No comments about My Fair Lady [1956 Masterworks MONO Issue] [Vinyl LP].

1 comments about Volume 6: 1929.

1. Annette Hanshaw did not record anything bad in her short career, she retired from singing at the rip old age of 21... this is a great cd... because her voice is the carefree voice of the 1920's flapper, yet she sounds timeless, like she could be a singer from today! Her backup bands include the Dorsey bros., Joe venuti, Eddie Lang, Bunny Barigan, Glenn ?miller... This cd is a must for fans of swing, rockabilly and jazz. Because annette was the 1st female jazz singer(with the acception of maybe Marion Harris) A greta cd, and it even goes with a sip of martini...

4 comments about Gilbert and Sullivan / Mackerras, Welsh National Opera.

1. The Mackerras/Telarc has been praised incessantly ever since its release. I understand the praise very well; still, I wouldn't want to be without my other Gilbert & Sullivan recordings of these operas.
   
   (After being a G&S nut a while, you start to think of the operas chronologically, so that is how I will cover them. I will start with commendations of these recordings and drift into any minor criticism necessary.)
   
   Trial by Jury:
   
   This is my favorite of the Mac/Tel series. The casting is wonderful, with the possible exception of the Usher, who, though a fine singer, doesn't seem to like the E's he has to reach. (He isn't bad at all, but after hearing Donald Adams and Owan Brannigan in the role, it is difficult not to say something.) Richard Suart indulges in only a few liberties (my favorite being a G at the end of his song), and overall everyone stays true to the work, singing splendidly and freshly. (An example would be "A nice dilemma".)
   
   HMS Pinafore:
   
   Thomas Allen is an excellent Captain Corcoran. Felicity Palmer is a wonderful Buttercup, though some may think she needs more butter and less cup, if that makes any sense.
   
   This is probably my least favorite of the set. It compares excellently with the others exception of the tenor. Michael Schade has a wonderful voice, but for some odd reason he almost always opts for lower notes, sometimes even when there is no lower note to go to! All four of the other tenors were wonderful, why couldn't they have reused one of them? Rebecca Evans overdoes a few notes from time to time. Donald Adams' performance of the role is quite as devilish as his 1959 portrayal, but is still amazing (considering his age at the time).
   
   The Pirates of Penzance:
   
   Fabulous Frederic--really, John Mark Ainsley is every bit as good as Phillip Potter in the benchmark 1968 D'Oyly Carte recording. It is also good to hear Gillian Knight singing Ruth. Her high note at the end of her duet with Frederic shows she's still in good form after all these years (if less clear). Although Richard Van Allan is an excellent Sergeant of Police, I think it would be unfair to call him better than Owan Brannigan. Both are indeed excellent.
   
   The only justifiable point of criticism I can give concerning this recording is Rebecca Evans' high E-flat at the end of "Poor wand'ring one" is reaching almost too far into her range. She does it, but it was a push. (Her B's are not a delicious as Valerie Masterson's in the 1968 recording, but such a comparison is at best unfair.)
   
   Also, the provided libretto is a mess. None of the line divisions are preserved, and often there are mistakes about when singers are singing different words together (e.g. "When the foeman bears his steal"). This is also the only one of this series that fails to provide biographical information concerning at least some of the lead singers.
   
   The Mikado:
   
   It is good to have Donald Adams' singing of The Mikado available to everyone. His former 1957 recording is sadly difficult to find (only through Sounds on CD as far as I can tell). He is matched well by Felicity Palmer, a ferocious Katisha with much raw power. Anthony Rolfe Johnson as Nanki-Poo has a delightfully silky voice which sometimes fails to project as much as it should (mainly at the end of his opening song).
   
   Aside from the cut overture, verse 2 of "As some day it may happen" and "The treaten'd cloud has passed away" are both missing to fit the whole thing onto one CD (the timing is 79:10). These are minor faults, though the former would be more forgivable if Mackerras did take it so slowly. Other than that number and Ko-Ko's entrance just before it, Mackerras' tempi are almost always on the lively side.
   
   Marie McLaughlin's Yum-Yum is good with the sole exception of her G's in "So please you, sir, we much regret." Her "But youth of course" just sounds funny. Otherwise, great singing from her and everyone else.
   
