Life in the Moment

Track Listings

1. Eye of the Storm

2. To Beatrice

3. Courtship

4. Dream of the Princess

5. Looking Back

6. Spirit in Me

7. Turn Around

8. Going Home

9. Ireland

10. Forgiveness

11. Wedding

Life in the Moment,Gerry Schubert,Gallery Records,New Age / Meditation,Pop,Popular Music

Life in the Moment

Life in the Moment

Average customer rating:

Jazz Acoustics

Here's the Bob Mintzer disc you've been waiting for.

This CD is definitely IN THE MOMENT and should be in your jazz collection. Five stars!

In a sea of sax quartet releases, "In the Moment" rises well above the crowd.

In the Moment
Bob Mintzer Quartet
Manufacturer: Art of Life Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000KHYOQY
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Tracks:

Straight Ahead (Mintzer)
Listen Here (Harris)
Time After Time (Styne & Cahn)
Aha (Mintzer)
Simple Song (Mintzer)
What's the Word (Mintzer)
Play Pretty (Mintzer)
Blues (Mintzer)
Forgiveness (Markowitz)

Album Description

"In the Moment" (Art of Life Records AL1024-2) was digitally recorded by Mick Guzauski (Eric Clapton, Yellowjackets, Earth Wind and Fire) and Neil Dorfsman (Paul McCartney, Dire Straits, Sting) and mixed by Hal Winer in 24-bit/96kHz at BiCoastal Music in Ossining, New York on December 16, 2004. Bob is joined by the current rhythm section for his Big Band which includes Jay Anderson on bass, Phil Markowitz on piano and John Riley on drums. Six of the nine songs featured on "In the Moment" were composed by Mintzer. The album also features two standards, "Listen Here" by Eddie Harris and "Time After Time" by Styne & Cahn. "Forgiveness", written by Phil Markowitz, concludes the album.

One of the key elements that contributed to the successful execution of the music the Quartet recorded was the arrangements. Each arrangement was crafted in such a way that there was a sense of composition to each tune without having the writing being too cumbersome. Bob made sure to leave lots of room for each individual's interpretation of the music. With players like these you want to provide a setting where they are able to do their own thing freely. There is a balancing act between establishing form and guidelines and allowing the room for individual expression within the arrangements.

Customer Reviews:

Jazz Acoustics.......2007-05-17

Yellowjacket saxman Bob Mintzer incorporates a well-known Eddie Harris tune into his latest side project, In the Moment. "Listen Here" is a highlight of this all-acoustic quartet affair, but unlike Bromberg's disc, this one is no paean to the soul jazz era. The opening track's title, "Straight Ahead," is probably an apt metaphor for the music herein, except that it's much more than a mere blowing session. And that's due primarily to Mintzer's compositional palette.

"Aha" has the unmistakable feel of the Jackets at their best (it first appeared on their Altered State CD) and "Play Pretty" would fit nicely into the band's oeuvre. "Simple Song" has an attractive melody and a sweet feel, and Mintzer breaks out his bass clarinet on "What's the Word" and "Blues," recalling Eric Dolphy in particular on the latter.

Mintzer's saxwork is stellar throughout, and he and his colleagues--bassist Jay Anderson, pianist Phil Markowitz and drummer John Riley--breathe new life into the well-worn "Time After Time" (the Julie Styne/Sammy Cahn standard, not the Cyndi Lauper hit). In the Moment has many fine moments. Recorded in one day, it is a relaxing, thoroughly enjoyable, beautifully produced and well crafted work.

copyright © 2007 Port Folio Weekly/Jim Newsom. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.

Originally published 5/15/07.

Here's the Bob Mintzer disc you've been waiting for. .......2007-03-24

Here's the Bob Mintzer disc you've been waiting for. Out on a break own from his stellar work with the Yellowjackets, and away from his big band commitments, Mintzer has put together a quartet release that spotlights his gorgeous tone and clever improvisations. Backed by a well sync'd rhythm section (from his big band) of Jay Anderson, Phil Markowitz and John Riley, Mintzer takes his tenor to task on Eddie Harris' finger snappin "Listen Here". Switching to bass clarinet on a couple of pieces, Mintzer blows down and dirty on "Blues", and switches to insouciance on "What's the Word", with it's Monk like rhythm work. Back to tenor on his original "Play Pretty", Mintzer and company make mainstream jazz flow like a spring river. Markowitz's "Forgiveness" is an ethereal treat in which the sympathetic band draws out some marvelous interplay and nuances. Persistently unheralded, Mintzer is a composer, arranger and musician that deserves more appreciation from fans looking for the next big thing.

George W. Harris - All About Jazz

This CD is definitely IN THE MOMENT and should be in your jazz collection. Five stars!.......2007-03-23

Then suddenly it hit him! These collected, maybe even lost sounds come through Bob Mintzer's horn with a new direction, a new lilt, a new freedom. With harmonies that sound like they could have come from decades forward, Bob Mintzer, Jay Anderson, Phil Markowitz and John Riley take on such classics as Eddie Harris' "Listen Here," Styne & Cahn's "Time After Time," and six Mintzer originals with such amazing creativity that they will knock your socks off! Mintzer's fresh riffs and spontaneous interaction with his band mates' groove, proves that his stimulating solos build a good feeling that has become widely appreciated and unpredictable. Not since John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins laid their saxophonics on the jazz world has a tenor saxophonist become so poised to step forward and offer a quartet that features so much virtuosity and brilliant musicality as offered by these four. The music has lots of room for improvisation and conversation as indicated by the amazing fleetness of Markowitz on piano and the articulate plucking by Anderson on acoustic bass. These blowing sessions not only showcase Mintzer trading fours and swinging with drummer John Riley, find him revisiting the bass clarinet on "What's The Word". This CD is definitely IN THE MOMENT and should be in your jazz collection. Five stars! SOTJ top picks: "Straight Ahead" and the ballad "Forgiveness."

