The Kander and Ebb Album [Soundtrack]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Varèse Sarabande continues its valuable Spotlight series, allowing Broadway veterans to record solo albums covering the catalogs of musical theater's best songwriters. The oeuvre of Kander and Ebb is given to Brent Barrett, and it's a good match considering his role as Billy Flynn in Broadway's Chicago. (His résumé also includes studio recordings and the Maltby and Shire revue Closer Than Ever.) You won't find "New York, New York" or "Wilkommen" here, but you will get a tasty blend of songs ranging from brassy swing to gorgeous ballads to crooners, all rendered in Barrett's versatile tenor--which at its sweetest brings to mind a less affected Mandy Patinkin. Chicago is represented by one song Barrett sings every night, "All I Care About," and one he doesn't, "All That Jazz." Ally McBeal's Jane Krakowski is on hand for "Wet" from Steel Pier, while Chicago costar Ruthie Henshall joins Barrett for "Why Should I Wake Up," a lovely duet cut from the Broadway revivals of Cabaret. John Kander himself accompanies on piano for "A Quiet Thing," from Flora, the Red Menace. A very nice album, from beginning to end. --David Horiuchi

Tracks:

Second Chance (Steel Pier)
Sometimes A Day Goes By (Woman Of The Year)
Life Is (Zorba)
Seeing Things (The Happy Time)
All That Jazz (Chicago)
All I Care About (Chicago)
No, My Heart (Hay Fever)
Wet (Steel Pier)
Isn't This Better (Funny Lady)
Give Me Love (Kiss Of The Spider Woman)
Why Should I Wake Up? (Cabaret)
Married/Marry Me (Cabaret/The Rink)
The Skin Of Our Teeth (Over And Over)
A Quiet Thing (Flora, The Red Menace)

Amazon.com

Varèse Sarabande continues its valuable Spotlight series, allowing Broadway veterans to record solo albums covering the catalogs of musical theater's best songwriters. The oeuvre of Kander and Ebb is given to Brent Barrett, and it's a good match considering his role as Billy Flynn in Broadway's Chicago. (His résumé also includes studio recordings and the Maltby and Shire revue Closer Than Ever.) You won't find "New York, New York" or "Wilkommen" here, but you will get a tasty blend of songs ranging from brassy swing to gorgeous ballads to crooners, all rendered in Barrett's versatile tenor--which at its sweetest brings to mind a less affected Mandy Patinkin. Chicago is represented by one song Barrett sings every night, "All I Care About," and one he doesn't, "All That Jazz." Ally McBeal's Jane Krakowski is on hand for "Wet" from Steel Pier, while Chicago costar Ruthie Henshall joins Barrett for "Why Should I Wake Up," a lovely duet cut from the Broadway revivals of Cabaret. John Kander himself accompanies on piano for "A Quiet Thing," from Flora, the Red Menace. A very nice album, from beginning to end. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Not That Jazz!.......2001-10-28

This is a very good CD of Broadway music. I was never a fan of Kander's and Ebb's music; but after listening to this CD, I've had a change of heart. Brent Barrett's wonderful voice makes the songs on this CD sound really good. The exception is "All That Jazz". I don't think this song will ever sound good when sung by a man. At least not the way it is sung here by Brent Barrett. He really drags it down. My most favorite songs on this CD are the three ballads: "Sometimes A Day Goes By", "Seeing Things" and "A Quiet Thing". They are among the best Broadway songs I've heard (and I've heard many). These three songs may move you to tears, especially the way they are sung here, if you have a tender heart.

the orchestrations are dragging it down.......2000-12-20

I love the music of Kander and Ebb, and I really enjoy Brent Barrett as a performer. However many of the orchestrations on this album, most memorably All That Jazz, really drag this recording down.

A composer, a lyricist, and a voice.......2000-10-03

Brent Barrett has been a favorite of mine since I happened upon the recording of Maltby and Shire's revue, Closer than Ever. Unfortunately, he never seemed to show up on an original cast album. Luckily for me, I found him on the original recordings of Grand Hotel and the late 90s revival of Candide. Luckily for us all, Varese Sarabande chose to spotlight his wonderful voice on a solo album devoted to one of the greatest songwriting teams in musical history, John Kander and Fred Ebb. Brent Barrett has an amazingly expressive and pretty rangy voice. He puts it to good use as well, singing songs that many people might not have heard. Numbers from the Happy Time and Zorba are most welcome alongside more well-known numbers from Chicago and Cabaret. We're fortunate that three amazing talents all came together on one CD devoted to showcasing them all.

Kander & Ebb at their best.......2000-08-22

Being from the UK, I have never heard of Brent Barrett till Amazon recomended this album to me. This is a truly wonderfull voice, all the tracks are brilliant, but my favorite is, "Seeing Things" If you'r a Broadway fan buy this album, it is so refreshing.