   The Yeomen of the Guard:
   
   Donald Adams is almost as good as he was last time he recorded Sargent Marryl. He, Pamela Helen Stephen as Phoebe, and Felicity Palmer as Dame Carruthers are probably the strongest singers.
   
   Not everyone will like Richard Suart's Jack Point. He occasionally adopts different voices for quotes within his songs, which can be annoying. I don't mind him. Once you warm up to his style, any liberties he takes wear on you much less.
   
   The 1964 D'Oyly Carte recording is often shunned on account of Sargent bringing in Elizabeth Harwood to play Elsie (a role she never played on stage). I can't see what the big deal is: Alwyn Mellor did not play the role on stage and sings every bit as well as Harwood. Every once in a while her voice fails to be completely smooth, but she is still an excellent Elsie.
   
   Neill Archer's Colonel Fairfax is criticized in the Penguin, saying he "too often sounds strained" - an unfair condemnation in my opinion. He isn't Phillip Potter, but he still gives a very well-controlled Fairfax.
   
   
   By the way, the chorus in the entire set is wonderful (for the lack of a better word). All the parts come through exquisitely. They match Mackerras and his crisp conducting well.
   
   The overall style of these sets is more operatic than that of the D'Oyly Carte recordings of past years (see my review of that set). That does not make them better or worse than others - simply different. These are good recordings to get *in addition* to other G&S recordings rather than stand-alones, unless you happen to greatly prefer the operatic style. Your local library (and its interlibrary loan system) may assist you in determining this.
   
   In short: Bravo Telarc!



2. Both are done successfully, particularly Trial by Jury. This recording made me truly appreciate that operetta. I am now searching to buy it on video. MacKerras seems to get particularly good tenors; I think Barry Banks who played Edwin did a very nice job. Rebecca Evans does well, too, but as for Pirates of Penzance, I don't think anyone compares to D'Oyly Carte's Valerie Masterson with her strong vibrato and polished technique. She isn't as abrupt on a last note as Evans, making it longer and tapering better. Seems to show more control, though I don't really know singing. Though a short, insignificant part in the operetta, her recitative "All is prepared" just stuns me. Richard Suart is brilliant at Point's patter songs in yeoman of the guard, bringing to them so much charm. I think his performance in Yeoman is without a doubt one of his best. His false french accent is particularly amusing. The tempos are all extremely fast, whereas Sergeant's in the Mikado are usually too slow, which is usely very envigorating, but sometimes it sounds silly. As good as Yeoman is, I think that Trial by Jury is the highlight of the collection, making that operetta as humorous as it can be.



3. You may think I am kidding, but I am actually not doing so.

   Mackerras's Gilbert and Sullivan series is one of the best things that have happened to this aspect of classical music. Luminously recorded with a starry and inspired cast (consisting of such stalwarts as Donald Adams and Richard Suart) and the first-rate and well-disciplined forces of the Welsh National Opera, this series has definitely a lot to recommend it. Mackerras, whose roots are in serious classial music, devotes himself whole-heartedly to the cause of G&S by making full use of his Sullivan background, but without allowing the music to lose its charm and light-heartedness. This is especially so when the grand opera singers rise to the challenge of producing idiomatic G&S portrayals and shear the operatic bombust that would normally be associated with their performances of the operas. The end result shows the operas having a greater lusture and sparkle that seems to be lacking in its predecessors, even those recordings by D'Oyly Carte and Sargent, in whose footsteps Mackerras has loyally followed.

