Sings George Gershwin

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This lavish reissue of Vaughan's 1957 double LP displays a Gershwin different in tone from Ella Fitzgerald's better-known one. Naturally more elastic in her interpretations than Fitzgerald, Vaughan also manages a more intimate tone perhaps better suited for the later hours of late-night listening. Hal Mooney's arrangements wisely alternate between full-blown orchestral backing and a more rhythmic emphasis, as on "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise," which would have fit right in with the singer's string of pop hit singles. Most impressive, though, are Vaughan's intuitively touching readings of ballads like "I've Got a Crush on You," "The Man I Love," and "A Foggy Day": no matter how many recordings of them exist, these must stand near the top of the stack. The original album is augmented here by 13 incomplete takes from one of the sessions. --Rickey Wright

Tracks:

Somebody Loves Me
Boy Wanted
Things Are Looking Up
Love Walked In
Love Is Here To Stay
Someone To Watch Over Me
But Not For Me
Summertime
The Man I Love
Soon
Meadow Serenade
Nice Work If You Can Get It
By Strauss
Embraceable You
I Got Rhythm

Customer Reviews:

Brava Dame Kiri!.......2007-03-11

This is a delightful CD. Esteemed soprano Kiri Te Kanawa sings Gershwin. One hook making this CD interesting is the use of the original scores and choral arrangements. It adds a most pleasant element to this recording. In essence, this is simply a lot of fun to listen to. Kiri Te Kanawa takes the music for what it is, sings it with gusto, and produces a very satisfying CD.

Some examples. . . . "Somebody loves me" demonstrates her lush voice. This is a nice version of a fine Gershwin tune. The orchestral backing is solid and enjoyable. All in all, very satisfying. "Summertime," from "Porgy and Bess," is well known. This is well sung; her operatic voice handles the song most satisfactorily. A very fine version. . . .

"Nice work if you can get it" is a clever bob-bon. Dame Kiri sings this in a most sprightly fashion. She sings in the proper spirit for the song and seems to be enjoying herself in the process! There is a nice high note at the end which does not seem simply for effect (compare with Mario Lanza's efforts at ending almost any song with a high C).

"Embraceable you" is charming and well done. "I got rhythm" closes this CD. Again, very nicely done with lush orchestration and choral singing. The song is taken at a quick pace and the result is delightful. Her rich voice works well on this cut. The chorus is energetic and the orchestra sparkles.

This is a most enjoyable album. Great music sung in a charming style by a great singer

Who could ask for anything more?.......2005-12-29

That says it

i was made to listen..now im hooked.......2003-04-21

i was made to listen to this album as a requirement for my A Level course into perfrming gershwin songs...its amazing..the way kiri sings each one in a different style and makes it her own..go and buy it..u wont take it out of your CD player

I love it!.......2002-05-14

If you like Gershin and Kiri Te Kanawa you'll probably enjoy this album as much as I do!

I can imagine Nick and Nora Charles listening to this at one of Nick's favorite dives! It will transport you to a sophisticated time and place that may have never existed except in literature and debutante coming out parties.

Gatsby would have loved it, and surely would have invited Kiri to all his parties!

Classic Gershwin.......2002-04-05

Original arrangements of Gershwin tunes are rare these days, but that's what you'll hear in this album by Kiri Te Kanawa. Granted, the arrangements sound somewhat dated according to 21st century tastes, but that's what makes them fascinating. These were like nothing anyone else was writing when the George and Ira first brought them to life. Kiri uses a different, somewhat breathier voice than you might be used to on her classical albums, probably not the type of voice Gershwin had in mind, but I think it generally works pretty well.

Michael & George (Feinstein Sings Gershwin)

Average customer rating:

"Love Walked Right In . . . And Drove The Shadows Away"
Michael Feinstein: In a Class All His Own
NOT HIS BEST
Delishious!
Award Winning Musicality at its Best!

