My Funny Valentine

On A Clear Day
A Cock-Eyed Optimist
Hello, Young Lovers
Here I'll Stay
My Fair Lady Shuffle: Overture/Wouldn't It Be Loverly/Let A Woman/Just You Wait/Poor Professional...
Getting To Know You
Living In The Shadows
Bewitched
I Have Dreamed
My Funny Valentine
Camelot Suite: Camelot/The Simple Joys Of Maidenhood/How To Handle A Woman/If Ever I Would...
Crazy World
If I Loved You
Edelweiss
The Sound Of Music

Customer Reviews:

5 STARS AND THEN SOME !!.......2006-02-10

Oh Julie, the songs you sang on this CD are superb. I wish you could still give us that joy. If you can only sing in the low registers, give us jazz!! You can do it I just know you can!!

Pretty Sad, .......2005-10-27

Hollywood veteran Julie Andrews has had a glorious career, but not without its downsides. Her legend is built on "The Sound of Music" and "Mary Poppins" and other glorious roles. Her abilities as a singer were never impressive or great, her voice often sounded weak, but she always knew how to sing around her very limited vocal range. On this collection she performs some of the greatest Broadway tunes ever written and even though she does a good job, her voice just doesn't hold up against many of these tunes. Her warmth is felt all over the album, in "Here I'll Stay" she wraps her gentle, but narrow, voice around it and in "My Funny Valentine" she sticks to the lower register of her voice. However, in the re-recording of her classic "Sound of Music" and in "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" her voice fails her, it often sounds thin and airy and it's actually quite sad to listen to. When all is said and done Julie Andrews remains a great talent, and most of that talent is largely due to her amazing capability as a performer and her genuine warmth.

I FELL IN LOVE WITH JULIE ALL OVER AGAIN.......2005-06-25

As a young kid growing up in the Philippines I remember my Dad playing his state-of-the-art Aiwa tape recorder back in the 60s and hearing Julie Andrews' voice - truly the voice of an angel! Now, hearing these songs again with adult ears I fell in love with her voice all over again !

A Great Julie Andrews CD.......2002-01-27

If you are a fan of Dame Julie's and musicals, this is the cd for you. It is a compilation of songs from prevously released albums; The King and I, The Music of Richard Rodgers, Here I'll Stay, and Victor/Victoria, Original Broadway Cast Recording.
I found the material to be very well put together giving the listener selections from My Fair Lady, Camelot, The Sound of Music, Victor/Victoria and others. What more could you want?
As for Ms. Andrews, she is superb. There is simply no one like her. I have heard comments that prior to the infamous throat surgery she was unable to handle the difficult material and hit those high notes. This is just not true. All you have to do is listen to these songs recorded in the early 90's to know that she still had a marvelous voice. Lets hope that one day she will be able to sing and record again. If not, these may be her last recordings so treasure them.

The My Fair Lady suite is wonderful and Ms. Andrews definitely hit the high note at the end of "I Could Have Danced All Night".
Her version of "Edelweiss" and "The Sound of Music" are lovely.
Also worth listening to is "Living in the Shadows" written for the Broadway production of Victor/Victoria so you won't find it on the movie soundtrack. The lyrics are by Leslie Bricusse who also penned "Crazy World", which is another great selection on this cd.

Overall this is a cd worth having in your collection, so buy it today. Otherwise you are missing out.

Climbing Every Mountain with Mary Poppins.......2002-01-22

Julie Andrews and her music have been an inspiration to me
every since I stepped into a theater and watched Mary Poppins
(many years ago). I admire her talent and her voice on this CD. I know it is not as clear a voice as she used to have but I still enjoy listening to her. I listen to this CD when I want a "pick me up" and am proud to have it as part of my collection.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful
A Valentine For The Ages
the underrated george coleman
Just Shimmers With Beauty. This One is Magical.
What jazz is all about

My Funny Valentine
Miles Davis
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Four & More
The Melody At Night, With You
Seven Steps to Heaven
Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
Milestones

ASIN: B00079I0CE
Release Date: 2005-02-01

Tracks:

My Funny Valentine- Live
All Of You- Live
Stella by Starlight- Live
All Blues- Live
I Thought About You- Live

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2007-07-15

The Music is awesome. I just wish Columbia would release the entire concert in the correct order outside of the Seven Steps To Heaven Box Set.