   Mackerras, in following in Sargent's footsteps, exceeded every Savoyard's expectations by starting his series with MIKADO as his first installment. He had a deep respect for the unqualified popularity of this opera and used it to produce an unquuestionably delicious and appetizine performance to make every G&S afficionado long for more in the right way. One listen to this recording has indeed swept away all signs of being unable to surpass D'Oyly Carte standards, for the sparkle and lusture in this delicious performance has turned out to come in a greater amount than we expect it to. With Donald Adams' portrayal of the eponymous title-character, we know that he has managed to maintain his touch of the role through all these years and during the hiatus in recordings of the work. He still maintains the satanic glitter that adorns his performance, and laughs with terrifying bravura. As his son, Nanki-Poo, Anthony Rolfe Johnson brings his own Lieder-singing experience to the part admirably and gives it both a lyrical edge and a romantic tenderness that Marie McLaughlin in her petite characterisation of Yum-Yum matches perfectly. The rest of the major cast, who have had experience of singing the opera with the English National Opera in their celebrated Jonathan Miller production, are equally strong, and give insightful performances of their characters. As Koko, the Lord High Executioner, Richard Suart makes use of his G&S experience and gives a delectable and memorable characterisation. And Richard Van Allan's lugubrious and haughty Pooh-Bah raises the same laughs as Felicity Palmer's comical and commanding Katisha. The text is musically complete except for some cuts in the shapes of second verse of the Little List song (it contains the six-letter Negro-related N-word that can be substituted at the patter baritone's request to make it unnecessary) and a few unimportant bars of the Act One finale. This was inevitable to fit the opera onto a single CD. So, I can safely recommend this Mikado more than any of its D'Oyly Carte predecessors, except for their most recent 1990 effort which is just sa good.

   For the second installment, Mackerras chose PIRATES, which has justly been enjoying the same amount of popularity as MIKADO and PINAFORE. While there are several Savoyards who think that D'Oyly Carte's 1968 Decca recording with full dialogue is the best overall Pirates on CD, this idiomatic Mackerras performance would prove them wrong. Mackerras enables the opera to have an added polish and sheen that is lacking a little in its predecessors. Every aspect of this performance manages to convince you that this is THE ULTIMATE PIRATES recording to own, be it the well-polished orchestral playing, powerfully-disciplined choral contributions, or the unifying strength of the outstanding team of starry singers, most of whom participated in Mackerras's earlier Telarc MIKADO. As Major-General Stanley, Richard Suart, one of the greatest Savoyards of today, makes full use of his D'Oyly Carte experience (he was there when this recording was made) to give a subtly-nuanced, memorable and delectable and nimble-tongued portrayal. His famous lickety-split patter song in particular is given a new and more natural life of its own, giving John Reed a run for his money, and there is no hint of mawkishness or any rushed quality. Donald Adams' remarkable characterisation of the Pirate King shows him solidly maintaining his touch after his long hiatus since leaving D'Oyly Carte. The romantic aspect is eloquently demonstrated in John-Mark Ainsley's sweet-toned Frederic and Rebecca Evans' creamy Mabel, with spine-chilling solos and duets. Equally impressive are Gillian Knight's bright-toned and well-timed Ruth and Richard van Allan's bumptuous Sergeant of Police, who gives Owen Brannigan a run for his money. He moulds his voice to fit in with the character and he also sings as if he sounds flattered, even though he knows that a policeman's lot is not a happy one! The text is musically complete except for the overture (like MIKADO omitting it was very inevitable) but this minor cut is not really significant. So this recording can be heartily be recommended as highly as MIKADO and is surely second to none.

   The last opera about which I will talk is PINAFORE, since I feel unwilling to listen to YEOMEN and TRIAL BY JURY for a lack of interest in the operas outside the triptych of the greatest G&S operas. In this exceptional series, PINAFORE presents virtually no textual problem at all to add to the high quality of the singing and playing and the truth in the notion of this being the best Mackerras G&S recording in the series. Of course, some may carp about the lack of dialogue and their belief in D'Oyly Carte's 1960 John Reed recording being the absolute best of the bunch of stereo PINAFORE CDs available today, coming with the added advantage of dialogue. The stalwart of this delightful PINAFORE is Richard Suart's dry-timbred portrayal of the Ruler of the Queen's Navee. He scores over his immediate rival John Reed by stressing the snobbishness of this ignorant First Lord and injecting the inspiration into future "First Lords" to stick close to their desks and never go to sea. Thomas Allen makes a gallant Captain, and he sings with a firm sense of conviction that instills a sense of pride in his crew, even in the jealous, grouchy and grumpy Dick Deadeye, whose villainy G&S stalwart Donald Adams stresses as strongly as on the incomporable 1960 D'Oyly Carte recording, and in the Boatswain Bill Bobstay, who is personably and bumptuously characterised by the Pooh-Bah role specialist Richard van Allan. The romantic edge is admirably brought out in Michael Schade's heady-toned Rackstraw and Rebecca Evans's creamy and vulnearble Josephine. As in PIRATES, the romantic singers manage to send shivers down the spine with their beautifully-sung solos and duets. Oh, I almost forgot about dear Little Buttercup. How delicious Felicity Palmer sounds! She definitely oozes with plumpness to make her sound like a rosy round woman. The chorus does equal justice to their parts of the sailors and Sir Joseph's female relatives, and of course the orchestral playing and brilliant Telarc recording make this a desirable Pinafore recording indeed. What makes this even more compelling is the completeness of the text, because the opera fits comfortably onto one CD with not a single omitted bar at all, replete with a scene-setting overture.