Michael & George (Feinstein Sings Gershwin)
Michael Feinstein
Manufacturer: Concord Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Nice Work If You Can Get It: Songs by the Gershwins
Pure Gershwin
Romance on Film/Romance on Broadway
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Isn't It Romantic

ASIN: B00000BII9
Release Date: 1998-09-15

Tracks:

Embraceable You
Nobody But You
Love Is Here To Stay
Do It Again
Of Thee I Sing
Funny Face
Lonely Boy
Shall We Dance?
Oh Gee!-Oh Joy!
Delishious
(I'll Build A) Stairway To Paradise
Love Walked In
Comes The Revolution
Soon
Swanee

Amazon.com

When compared with the (sometimes unnecessary) liveliness found on most Gershwin interpretations, Michael Feinstein's Algonquin cool on Michael & George is a bit of a shock. Lacking the bounce found on his first collection of Gershwin tunes (Pure Gershwin), this album of ballads and show tunes is more soothing than dance-ready. Sadly, the liveliest cut features Feinstein singing alongside a Gershwin-played piano roll with a cheesy dubbed MC introducing the music legend, as if the pair were caught in the act of playing today. We live in odd times: thanks to such rolls, ol' George is getting fairly consistent session work backing his fans some six decades after his death. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

"Love Walked Right In . . . And Drove The Shadows Away" .......2007-01-27

"Many other writers were deeply envious of him, wishing they too had that magic spark endowing his creations with an evergreen energy even now still combustible. George is one hundred and his music is ageless. His songs are sung, re-sung and reinterpreted in every conceivable genre, and they thrive. His concert works are beloved. Surely, as long as we care, Gershwin is here to stay." ~ Michael Feinstein, Liner Notes, 1998 ~

Michael Feinstein recorded this great centennial tribute to George Gershwin in 1998. This is one of the best-ever Gershwin tributes of all-time. Thanks to the innovative talents of Michael Feinstein, Bruce Roberts and David Tobocman, who wrote the incredibly beautiful, smooth jazzy arrangements of these timeless songs from the Gershwins. It's so nice to listen to these chestnuts with new arrangements and styles.

I have always cherished all Michael Feinstein CDs from my collection. They're absolutely gorgeous and worthy of repeat listenings every now and then. He's truly one of the greatest interpreters of the Great American Songbook and he's one of the best things that ever happened in the history of popular music. Additionally, all of his Liner Notes are self-written and so informative. You'll learn a lot about the origins of each song in the repertoire.

The best tracks for me include "Embraceable You" so uniquely rendered with its beautiful arrangement, which incorporates an overlapping instrumental background of the songs "Fascinating Rhythm," "Somebody Loves Me," "Someone To Watch Over Me" and "Rhapsody In Blue" and Gary Foster bridges it with his superb alto sax solo. It's one of my favorite versions of this gem.

Of course my perennial favorite "Love Is Here To Stay" is also a beguiling version sung with the intro verse, which was written by Ira shortly after George's death. It goes . . .

"The more I read the papers
The less I comprehend
The world and all its capers
And how it all will end

Nothing seems to be lasting
But that isn't our affair
We've got something permanent
I mean, in the way we care."

Listen closely to two more remarkable tracks, "Do It Again" and "Love Walked In." They have similar arrangements and I think they are the best arrangements I've ever heard for these songs. "Love Walked In" has background vocals. All I can say is wow!

Love walked right in
And drove the shadows away
Love walked right in
And brought my sunniest day
One magic moment
And my heart seemed to know
That love said "Hello"
Though not a word was spoken

One look and I forgot the gloom of the past
One look and I had found my future at last
One look and I had found the world completely new
When love walked in with you.

Join Michael Feinstein as he takes you to a sentimental journey to the world of George and Ira Gershwin.

Michael Feinstein: In a Class All His Own.......2007-01-11

If Michael is singing - I want to hear it! His Gershwin is always superb. Alongside all the previous Gershwin releases - this earns a treasured spot. To hear the neglected verses or intros to the songs as well as his illuminating notes is a much welcomed pleasure. This is some of the best Gershwin of our time! This singer always delivers the goods and here more so.

NOT HIS BEST.......2005-05-20

Feinstein is probably the best contemporary interpreter of the music of the Gershwins, however this partiuclar CD is a bit too somber. Yes, Ira and George could be somber and brooding, but this offering has too much of that for this man's taste.

