "April in Paris"--the only Duke works remembered today--stay in one key for long or have hummable melodies. (Not too hummable, in fact.)

   Again: if there was any doubt that Dawn is the most deservedly successful of the classical-to-popular transplants, this album lays it to rest. She moves in this uncharted territory infinitely more surely than Kiri Te Kanawa trying to sing standard Gershwin fare even with fifty years of interpretation to fall back on. This album, with its surface attractions and deep-felt rewards, may be the biggest resuscitation of an unjustly underperformed work since Sorrowful Songs.

3 comments about Heart Filled with Song/Choice.

1. John Gary was one of my first favorite singers and still today I have nearly all his early "albums". I only wish there were more of his albums on CDs.
   
   He truly is part of a dying breed of singers like Jack Jones.
   
   I was lucky enough to see him at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in the mid 70s. And enjoyed his show so much.



2. While I enjoy most of the John Gary collectables that have been
   released by BMG, this album is phenomenal. Next to the John Gary
   "Carnegie Hall Concert" album, this one is easily my favorite.



3. Someday, when people's ears, brains and sensibilities have been deadened by the overproduced mediocre pap that now passes for music, I hope some enterprising soul will stumble upon this CD, experience some kind of epiphany while sampling it, and spread the word about the wonder that is John Gary.

   Gary approached each song as an accomplished actor might rigorously prepare for a coveted role. Nothing was left to chance or taken for granted. Gary's primary aim was to convey the mood and message of each lyric as truthfully as he could. He allowed nothing, not even his considerable vocal gifts ("I prefer not to use my high notes without reason") to distract the listener from the composer's and the lyricist's intentions. In his case, the medium was not the message; the medium existed only to deliver the message.

   John Gary was worlds away from today's one-dimensional performers who rely on the tricks of engineering wizards to enhance what little they have to offer. Here he voices the most tender and intimate sentiments, as in "How Deep is the Ocean" or "Love is Here to Stay", and, in turn, delivers a devastating portrayal of human desperation in a gripping rendition of "What Now My Love". The length and breadth of Gary's 4-octave range is fully utilized here in "If Ever I Would Leave You", and his powerful "Without a Song" is stunning in its nearly operatic proportions. What a shame that Rodgers and Hammerstein never came calling; John Gary would have proved to be a formidable (not to mention attractive) Lt. Cable in "South Pacific" and his vocal and emotional capabilities would have been tailor made for Billy Bigelow's heart-wrenching "Soliloquy" from "Carousel". But alas, it was not to be.

   This CD contains 2 complete albums which were recorded in the mid 1960's. "A Heart Filled with Song" features 12 personally hand picked tunes which were particularly meaningful to the singer, while "Choice" showcases a dozen songs which Gary recorded at the request of a number of celebrated songwriters - Mancini, Mercer, Rodgers and Loesser among them.

   Kudos once again to the Collectables label for making still more of John Gary's catalog available. That incomparable voice coupled with an uncompromising artistic integrity makes this CD one to savor and treasure.

1 comments about Broadway's Greatest Leading Men.

1. Broadway's Greatest Leading Men is a great sampling of Broadway's best. I gave it a 4 1/2 star rating only because there were a few of the great shows not represented--like Pajama Game and Camelot. This collection did however open my eyes to shows I was less familar with. Performances by Robert Klein, Joel Grey and Anthony Newley were excellent, but Richard Kiley's "Impossible Dream" and John Raitt's "Soliloquy" alone made buying the CD worthwhile. It's a must for the Broadway lover. I can't wait for Leading Men II.