   I have not much to say about YEOMEN and TRIAL BY JURY except that they have all the hallmarks of the other recordings in the series and that the cast is perfect.

   To sum everything up, this is a must-have G&S series that contains the best elements of its predecessors and much more besides. One listen to it shows that its quality is comporable to a Mercedes-Benz S-Series car, and proves that it is certain to exlipse every other available G&S series, especially when it is certain to top the list of digital versions for a long time to come. The price is also value-adding because it is much cheaper to buy the whole series at this price than at the price of all the separate issues together. I'm sue that the two writers would have been proud of this entire series and beamed with delight.




4. There was dancing in the streets when it was announced that Sir Charles Mackerras would swing his baton before the Orchestra and Chorus of the Welsh National Opera and produce on Telarc label a series of Gilbert & Sullivan operettas with each on a single disc! And so we have an absolutely complete, a minus only the overture, and a minus the overture, a stanza of the "Little list" song, and a few bars from the Act I finale. proved too long to fit this format, so it appears on a two CD set with a to round things out. Each set has its little negatives. The "Pinafore" set is superb except for the leathery basso of its Dick Deadeye. The "Pirates" has a tenor somewhat lackluster in Act I. The "Yeomen" has a very unsubtle Jack Point. The "Trial," on the other hand, is just fine. Since I have already reviewed these sets on these and other pages, there is no point in repeating all the good features--and they are many indeed--except to say that Telarc has now issued them as a boxed set at a price that more or less gives you one for free. "The Yeomen of the Guard" might come as a surprise to first-time hearers who think that G&S is pretty silly. Although a close examination of the plot shows how it does not hold water, this is the closest the two ever got to a grand opera; and some of Sullivan's finest music is found in this score. For those who have no G&S in their collections--and I have actually found people who do not!!--this is a terrific starter kit (as it were). The missing overtures are easily found on other labels, especially a very good budget one on Naxos that includes all the overtures to the Savoy series. This would also make a terrific gift, so consider purchasing two.

No comments about My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish, I'm in Therapy!.

2 comments about Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas.

1. You won't find any bland elevator-style music among these performances. Some are the definitive performances that we all have a soft spot for (like Gene Autry's "Rudolph"), and some may be a little less familiar but still beautifully performed (like the stirring "Silent Night" rendition by Mahalia Jackson). Some Christmas music you leave on in the background--this one you'll want to turn up and enjoy.



2. If you love holiday music from classics such as Bing Crosby and Judy Garland then you will like this CD. It's a great collection of Christmas songs that is to be enjoyed throughout the holiday season.

2 comments about The Voice: The Columbia Years (1943-1952).