Delishious!.......2001-11-20

I've a confession....before actually purchasing this wonderful cd I had been a 'closeted' Michael Feinstein fan for many years. But, at last, it's time to come out and express my deep rooted admiration for this amazing artist! For years I have respected the work of Micheal Feinstein and upon the release of "Michael & George" thought I might enjoy this as well. Much to my surprise my then "current girlfriend" who generally disliked anything to do with Broadway musicals, actually liked it so much she ended up keeping the copy I eventually purchased before we parted ways. Mmmm...typical! So, seeing how I was beginning to miss having this cd around (which,I'll confess, may be more than I actually missed having HER around!) I quickly bought another copy to add to my collection.

This cd was a slight change of departure for Michael (for convienience sake we'll keep this on a first name basis). While he had previously released two cd's featuring the music of George and Ira Gershwin he had never, up to this point, put out a collection of their songs using a slightly more contemporary approach. And, at the risk of losing any 'street creed' among fellow readers, I applaud him for this inventive approach! If nothing else his choice of using more modern charts actually,for me, enhances my enjoyment of these classic pieces. Michael approaches this cd in a singing style that is subtle, hushed yet also, dare I say,very intimate. His voice has always had such a warm texture and he sings these songs with a certain "playfulness" that is generally missing when performing Gershwin. If there is one problem that I constantly come across when listening to other singers attempt these wonderful tunes it is simply that in many instances they are being "overly sung" by the artist. I'm simply not a fan of "vocal gymnastics! It isn't easy to do but Michael is able to convey more in a quiet, almost imperceptible whisper( see " Embraceable You") than most singers do when 'tackling' a song and beating it to death ( see Celine Dion). The vast majority of these songs were written for musicals and should be sung with a certain,how to say,"Joie De Vivre" but how I wish more singers subscribed to the "less is more" theory when it comes to approaching a piece of music. I think we may all agree that Gerswn's songs are truly strong enough to under go a slight moderation...every now and than. C'mon, these are only songs...not the Ten Commandments!

Overall, I simply adore this cd. Although I know it's a cliche but when he performs "Funny Face", "Embraceable You" and "Lonely Boy" I swear I am hearing these songs for the first time. And when it comes to "Do It Again"...well, let's not go there! This is a wonderful package and if you've been a Gershwin fan as long as I have please give Michael's "Michael & George" a listen. Just promise to listen with an open mind! It's a disc that is at once warm, intimate and oh so sexy. Mmmm....now I wonder what happened to that ex-girlfriend of mine!

Four and One-Half Stars!!

Award Winning Musicality at its Best!.......2001-11-19

This award-winning album of Gershwin songs is not your standard Feinstein balladeering. He is a master at interpreting these wonderful, old standards. If only he had included my favorite Gershwin, BUT NOT FOR ME; that would have capped it off and made it the most special.

Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book

Average customer rating:

The best sings the best
As good as it gets

Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book
Ella Fitzgerald
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Songbook
Sings the Jerome Kern Song Book
Sings the Irving Berlin Song Book
Sings the Johnny Mercer Songbook

ASIN: B0000046WV
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Sam And Delilah
But Not For Me
My One And Only
Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
Beginner's Luck
Oh, Lady Be Good
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Things Are Looking Up
Just Another Rhumba
How Long Has This Been Going On?
'S Wonderful
Man I Love, The
That Certain Feeling
By Strauss
Someone To Watch Over Me
Real American Folk Song (Is A Rag), The
Who Cares?

Tracks:

Looking For A Boy
They All Laughed
My Cousin In Milwaukee
Somebody From Somewhere
Foggy Day, A
Clap Yo' Hands
For You, For Me, For Evermore
Stiff Upper Lip
Boy Wanted
Strike Up The Band
Soon
I've Got A Crush On You
Bidin' My Time
Aren't You Kind Of Glad We Did?
Of Thee I Sing (Baby)
"The Half Of It, Dearie" Blues
I Was Doing All Right
He Loves And She Loves

Tracks:

Love Is Sweeping The Country
Treat Me Rough
Love Is Here To Stay
Slap That Bass
Isn't It A Pity?
Shall We Dance
Love Walked In
You've Got What Gets Me
They Can't Take That Away From Me
Embraceable You
I Can't Be Bothered Now
Boy! What Love Has Done To Me!
Fascinating Rhythm
Funny Face
Lorelei
Oh, So Nice!
Let's Kiss And Make Up
I Got Rhythm

Customer Reviews:

The best sings the best .......2006-06-05

Ella Fitgerald is arguably the greatest popular female vocalist the planet has yet seen. The Gershwins were the song- writing team supreme, and there is no one who tops the music of George. Put them together and you not only swing, you lilt and coo, and stomp and woo.
Ella can do it all with a lyric, and the pure tone of her voice brings out the essence of that musical freshness , that bright beauty which is the signature sound of young roaring twenties America.

