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Feinstein grew up in the Columbus, Ohio, suburb of Bexley and was a frequent performer in Columbus theater. His prowess as a pianist kept him busy in piano bars. However, it was his singing voice that would finally move him into the bright lights of Broadway.
As regular readers will know, I'm been a longtime fan of Rosemary Clooney. Rosemary has frequently said that she considers Feinstein "a part of my family." Feinstein went to work for lyricist Ira Gershwin, brother of George, in 1977.
"Initially I was asked to work for Ira in the capacity of cataloguing his phonograph records," Feinstein said. "After that I was given carte blanche by Ira's wife to assist Ira, going through papers, playing the piano for him, being paid to be with a man who I greatly idealized. Eventually, I became Ira's eyes and ears to the outside world as he was no longer able to go out into the world, becoming his musical assistant."
Ira Gershwin lived next door to Maysville, Kentucky's greatest product, Rosemary Clooney. She lives there to this day, a house in posh Beverly Hills, Calif. where she raised her family. Because Feinstein was so young at the time, it's not unusual that he was sort of adopted by the Earth Mother that is the essence of Rosemary.
Last year, Feinstein opened a nightclub (precarious as they are) in the Regency Hotel in Midtown New York. You can't get snazzier than the Regency. So far, the club has been a success and of course Ms. Clooney has performed there. Michael keeps up a busy concert schedule, so he's seldom at the club named for him. But he did make it there.
Last year, recording equipment captured him in superb form for the new double album, "Romance on Film, Romance on Broadway" (Concord Records).
I believe I have heard all of Michael Feinstein's recordings and none of the old ones can come anywhere close to matching the excellence found in amble doses here. Feinstein's greatest quality is his uncanny ability to choose some of the best songs from the three decades that began in 1930. In this truly awesome album, his voice has been recorded with skill, making him sound like he's singing from a tiny stage while you listen at the closest table.
Song selection being Feinstein's forte, it's not exactly a major surprise that these two CDs contain unerring choices. The romance CD opens with the glorious song, "The More I See You," written by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon and used in the 1944 Betty Grable film, "Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe." The movie version was by Dick Haymes (a great singer in those days). Michael Feinstein easily turns the song into his own.
The rest of the program on CD #1 contains such classics as "The Second Time Around," "As Time Goes By," "All the Way" (made famous by Sinatra), "Something's Gotta Give," "Isn't It Romantic," "The Way You Look Tonight," "Long Ago and Far Away," "When I Fall in Love," "My Foolish Heart," and "How Do you Keep the Music Playing?"
The various musicians who back Feinstein on the first CD include pianist Alan Broadbent, Rosemary Clooney's musical director John Oddo, and the wonderful Marian McPartland, whose nimble fingers continue to enthrall audiences after all these years.
The second CD turns to the best romantic songs from Broadway. Again, the selections seem the only possible picks for such a collection, starting with "Always," then moving smoothly down the road with such classic tunes as "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" (my favorite track in the album), "If This Isn't Love," "As Long As She Needs Me," and "My Funny Valentine." All in all, 22 songs receive the special Feinstein treatment, in which the lyric reigns (including the verse).
Feinstein, whose work in previous years frankly made me decide that his ego outweighed his singing abilities, here becomes immersed in the music and allows the listener to receive a welcome shower of some of the finest ballads ever put on the music stands of America. This is an amazing collection, worth a spot in your library. A music lover should find this a fabulous Christmas present.
Sounds From Chicago
Janvier Jones comes from Chicago and her debut album certainly displays some of that patented Chicago sound. Ms. Jones writes and performs an array of compositions that touch in several areas, from soul to r&b with a little bit of the dreaded "Smooth Jazz" added to the mix."Soul Searching" (Naim Records) contains evidence that Janvier Jones has talent, but this release doesn't demonstrate anything that would lift her above the crowd, either as a singer or songwriter. It's professional, but it's not quite compelling.
Piano Man Fielding
One sure way to tell if a pianist has the stuff for the Big Time is to give him his own solo album. No rhythm section. No flute from south of the border. No aggregation of string players from the local symphony. Just a grand piano with the standard number of keys. And a recording studio.Andy Fielding passes the test in all sorts of colors in "Playing for Keeps," (Arbors Records) the latest in Arbors' series of solo sets. Always drawn to ragtime and swing, Fielding counts as major influences such pianists as Dave McKenna, Dick Hyman and Teddy Wilson.
The album contains some fine material, including "They Can't Take That Away From Me," "A Night in Tunisia" and "Someone to Watch Over Me." Fielding exudes confidence and he performs with a polish that makes this album a highly pleasant experience.