1. DISC 1:
   1. Nearness Of You, The
   2. If I Had You
   3. Nevertheless
   4. You Go To My Head
   5. My Melancholy Baby
   6. How Deep Is The Ocean
   7. Embraceable You
   8. She's Funny That Way, (I Got A Woman Crazy For Me)
   9. For Every Man There's A Woman
   10. I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)
   11. Someone To Watch Over Me
   12. Love Me
   13. There's No Business Like Show-Business
   14. Song Is You, The
   15. September Song
   16. Oh What A Beautiful Morning
   17. They Say It's Wonderful
   18. Bess Oh Where Is My Bess
   
   DISC 2:
   1. Saturday Night (Is The Loneliest Night In The Week)
   2. Poinciana
   3. Try A Little Tenderness
   4. Autumn In New York
   5. April In Paris
   6. Dream
   7. Nancy (With The Laughing Face)
   8. Put Your Dreams Away
   9. I'm Glad There Is You
   10. Day By Day
   11. Close To You
   12. I'm A Fool To Want You
   13. Where Or When
   14. I Could Write A Book
   15. Why Was I Born
   16. Lost In The Stars
   17. All The Things You Are
   18. Ol' Man River
   
   DISC 3:
   1. Should I
   2. Birth Of The Blues
   3. Mean To Me
   4. It All Depends On You
   5. Deep Night
   6. Sweet Lorraine
   7. Castle Rock
   8. Why Can't You Behave
   9. My Blue Heaven
   10. S'Posin'
   11. You Can Take My Word For It Baby
   12. Blue Skies
   13. Continental, The
   14. It's The Same Old Dream
   15. Laura
   16. Stormy Weather
   17. I've Got A Crush On You
   18. House I Live In, The
   
   DISC 4:
   1. One For My Baby
   2. I Should Care
   3. These Foolish Things
   4. I Guess I'll Have To Dream The Rest
   5. It Never Entered My Mind
   6. When Your Lover Has Gone
   7. Body And Soul
   8. That Old Feeling
   9. Ghost Of A Chance With You, (I Don't Stand A)
   10. There's No You
   11. Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry
   12. Why Try To Change Me Now
   13. All Through The Day
   14. I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last Night
   15. Time After Time
   16. But Beautiful
   17. I Fall In Love Too Easily
   18. Brooklyn Bridge, The



2. Just imagine; you're somewhere alone, sitting at a cafe, there is no one else except for a piano and a nice man, singing softly, slowly with a voice you will never forget. This CD gives you that feeling, old music as I call it, just a voice, just a piano but so beautiful. I bought the CD 6 years ago and it is still one of my favourites. Not only for the sad moments but also for the very romantic moments, you and you're new partner, listening to that beautiful voice of good ol' Frank. Just buy it and you'll see....

5 comments about Kean (1961 Original Broadway Cast).

1. This is a jewel, a treasure of the Broadway of the early 1960's. No one could sing like Alfred Drake and Forrest and Wright surpassed themselves in melding Broadway and Shakespeare into an entirely original musical style. With Lee Venora and Joan Weldon as his leading ladies, Drake soars the romantic heights in this beautiful original cast recording.
   
   Get this one!



2. KEAN features Alfred Drake in one of his greatest Broadway performances. The show recounts the adventures of a Regency-era actor and what happens when his stage role of OTHELLO starts to overflow into his private offstage life. The score by Robert Wright and George `Chet' Forrest (who also wrote the dazzling KISMET in which Drake played Hajj) is a beguiling mix of operetta and musical theatre.
   
   Drake is joined by not one but two lovely leading ladies (Joan Weldon and Lee Venora) who both have their own shining moments in the score (Lee Venora's "Willow, Willow Willow" being a major highlight of the entire score). Other standouts include "Sweet Danger" and "Let's Improvise". Despite the presence of Drake and the clever Wright-Forrest score, KEAN shuttered after a relatively-short run. An intriguing show, and Alfred Drake at the peak of his formidable talents.



3. I've been a passionate fan of Broadway musicals since I first discovered THE KING AND I in the 50s, and I have been a zealous collector of original cast albums from the day I had enough money in my pocket to purchase one. Owning a large vinyl collection of shows, I was in no rush to replace my LPs with the more expensive CD versions. Mostly I would scrounge through the "previously owned" bins at my local shop and take advantage of the record clubs' generous offers. Eventually my financial situation improved to the point that I could replace my vinyl while at the same time acquire new and/or unfamiliar shows. As my fetish grew, I became frustrated that some major record labels, especially Sony, failed to issue some of my favorite shows in the digital format. Needless to say, I am beholden to small labels like DRG, Fynsworth Alley, AEI, etc., who have insight and courage to preserve important examples of the American musical theatre that otherwise would be lost to us.
   