As good as it gets.......1998-12-21

If I have any warning at all before I leave this world, I will ask to hear Fitzgerald singing Gershwin while I eat my last meal.

Tracks:

Rhapsody In Blue - Freddy Martin & His Orchestra
A Foggy Day - Dorothy Donegan
But Not For Me - Margaret Whiting
Embraceable You - The Nat King Cole Trio
Fascinatin' Rhythm - Vic Damone
I Got Rhythm - Ann Richards
I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise - Liza Minnelli
It Ain't Necessarily So - Ella Mae Morse
Let's Call The Whole Thing Off - Marian McPartland
Nice Work If You Can Get It - Jeri Southern
Of Thee I Sing - The Andrews Sisters
'S Wonderful - Julie London
Someone To Watch Over Me - Jean Turner
Strike Up The Band - Tony Bennett
Summertime - Gordon MacRae
Swanee - Judy Garland
They All Laughed - Dakota Staton
They Can't Take That Away From Me - Peggy Lee
How Long Has This Been Goin' On - June Christy
That Certain Feeling - Jo Ann Greer
Who Cares (As Long As You Care For Me) - Kate Smith
I Got Plenty Of Nuttin' - Kenny Gardner
The Man I Love - Keely Smith
I've Got A Crush On You - Anna Maria Alberghetti

Customer Reviews:

It's Gershwin Time.......2007-01-13

Nice collection of music. Surprising how old recordings can be so update. I enjoyed it very much, but don't forget that I'n an early boomer.

Great Gershwin CD!.......2005-09-23

I have been a Gershwin fan since my father introduced me to George Gershwin's music, when I was very young. This CD greatly enhances my Gershwin collection!

Uneven, disappointing.......2003-01-03

I really wanted to like this CD. I have 'Capitol Sings Irving Berlin', which, although it has some disappointing tracks, is, overall, very enjoyable. But after listening to the Gershwin CD several times, I have to rate it as disappointing with just a few good tracks.

First of all: the first track, titled 'Rhapsody in Blue', isn't. It doesn't have the intro (famous clarinet solo); the entire first part of Gershwin's exciting piece is missing. What you have is a fragment of the work.

The tracks I enjoy include: Liza Minelli, with the best version of 'I'll Build A Stairway to Paradise' that I've ever heard, upbeat and swinging. Marian McPartland does a nice, jazzy, instrumental version of 'Let's Call the Whole Thing Off'. And June Christy's "How Long Has This Been Goin' On' makes me want to hear more of her.

But Vic Damone just ruins 'Fascinatin' Rhythm', taking all the syncopation (and all the life) out of the song. And I can't listen to the last track -- it's soooo bad.

Capitol's stars swing with the songs of George Gershwin.......2001-02-10

"Fascinatin' Rhythm," the Capitol Sings collection of George Gershwin tunes, begins with Freddy Martin and his Orchestra doing a version of "Rhapsody in Blue" to which you can swing your partner around the dance floor, perfectly capturing the charm of this series. Here are your favorite songs by our greatest composers often done in different ways from what you usually expect. But changing music style or tempo, adding percussions or strings, are what make these songs so enjoyable. Dorothy Donegan's "A Foggy Day" is a particularly jazzy version, but then Margaret Whiting's "But Not For Me" is big band style while Ann Richards does a very slow and sultry cover of "I Got Rhythm" (at least at the start). Sometimes the twist is that someone like Gordon MacRae sings "Summertime," a song he would certainly never get to do on stage in "Porgy & Bess" for a couple of rather obvious reasons. Like all the albums in this series, "Fascinatin' Rhythm" combines covers by big stars like Nat King Cole, Judy Garland, Tony Bennett and Peggy Lee with lesser known artists such as Keely Smith, Jo Ann Greer, Dakota Staton and Marian McPartland (I guess I would have to put Anna Marie Alberghetti in the middle on this one). My favorite track on this album would be Judy Garland's live version of "Swanee," but "They Can't Take That Away From Me" is certainly one of Peggy Lee's best efforts. "Fascinatin' Rhythm" may be well be the most female artist dominated disc in the Capitol Sings collection, which for my money only adds to its enjoyment.