THE most magnificant male voice on stage today............2000-08-16

....now partner him with Judy Kuhn in a show, and we'll all go to heaven. Barrett knocks every Kander and Ebb song, in all of their various styles, out of the ballpark. In particular, "The Skin of Our Teeth" is absolutely electrifying as Barrett picks every note out of the air with the ease of a Linda Eder. And this Varese release, gratefully, doesn't muck up the recording with a lot of bizarre arrangements (as do a lot of their other showcase CDs). If you enjoy Broadway in the least, you need to hear this man. Highly recommended.

Cabaret: Original London Cast Album (1986 London Revival)

Average customer rating:

Perfectly Marvelous!
Wayne Sleep and Kelly Hunter in CABARET
Willkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome To Cabaret: The London Cast

Cabaret: Original London Cast Album (1986 London Revival)
John Kander , and Fred Ebb
Manufacturer: First Night Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000038W1
Release Date: 1998-05-05

Tracks:

Wilkommen - Company
So What - Vivienne Martin
Don't Tell Mama - Kelly Hunter/Caroline O'Connor/Caroline Clare/Sarah Drummond/Gail McGregor...
Perfectly Marvellous - Kelly Hunter/Peter Land
Two Ladies - Wayne Sleep/Caroline O'Connor/Caroline Clare
It Couldn't Please Me More - Vivienne Martin/Oscar Quitak
Why Should I Wake Up - Peter Land
Money - Wayne Sleep/Company
Married - Vivienne Martin/Oscar Quitak
Meeskite - Oscar Quitak/Company
Tomorrow Belongs To Me - Grazina Frame/Rodney Cottam/Company
If You Could See Her - Wayne Sleep/John Thornton
Maybe This Time - Kelly Hunter
What Would You Do - Vivienne Martin
Cabaret - Kelly Hunter/Caroline O'Connor/Caroline Clare/Sarah Drummond/Gail McGregor...
Auf Wiedersehen (Finale) - Peter Land/Wayne Sleep/Company

Customer Reviews:

Perfectly Marvelous!.......2005-02-06

Just this evening, I got this CD in the mail. Immediately, I slipped it into my CD player, and I was VERY pleased with what what I heard!
Let's start with the main characters. I have loved Wayne Sleep since I first heard him in CATS as a very sweet Mr. Mistoffelees. This recording perfectly displays his ability to swing from two completely different spectrums of role... from an innocent little kitten magician to a bisexual beast of a man, but nevertheless endearing entertainer. His renditions of "Wilkommen", "Money" and, especially "Two Ladies" ooze with spritely panache.
Kelly Hunter is brilliant as the hoplessly romantic singer Sally Bowles. When I originally heard her, I thought that her voice was too formal for Sally, who shouldn't be very talented. Take, for example, the other extreme, Natasha Richardson. A marvelous actress, but a dismal singer. But, I soon grew to allow Kelly to replace the radiant Jill Haworth as the best Sally Bowles. She portrays Sally as a drunken, giddy darling that one can't help love and pity at the same time. She displays her voice perfectly, particularly in "Don't Tell Mama", "Maybe This Time", and her GORGEOUS version of "Cabaret". A perfect role for her.
I must say that I do not really like Peter Land. His voice is rather operatic and overdone, and his accent is pitiful. Vivienne Martin is a very good Fraulein Schneider, but not on par with the groundbreaking Lotte Lenye. Oscar Quitak is okay, but I never really favored any Herr Schultz.
But I must say that I despise Grazina Frame and Rodney Cottam as Fraulein Kost and Ernst Ludwig. Their duet in "Tomorrow Belongs To Me", a lovely song, reminds me of two singing hippos. Absolutely horrible. I never liked Michelle Pawk, but she is WONDERFUL compared to Grazina, who also sounds like a man.
The ensemble is very entertaining, and the Kit Kat girls are shrill, brassy, and divine. Coroline O'Connor and Caroline Clare are hilarious in "Two Ladies".
This CD, overall, is wonderful and a grand buy. I also strongly reccomend the Original and New Broadway casts, as each has each own's gem to offer.

Wayne Sleep and Kelly Hunter in CABARET.......2004-03-03

A pretty good recording of a successful revival. Wayne Sleep headlines this production of CABARET in which he sheds his Royal Ballet image and flaunts his theatrical clout. While not having the vocal finesse of Joel Grey, Sleep makes a fine impression as the asexual Emcee. His rendition of "Two Ladies" is curiously fascinating.

A very strong cast is evident here, and no more so than in the two female leads: Kelly Hunter gives us a pixie-like Sally Bowles and Vivienne Martin is a heartbreaking though very comical Frau Schneider. Hunter is affective in her desperate clutch for redemption in "Maybe This Time", while Martin is in fine voice in "What Would You Do?".

Rounding out the cast are Grazina Frame (BLITZ!), Oscar Masteroff, Peter Land and Rodney Cottam.

This was the last major London revival before Sam Mendes' revolutionary revival at the Donmar Warehouse starring Alan Cumming and Jane Horrocks; which later transferred to Broadway in 1998.

Willkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome To Cabaret: The London Cast.......2000-06-19

It was a good version of the awesome show Cabaret. Don't Tell Momma will always be a classic. I think if you appreciate the musical Cabaret, then this is a must have for your collection. Because In here Life is Beautiful! :)

Music:

Music

Music