   Mark Blitzstein's brilliant JUNO is one of those "give my right arm for" shows that never made it to CD until Fynsworth Alley's marvelous reissue. (Available only on-line.) Three other favorites of mine that Columbia/Sony didn't see fit to release on CD are currently available from DRG, and I enthusiastically recommend all three: THE ADVENTURES OF MARCO POLO, ARCHIE & MEHITABEL, and KEAN. (See my reviews of MARCO and ARCHIE elsewhere.)
   
   KEAN owes much of its magnificence to the extraordinary presence of Alfred Drake. His voice is at its absolute best in this recording, and listening to it fills me with both reverence for his brilliant talent and sadness because he is no longer with us. Prior to OKLAHOMA!, the American musical theatre had not encountered an actor/singer -- as Elisabeth Vincentelli writes in her Amazon.com editorial review -- whose ". . . command of the Broadway idiom is so complete that listening to him is both a pleasure and an education." I seriously doubt Broadway will ever see or hear his like again.
   
   I refer you to Jaime J. Weinman's excellent review. My only disagreement is with "The Frog and the Grog," but then I find the entire score brilliant. Wright & Forrest's earlier experiences with adapting melodies of Edvard Grieg, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Alexander Borodin are in evidence here.They have created sumptuous, soaring melodies for Drake and his leading ladies Lee Venora and Joan Weldon, as well as uptempo novely songs like "Chime In" and the aforementioned "Frog." Alas! They don't write Broadway musicals like this anymore. What a pity.
   
   If you love gorgeous melodies and great singing, KEAN is for you. Thank you again, DRG.
   
   P.S. Regarding a prior review, it was Clay Warnick & Mel Pahl who adapted Rimsky-Korsakov, not Wright & Forrest. The result was THE ADVENTURES OF MARCO POLO, also highly recommended.



4. This musical is one of the most luscious scores ever created for the Broadway stage. Not only is one treated to Alfred Drake's beautiful voice, but the story is very clever. Lush romanticism pervades the music, which has some absolutely lovely melodies- especially Sweet Danger.

   Not the best known musical, but it should be.




5. I've read that the show's production was overblown and that the plot was slim, so that's why it flopped. I just listened to the cd and the music is fairly good, not great, a few songs do stand out. So why the 4 stars? Because Alfred Drake is brilliant! He gives a magnificent, well rounded, and perfectly shaded performance that must not be missed. Bravo!

5 comments about Off Broadway.

1. Like most other people of my generation (Gen X), I grew up knowing Jerry Orbach as "daddy" from Dirty Dancing and as Lennie Briscoe on Law & Order. Much to my chagrin, I used to wonder what Mr. Orbach would sound like if he sang. After his death, I learned about his successful career on Broadway and was fortunate to obtain this CD. I have played it over and over, often times singing along with him in my car! This guy can really sing. His sonorous baritone (possibly tenor?) voice is right on key. I am also amazed by how he can manipulate his voice to match almost any musical style. I highly recommend this CD!



2. Most people recognize Mr. Orbach from his role as a world-weary detective on NBC's "Law & Order". Prior to that famous role, the character actor played in a series of good and so-so films, always turning in a strong performance no matter how fine or flimsy the material. He even had a short-lived TV series, spun off of his popular recurring role on "Murder She Wrote". Yet it seemed as though he came from nowhere to star in "Law & Order". What was he doing during his 20's and 30's? The answer: He was starring in musical theater. And surprise---the man can sing!

   Told at the tender age of 20 that his shot at achieving film stardom would require his getting a nose job, Mr. Orbach went to the theater instead. There he expended his considerable talent in a series of potent performances. This recording shows the range of his remarkable vocal abilities. No, he's not Sinatra, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Mr. Orbach is a vocal chameleon, adapting to the style of each song while not quite losing the New York edge to his voice. This CD makes it much easier to believe that Lennie and Lumiere really are the same actor.