Lee Wiley Sings the Songs of George & Ira Gershwin & Cole Porter

Average customer rating:

Fantastic song bird
One of a Kind
Classics from the 40s
Best CD In My 2000 Record Jazz Collection...
'S Wonderful

Lee Wiley Sings the Songs of George & Ira Gershwin & Cole Porter
Lee Wiley
Manufacturer: Audiophile
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Songbooks and Quiet Sensuality: 1933-1951
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Queen of Big Band Swing

ASIN: B000001UPD
Release Date: 1994-08-11

Tracks:

Funny Face: How Long Has This Been Going On?
Funny Face: My One And Only ( What Am I Gonna Do?)
Tip Toes: Sweet And Low Down
Funny Face: 'S Wonderful
Treasure Girl/Strike Up The Band: I've Got A Crush On You
Oh, Kay!: Someone To Watch Over Me
Girl Crazy: Sam And Delilah
Girl Crazy: But not For Me
Wake Up And Dream: Looking At You
The New Yorkers: Let's Fly Away
Jubilee: Why Shouldn't I?
Hot House Rose
Fifty Million Frenchmen: You Do Something To Me
Fifty Million Frenchman: Find Me A Primitive Man
Born To Dance: Easy To Love
Paris: Let's Do It, Lets Fall In Love

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic song bird.......2007-04-06

Lee Wiley was unique as are these recordings. Her voice is sultry, soft and wonderful to listen to. The songs are all "pop" with great lyrics that make today's songs pale in comparison. I have been a fan of Wiley's for many years but only recently learned we share the same birthdate, October 9th. Maybe that was a "hidden affinity". But in any event I think she is one of the most underrated jazz vocalists of all time.

One of a Kind.......2003-06-15

There never was a singer like Lee Wiley and these singular recordings have survived over the decades as a testament to a smokey, knowing, wry, evocative jazz vocalist beyond compare. The songs have survived over the decades, too--literate, unusual, engaging. A wonderful collection.

Classics from the 40s.......2002-09-09

Lee Wiley made these recordings for the Liberty Record Shop in the days before conglomerates controlled everything on record. She was a singer with great musical style and a clarity of voice that lets every lyric shine through. Plus, she knew everyone in New York and got the best musicians as back up to her intimate, sophisticated vocals. I especially like the tracks with "Organ by Maurice" -- Hammond organ played by Fats Waller, though contract restrictions prohibited using his name. I'd give the Gershwin recordings a slight edge over the Cole Porter takes, but all of them are terrific. This is incredibly stylish music from a time when style meant more than the clothes one wore. The recording quality is quite good -- an essential disc for every lover the American popular song.

Best CD In My 2000 Record Jazz Collection..........1999-10-02

I am a 21 year old jazz collector, I have over 2000 jazz lp's and Cd's, 78's exe.. and this is my favorite jazz vocal CD. Lee Wiley is wonderful(read Will Fiedwald's "Jazz Singing to find out how wonderful Lee Wiley is). Listen to Wiley's voice and let all the cares in the world just disappear. Buy the best cd in the world.

'S Wonderful.......1999-05-15

'S Marvelous/That she should sing like this/'S Awfully nice/'S Paradise/Like dreaming of a kiss./She'll make your life so glamorous....buy it.

Average customer rating:

BRILLIANT !!!
A brief review of Sarah Vaughan Sings George Gershwin
SIMPLY SASSY AT HER BEST
Divinely Sarah, By George

Sarah Vaughan Sings George Gershwin
Sarah Vaughan
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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How Long Has This Been Going On?

