Fred Astaire's Finest Hour

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Fred Astaire might not be the first name that comes to mind when thinking of a jazz singer, but this installment of Verve's Finest Hour series samples 16 songs from the 1952 sessions in which Astaire joined Oscar Peterson and some of Verve's best sidemen to lay down jazzy versions of songs he had made famous in his Broadway and film career, originally released as The Astaire Story. While Astaire was not blessed with great vocal chops, the best American songwriters including George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and Cole Porter loved him for his unerring sense of rhythm and sympathetic treatment of lyrics, qualities that are well displayed here. Familiar songs include "Steppin' Out with My Baby," "Cheek to Cheek," "They Can't Take That Away from Me," "Night and Day," and "Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails." And for something different, there's also a song recorded with the Pete King Orchestra, "The Afterbeat," written by Astaire himself with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. --David Horiuchi

Fred Astaire's Finest Hour, Music, Fred Astaire, American Popular Song, Jazz, Jazz Music, Nostalgia, Pop, Show Tunes, Standards, Traditional Pop, Vocal Jazz

Average customer rating:

Great Songs, Great Entertainer, poor execution on Astaire's part

Tin Pan Alley Swing

Excellant but be aware

When a gentleman sings, people listen

Fred Astaire's Finest Hour
Fred Astaire
Manufacturer: Verve
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 | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
General | Pop | Styles | Music
General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music
Nostalgia | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
Verve | Verve Music Group | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Essential Fred Astaire

Steppin' Out: Astaire Sings

Top Hat, White Tie & Tails

The Irving Berlin Songbook

Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers At RKO: Motion Picture Soundtrack Anthology

ASIN: B0000A0I6P
Release Date: 2003-08-19

Steppin' Out With My Baby
Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
They Can't Take That Away From Me
Cheek To Cheek
They All Laughed
No Strings (I'm Fancy Free)
Puttin' On The Ritz
Oh, Lady, Be Good!
Isn't This A Lovely Day
The Continental
'S Wonderful
Something's Gotta Give
Fascinating Rhythm
Night And Day
Dancing In The Dark
Top Hat, White Tie, And Tails
The Afterbeat

Amazon.com

Fred Astaire might not be the first name that comes to mind when thinking of a jazz singer, but this installment of Verve's Finest Hour series samples 16 songs from the 1952 sessions in which Astaire joined Oscar Peterson and some of Verve's best sidemen to lay down jazzy versions of songs he had made famous in his Broadway and film career, originally released as The Astaire Story. While Astaire was not blessed with great vocal chops, the best American songwriters including George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and Cole Porter loved him for his unerring sense of rhythm and sympathetic treatment of lyrics, qualities that are well displayed here. Familiar songs include "Steppin' Out with My Baby," "Cheek to Cheek," "They Can't Take That Away from Me," "Night and Day," and "Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails." And for something different, there's also a song recorded with the Pete King Orchestra, "The Afterbeat," written by Astaire himself with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Great Songs, Great Entertainer, poor execution on Astaire's part.......2007-03-01

I hate to disagree with the other reviewers who found this CD enjoyable but I found this CD to be very disappointing. I actually like Astaire's singing voice in the old movies and find his voice on this CD to be pleasant and unassuming however it lacks polish. This CD sounds like Astaire needed to spend a week or two getting his singing talent back up to speed. He sounds like a pleasant amateur who is struggling with the songs. The Amazon samples played on a notebook computer sound excellent. However, playing the CD on a decent player shows all Astaire's weakness as a singer. It is just painful. The songs are excellent and Oscar Peterson's combo is outstanding. It is disappointing that the producers didn't give Astaire an adequate number of takes to get it right. They almost had something wonderful here.

Tin Pan Alley Swing.......2006-11-23

Astaire's vocal abilities are nowhere near the level on which he used to glide across the screen, with or without partners. Uncapable for either jazz phrasing or bellcanto, Astaire was also nowhere near the best of the American popular singers of the era - Bing Crosby or Fred Astaire could lick him any time, Sammy Davis Jr. and Billy Eckstine could outdo him in any aspect of pop singing.
However, this is still very enjoyable CD, most of it made out of sessions with Oscar Peterson's jazz combo, with the glorious trumpet of Charlie Shavers, swinging guitar of Barney Kessel, virtuoso bass of Ray Brown, "driving" and reliable drumms of Alvin Stoller and, on most songs, Flip Philips' expressive tenor sax (yes, and on few occasions Peterson engages in the heavenly sounds of the celeste)...

Astaire is not without charm (particularly if you already like him from his films), and the charm is augmented by such illustrious company; at moments he even completely manages to avoid corny effects of blindly following the melody and rhythm.

It would be too much to say that he actually swings, but this is still good popular American singing, with a jazzy tinge.

The songs, as anyone can see from this site are mostly excellent, so this fact must have helped making this CD so surprisingly enjoyable.

Excellant but be aware.......2006-06-21

These recordings are not the show tunes. As the reviewer noted most of the songs are from a 1952 session with more jazz than big band sound. While Fred's voice has always had a sincerity about the lyrics he sang, I always picture Ginger staring into his eyes. These arrangments lose that particular magic, however the tunes still hold up very well.
While I am an easy jazz fan there is so much plunking on an open body guitar that one can take and this album reaches my limit. Yes, I would buy this CD - just know that Ginger might not approve.

When a gentleman sings, people listen.......2005-08-02

I have always enjoyed Fred Astaire movies, but I never really considered purchasing one of his CDs until recently. I also purchased "Steppin Out" (which I also recommend).

What struck me from the first track is the underrated quality of Astaire's voice. Renowned for his dancing, his voice seemed a secondary quality to his athleticism. This CD is a prime example of what a good jazz singer Astaire was. His voice isn't the loudest or strongest, but there is a soothing, unstressed quality that, like his dancing, is highly enjoyable.

The CD is arranged almost by fame of song - we all recognize the melodies of "Stepping Out with my Baby","They Can't Take that Away from Me", and "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off", but even songs like "Lady be Good" or "Dancing in the Dark" have a timeless sound to them. The whole CD has a smooth jazz, or at times a big band, sound to it, and I listen to it in the car or when I'm housecleaning (though I don't try to dance with any of my appliances). Astaire's voice is very appealing, and I could imagine using this CD in almost any social situation as a soft background sound.

"Fred Astaire's Finest Hour" is a gem of a CD, to be appreciated because as one of the great gentleman actors, Fred Astaire could charm us with his feet, and (however surprisingly), it turns out he could sing too.

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