   The songs on this CD vary in style, from brassy to ballad, wise-guy to tender. Our personal favorite was his rendition of "Mack the Knife" with its slowly building tension and hints of black humor. We also enjoyed the lighthearted "King of the World" and the glitzy "Portofino", with its tongue-in-cheek take on the nouveau riche. He adeptly handled faster tunes like "Once In A Blue Moon", and showed vocal sensitivity on the slow "Lazy Afternoon". Mr. Orbach originated the role of El Gallo in "The Fantasticks" and turned in an excellent version of "Try To Remember" for this recording. None of the songs on this CD is a disappointment.

   A minor gripe is the poor quality of the recording. This set was done in 1962, so there's a lot of unwelcome sounds woven into the music, including the performer's breathing on a few of the songs. It would be nice if that could be fixed somehow; with modern technology, this sort of shortcoming ought to be fixable. Other than that, however, this CD is a fine example of Mr. Orbach's life work before he achieved fame as a detective on "Law & Order". We highly recommend it for fans of musical theater and anyone who's a fan of Mr. Jerry Orbach.




3. Jerry Orbach is known to people under 40 as Detective Briscoe of Law and Order, the voice of Lumiere in the film Beauty and the Beast, and Jennifer Grey's dad in Dirty Dancing. This CD reveals the 1963 Jerry, singing and acting star both on and off Broadway. His first great performance,"Try to Remember" from "The Fantasticks" is here, along with a nice version of "Mack the Knife" that has a different attitude than the more famous records by Bobby Darin, Louis Armstrong or Ella Fitzgerald. The other ten cuts are less well-known songs from shows, but very well performed. If you like Broadway-style tunes you won't be disappointed in Jerry's vocal quality or technique.I don't know of any other solo albums he ever released, and after hearing this one, you will also be puzzled as to why his vocal gifts were not brought to public attention more often outside of New York City. There are only 30 minutes of music on this item, but it's a darn likeable half-hour.



4. I was unaware that Jerry Orbach had a long career on the Broadway stage until I bought this CD. Jerry sings with such sincerity and warmth on all the tracks, and Norman Paris gave Jerry such great arrangements (Mr. Paris, who died years ago, knew musical theatre well and it showed throughout). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!



5. Jerry Orback recorded the material on this CD back in 1963 at a time when he was considered one of the better performers in musical theater. He has a fine, mellow baritone with great command of his instrument. Whoever did the digital mastering on this CD knew his/her business; because the sound quality is first-rate. The dozen songs in this collection is a good combination of the familiar and unfamiliar. I'm glad I got this CD; and I can tell after one run-through it's one that will get repeated spins. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Rent: Seasons of Love.

1. "Seasons of Love" is a beautiful song. It was never meant to be house or club music.
   
   These remexies are ghastly.
   
   There are thousands of songs out there that are more appropriate for remix (or better yet, songs that are just house/club to begin with).
   
   I'm sure Jonathan Larson is "rolling over in his grave".
   
   What's next, the "Carousel Waltz" remix?



2. remixes of RENT tunes?! Heck yeah! I had to get my hands on the Seasons of Love CD Single (as with the Take Me Or Leave Me CD Single, which i also highly suggest). It's great to hear different, pumped-up interpretations of these classic Broadway staples.
   
   My favorite is definitely Eddie Baez's Edit. GREAT!



3. I am sorry, but this is one of the dumbest things that I have ever heard. I hope that whoever made these remixes gets haunted by Johnathan Larson for the way that they messed with his beautiful songs. These people should know better!



4. I first heard the Eddie Baez remix last year at a local night club and was immediately hooked. I knew right then that I had to have that remix (which is where being friends with the DJ comes in handy). He basically gave me a copy of all the remixes listed, and I couldn't have been happier. It's really given me something to look forward to during Pride this year :).



5. I HEARD THIS MIX A FEW WEEKS AGO AT PLEASURE ISLAND AT WALTDISNEY WORLD AND HAVE BEEN ON SEARCH TO FIND IT AND AT THE TIME NO ONE COULD HELP ME OR TELL ME WHERE IT FIND IT MOST THOUGH IT WAS A PRIVATE DJ REMIX I SO GLAD IT IS NOW OUT ON CD .

No comments about Music from the Birdcage/Music from La Cage Aux Folles.