ASIN: B00000AFEZ
Release Date: 1998-09-29

Tracks:

Isn't It A Pity?
Of Thee I Sing (Monaural LP Take)
I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise
Someone To Watch Over Me
Bidin' My Time
The Man I Love
How Long Has This Been Going On?
My One And Only (What Am I Gonna Do?)
Lorelei
I've Got A Crush On You
Summertime (Master Take)
Aren't You Kind Of Glad We Did?
They All Laughed
Looking For A Boy
He Loves And She Loves
My Man's Gone Now

Tracks:

I Won't Say I Will
A Foggy Day
Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
Things Are Looking Up
Do It Again
Love Walked In
Of Thee I Sing (Stereo LP Take)
Summertime (Alternate Take)
Things Are Looking Up (Incomplete Take)
I Won't Say I Will (Incomplete Take)
I Won't Say I Will (Alternate Take)
I Won't Say I Will (Incomplete Take)
I Won't Say I Will (Incomplete Take)
I Won't Say I Will (Incomplete Take)
Of Thee I Sing (Incomplete Take)
Of Thee I Sing (Incomplete Take)
Of Thee I Sing (Incomplete Take)
Of Thee I Sing (Incomplete Take)
My One And Only (Incomplete Take)
My One And Only (Incomplete Take)
My One And Only (Incomplete Take)

Amazon.com

This lavish reissue of Vaughan's 1957 double LP displays a Gershwin different in tone from Ella Fitzgerald's better-known one. Naturally more elastic in her interpretations than Fitzgerald, Vaughan also manages a more intimate tone perhaps better suited for the later hours of late-night listening. Hal Mooney's arrangements wisely alternate between full-blown orchestral backing and a more rhythmic emphasis, as on "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise," which would have fit right in with the singer's string of pop hit singles. Most impressive, though, are Vaughan's intuitively touching readings of ballads like "I've Got a Crush on You," "The Man I Love," and "A Foggy Day": no matter how many recordings of them exist, these must stand near the top of the stack. The original album is augmented here by 13 incomplete takes from one of the sessions. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

BRILLIANT !!!.......2005-11-17

Combine the wriitng genius of George Gershwin, the lyrical magic of Ira Gershwin, and the uniquely soulful talent of Sarah Vaughan, and you have one of the FINEST COMPILATIONS of Gershwin music in the music industry. I have long thought that the interpretation Ms. Vaughan to the music of George and Ira was the most beautiful of all of the various Diva Gershwin Collections. Listening to this anew, I have reaffirmed my judgement. THIS IS A WONDERFUL COLLECTION....A MUST HAVE.

A brief review of Sarah Vaughan Sings George Gershwin.......2005-10-06

In my opinion, Sarah Vaughan Sings George Gershwin is the standard against which all cd reissues should be measured. Everything about this set is superb. Sound quality, packaging, musicianship, are all fantastic. Remastering of these songs is stunning. Perhaps some of the extra tracks aren't necessary, but don't let that deter you from purchasing this set. It's worth every penny.

Sarah is heard in fine voice here, with wonderful versions of "The Man I Love", "Lorelei", "How Long Has This Been Going On?", "Someone To Watch Over Me", and "Summertime". In fact, there are no weak tracks here. The latter song is unquestionably the definitive version of this much-covered chestnut. The orchestral arrangements enhance the emotion in the songs, and Sarah is Sarah, and not Ella, largely due to her emotion.

The highlight of this album is "My Man's Gone Now". I believe Sarah's performance on this work may be the greatest vocal in the history of recorded music. The backing on this track is appropriately traumatic, and reiterates the pain in Sarah's vocal. Truly thrilling. If you can listen to this track without being moved, you're dead inside (just so you know).

Sarah Vaughan Sings George Gershwin is essential for any music collection.

SIMPLY SASSY AT HER BEST.......2000-11-02

This is the record i would bring with me on a desert island.I have a lot of admiration for ELLA ,but on GERSHWIN SARAH should be your first choice, because she always loved that music ever since her childwood days and it shows.So many versions here seems to be the perfect ones that itshould prevent you from buying the usual collective collection.With SARAH, the many takesof a song can be rewarding, with others it is often unnecessary.Only deaf people can resist SARAH VAUGHAN singing SUMMERTIME,SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME and THE MAN I LOVE,but you are not deaf right?