A Valentine For The Ages.......2007-04-17

This is a splendid live recording, and probably one of my favorite Miles Davis CDs (I own about 30). The original recording at Lincoln Center was obviously of very good audio quality. The 1992 CD version--COMPLETE CONCERT 1964--sounded quite good. This remastered edition, which represents half the concert (disc 1 from the original set, which I prefer over disc 2) sounds even better, with more detail. Two other improvements in this new edition: 1) it starts right off with music, rather than the lengthy (1:40) Introductions by Mort Fega; 2) the liner notes include a nice new essay about the concert by bassist Ron Carter. If you haven't heard this music before, note that Miles is in very good form, George Coleman provides what's probably some of the best recorded work of his career, and Hancock, Carter, and Williams are, well......not too shabby. A most elegant performance.

the underrated george coleman.......2006-11-04

certainly one of my favorites, miles or any other recording. each song is a stellar performance. particularly the playing of george coleman; based on this recording, coleman remains one of my favorite tenors, whether it's the setting, the selections, or inspiration of the moment, i accept his masterful performance without question.

Just Shimmers With Beauty. This One is Magical........2006-10-23

From the very first chord that 23 year-old Herbie Hancock plays the listener realizes that they've popped something very special (dare I say magical?) into the CD player. I am a huge fan of Miles's electric period but lately I've been collecting the earlier releases. I wasn't sure what to expect from this, I picked it up along with its sister release "Four and More" that was recorded during the same concert.

Surely this release was inspirational to Manfred Eicher who founded the ECM record label, known for its extraordinary sound production. "My Funny Valentine" sounds as though it could have been produced for that label, in fact, I'm very much reminded of Kenny Wheeler's 1975 release "Gnu High" (that featured x-Miles sidemen Jarrett, DeJohnette, and Holland). After listening to this I can understand why Miles's earlier fans were so upset with Bitches Brew - it hasn't changed my mind about the brilliance of Miles's electric music but this release is a testament to his ability to create great music in any genre (except maybe polka music).

I don't think I can add much more to what anyone else has said in the other reviews other than it is clear that on this disc and on "Four and More" that these musicians were playing and communicating on a level that is a rare achievement, thank God the tapes were rolling that night in February 1964! All of the players far exceed their usual brilliance. In particular I want to point out Herbie's playing on this release. I've always been aware of Herbie Hancocks abilities and brilliance, but his incredibly sensitive touch on those keys is almost overwhelmingly beautiful in places.

Not sure why everyone equates Miles's second great quintet with the addition of Shorter to the Carter-Williams-Hancock group. In my mind the second great quintet started with this band that included Coleman.

It's all good folks. I can't fathom why anyone who in musically knowlegeable would give this release less than 5 stars. Buy this along with its sister release "Four and More" You will not be disappointed!

What jazz is all about.......2006-04-30

In 1964, Miles brought his quintet, with George Coleman, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams, to give a concert as a Civil Rights benefit. The gig was unpaid and some of the band members threatened to leave when they found out, but Miles pulled them back together and they went out on stage to play. This album documents half of the material yielded by the concert, the other half being released on "Four & More."

The price of the CD is more than worth it for one tune, a fifteen minute version of "My Funny Valentine" which is the quintessential jazz performance. It begins with a beautiful piano introduction with Miles coming in and stating the melody (sort of) in a very rubato duet with Hancock. Eventually the band comes in and the groove establishes itself and peaks with an amazing chromatic trumpet run. The band just explodes. Coleman takes a lengthy but very very pretty saxophone solo (he was never as inventive as his replacement, Wayne Shorter, but he acquits himself well here) before Herbie waxes a GORGEOUS improvisation with only Carter behind him most of the way. I have a transcription of said solo and I am amazed that anyone could even write that, let alone make it up on the spot. Miles comes back in with the melody at the bridge and the tune ends quietly, the close of a magnificent melodic journey filled with amazing interplay and near-telepathy between the band members. This is what jazz is all about, creating spontaneous beauty that has never existed before and never will the same way again. Of course, we have the record to play it over and over.