Divinely Sarah, By George.......1999-06-18

"I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise" almost was a single and, in fact, disc jockeys got singles of it for radio play. Sarah performed it live memorably on the old Arthur Murray Dance Party T.V. show. This divine album remains totally wonderful, along with its famous cover, and what's even more wonderful is Sarah came into the studio unrehearsed and didn't even know many of the songs. She really created the album on the spot. It all has a wonderful feel to it, aided by Hal Mooney's evocative arrangements and Mercury's loving engineering. A gem forever.

Average customer rating:

Very good album

American Classics

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0007ZEBYY
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Tracks:

Fanfare For The Common Man - Netherlands Wind Ensemble
Short Ride In A Fast Machine - Netherlands Wind Ensemble
Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me - Center City Brass Quintet
The Stars And Stripes Forever - Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Promenade (From Walking The Dog) - Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Giggling Rapids (From The River) - Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Riffs (From Prelude, Fugue And Riffs) - Netherlands Wind Ensemble
Solitude - Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Adagio For Strings, Op.11 - Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Pavane (From Sebastian) - Richard Hickox
Gospel Train - Yuli Turovsky
Meander (From The River) - Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Mvt. II From Symphony No.2 - Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Washington Post - The Band Of The Blues And Royals
Girl Crazy Overture - BBC Philharmonic
Liberty Bell - Band Of The Royal Air Force College, Cranwell

Tracks:

Rhapsody In Blue - Howard Shelley
Steal Away To Jesus - Willard White
Summertime - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields Chamber Ensemble
Must The Winter Come So Soon? (From Vanessa) - Susan Graham
Porgy Sings (From Catfish Row) - Howard Shelley
Nagoya Marimbas - Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
Mvt. III From Symphony No.1 - Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Intermezzo (From Vanessa) - Detroit Symphony Orchestra
America (From West Side Story) - Netherlands Wind Ensemble
It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess) - Center City Brass Quintet
Mvt. II From Concerto For Clarinet - Scottish National Orchestra
Riba (From The River) - Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Simple Gifts (From Old American Songs, Set I) - Willard White
Blues (From Divertimento) - BBC Symphony Orchestra
Strike Up The Band Overture - BBC Philharmonic

Customer Reviews:

Very good album.......2007-06-24

Every song on this CD has such a crisp sound. Also, they are all perfectly arranged, classic American songs. I am very happy with this product. Great buy.

Average customer rating:

Golden Voice
3 /2* A pleasant, but mostly unchallenging excursion

Marni Nixon Sings Gershwin

Manufacturer: Reference Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Marni Nixon Sings Classic Kern
I Could Have Sung All Night: My Story

ASIN: B000001574
Release Date: 1993-12-17

Tracks:

Let's Call the Whole Thing Off
I've Got a Crush On You
But Not For Me
The Real American Folk Song
Blah, Blah, Blah
Blue, Blue, Blue
The Babbit And the Bromide
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Someone To Watch Over Me
Summertime
By Strauss
Embraceable You
I Got Rhythm
Soon/Maybe/Looking/For a Boy
Of Thee I Sing
The Man I Love

Customer Reviews:

Golden Voice.......2002-06-19

Marni Nixon has the one of the most beautiful voice in Musical Theater History. Her voice is rich and full of body. This CD is great to listen to not only because its Gershwin but because Marni brings in a natural beauty to Gershwin's music that does its justice. I highly recomment this CD!

3 /2* A pleasant, but mostly unchallenging excursion.......2000-10-07

The Gershwin brothers wrote so well that even I think I can sing their songs fairly well. Fortunately, my six-year old informs me otherwise. It is this consistent high quality that makes it difficult to critique professional singers' Gershwin output: It would be difficult to make this outstanding oeuvre sound bad.

Marni Nixon, well known as the voice behind Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady," is quite appealing on this collection of Gershwin standards and lesser-known gems. Accompanied by a sole piano, she effectively uses a number of styles: Operatic on "I Say Tomatoes" (though this song is a bit over-miked) and "Summertime," wistful on "But Not for Me" and "Someone to Watch Over Me", and expressive on the seldom heard (and very fun) "Blah, Blah, Blah" and "The Babbit and the Bromide." Overall, her singing is very smooth, sometimes intimate-but more often operatic and booming. Nixon has a sly, winking way on the best of these songs; her obvious enjoyment of the lyrics is simply infectious.