The rest of the album follows in more or less the same mold: extended standard performances that are beautiful and top quality, though none of them quite reach the poignancy and power of the title track. The way the material was divided between the two albums is a little strange in that most of the medium tempo material is here while the faster material is on "Four & More," so it can get a little repetitious listening to "My Funny Valentine," "All of You," and "Stella by Starlight" all in a row, with little variation of tempo and approach. My suggestion? Either listen to the tunes one at a time or buy this album and "Four & More" and shuffle them...just a thought.

Average customer rating:

Good CD
Could have been great
where is the electronic song
"My Funny Valentine takes center stage ~ Rodgers & Hart"

The Company

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Company
Floating into the Night
The Voice of Love
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ASIN: B0000YTP1Q
Release Date: 2003-12-09

Tracks:

My Funny Valentine - Elvis Costello
Bach: Menuett - Yo-Yo Ma
The World Spins - Julee Cruise
Rabekin - Light Rain
Appalachia Waltz - Yo-Yo Ma
My Funny Valentine - Chet Baker
My Funny Valentine - Marvin Laird
Ray One From Creative Force - John Zeretzke
Curtain Calls - Van Dyke Parks
My Funny Valentine - Kronos Quartet
Saint-Saens: Pas Redoublie - Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra
Blue Snake & Zebras - Van Dyke Parks

Amazon.com

Writer/director Robert Altman's predilection for complex character studies has focused a jaundiced eye on everything from Nashville to the fashion industry. Here the director explores the interactions of a contemporary ballet troupe, set to a diverse pop/classical score that's anything but predictable. The dominant theme that runs throughout is the American songbook staple "My Funny Valentine," given four distinctly different idiomatic turns here by Elvis Costello, Chet Baker, the Kronos Quartet, and the piano/cello duet of Marvin Laird and Clay Ruede. The remaining source tracks range from the expected classical roots (Bach and Saint-Saens) to Twin Peaks vocal icon Julee Cruise and the world music of Light Rain, but it's left to veteran songwriter/composer/arranger Van Dyke Parks to weave those disparate influences together in his orchestral score, a task the included excerpts argue he's accomplished with typical wit and considerable charm. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Good CD.......2007-01-09

If you have seen the movie, this CD includes all the songs from all the dances in the movie. I'm a dance teacher, and this CD has been used in my classes many, many times.

Could have been great.......2005-02-14

This CD follows the all-to-common practice of presenting a dozen of the "most marketable" pieces, leaving off the more unique music. Where is the great electronic composition from the beginning, the wonderful practice piano music, and the other instrumental selections? A complete soundtrack, given courage and dedication by the CD producers, would be more unique, engrossing, and worth owning than this selection.

where is the electronic song.......2004-11-04

The sound track is great... but where is the song at the beggining of the movie? That strange electronic song? If anyone knows who did that song please email me! Thomasology@yahoo.com

"My Funny Valentine takes center stage ~ Rodgers & Hart".......2004-03-03

From director Robert Altman we have the ultimate ballet film "The Company", featuring Nerve Campbell, Malcolm McDowell, James Franco, Barbara Robertson, William Dick and actual members of Joffrey Ballet. Very effective camera work captures the poise and brilliance of the ensemble during their key ballet performances.

One of my all time favorite songs by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart "MY FUNNY VALENTINE", is presented in four different performances ~ in this order we have Elvis Costello, Chet Baker (a classic interpretation by a very talented young artist at the peak of his career), Marvin Laird (piano) and Clay Ruede (cello), Kronos Quartet ~ brings to the fold popular and classical performers ~ each approaching this standard cue with all melodic magic they can muster.

Stand outs in my book is "CURTAIN CALLS" and "BLUE SNAKE & ZEBRAS", both composed by Van Dyke Parks with extraordinary orchestration and counter parts ~ "THE WORLD SPINS", from composers Angelo Badalmenti and David K. Lynch, performed by Julee Cruise is intoxicating and thrlling, with no hangover ~ let's mention "MENUETT" (J.S. Bach) and "APPALACHIA WALTZ" (Mark O'Connor), performed by the one and only renown cello player who is recognized world wide, Yo-Yo Ma ~ "RABEKIN" (Russ Guthier), wonderful cue that rings so true for the film, a meaningful fantasy instrumental, blending Middle Eastern rhythms from world fusion group, Light Rain...gotta love it!