Sounds of Timeless Jazz Web Site

In a sea of sax quartet releases, "In the Moment" rises well above the crowd........2007-03-23

There seem to be two groups of listeners who gravitate to the music of saxophonist Bob Mintzer. One the one hand, he is one of the most prolific and esteemed Big Band leaders and arrangers in jazz history, a graduate himself of the famed Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra and a frequent nominee for big band Grammies. One the other hand, he is a 15-year veteran of the Grammy-winning, smooth/funk quartet, The Yellowjackets. It's not surprising, then, that Mintzer's name is not often connected with small ensemble, straight-ahead post bop material. Yet, it is this "third face" of Bob Mintzer that shines on his new quartet release, In the Moment (Art of Life Records), a recording that should readily expand the fan base of this eclectic tenorman.

Bob Mintzer can trace the development of his diverse talents to the time he spent listening to records, visiting jazz clubs, and playing clarinet and saxophone as a youth in New Rochelle, NY. Attending music school, he spent hours practicing, then moved on to composing, arranging, songwriting, jamming, "doing all the things that are involved in the learning process." His first big job forshadowed his work as a big band leader and arranger-playing Monday nights at the Village Vanguard in the Thad Jones and Mel Lewis Big Band. From 1978 he led his own big bands, melding traditional lyricism and swing with the more unpredictable character of modern music, and playing with such diverse artists as Jaco Pastorius, Louis Belleson, Art Blakey, Tito Puente, James Taylor, Aretha Franklin and the New York Philharmonic. He joined the Yellowjackets in the early 1990s, and his thirteen Grammy nominations are nearly equally distributed across big band and contemporary jazz categories. In the Moment fits into neither group but is no less a demonstration of Mintzer's chops as performer, arranger and composer.

As a modern mainstream recording, In the Moment has few surprises but many delights. Mintzer's first quartet recording in six years, the 7 originals and 2 covers are firmly rooted in the bop tradition, less dazzling as innovations than as demonstrations of virtuosity and collaboration. For partners Mintzer features his Big Band rhythm section, Phil Markowitz on piano, Jay Anderson on bass, and John Riley on drums, and their long-term association is reflected in their telepathic interplay as well as glowing solo turns. Dubbed "one of the most sensitive, lyrical and inventive piano players of all time" by early employer Chet Baker, Phil Markowitz is a regular compatriot of Dave Liebman as well as Bob Mintzer and a highly respected composer who provides many of the album's finest moments and the glorious closing tune, "Forgiveness." Bassist Jay Anderson may get more attention as a member of the Mintzer Big Band than for his decade anchoring the Lynne Arriale Trio, but his lyrical play with that ensemble is close at hand with the Mintzer Quartet. Former student of Joe Morello and Woody Herman alum, drummer John Riley has appeared with a Who's Who in jazz and is a member of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Unobstrusive throughout the recording, he nevertheless is always in the right place with the right time.

The two covers appear back to back on the second and third tracks. On Eddie Harris' "Listen Here," Mintzer's gruff vibrato sounds like two horns, especially in the higher register where a slight squeal gives it an edge. Markowitz lets his left hand hold down the fort while his right runs off to the nearest playground. "Time After Time" (Styne and Cahn) is a comfortable post bop journey through a classic tune, Markowitz' clear articulation and shifting forms keeping the interest high in the piano's interlude.

Mintzer penned six of the nine tracks. The opening tune is titled "Straight Ahead" but the melody takes a few twists and turns from the first verse, sax sailing over Anderson's brisk bassline and constant tingling from Riley's percussion; Anderson shines with his heavy-handed pizzicato solo. On "Aha," Mintzer's show of horn power, along with the harmonies woven by bass and piano, give the impression that the Big Band has come along for the ride. Even Riley seems to have grown a larger trapset. The aptly titled "Simple Song" starts out as a lovely ballad, the sax providing its own lyrics while Markowitz treads lightly and brightly over Anderson's bouncy bass; Mintzer provides more swing than sentiment on the final chorus. "What's the Word" has the swinging acrobatics of an old bop tune, suggesting a date with Charlie Parker. Here Mintzer plays bass clarinet, giving the tune a woody resonance.

On the danceable "Play Pretty," everyone does. The final chorus proves more interesting as Mintzer turns a few phrases inside out to see what will shake loose, pulling it back together before Riley's final tingle. Mintzer selects the perfect horn to carry the dark and whining melody of "Blues"--nothing speaks of a deep bottomed-out blues with more authority and sympathy than the bass clarinet. As he slides around the storyline, Markowitz wails his own blue theme, and Mintzer returns with more twists and turns, proving that the big horn has more flexibility than is typically demonstrated.

Markowitz introduces his "Forgiveness" with some hollow rumbles, with sheets of shimmer rising from Riley's cymbals. Mintzer takes the melody on a graceful ride, buoyed by Riley's rolling mallets and long decays. Piano and bass come to the foreground creating a majestic and dark tapestry while Riley continues to contrast deep rolls with high-pitched shimmers. Relative to the other tracks, this exquisite finale has a more 21st century shape, and Mintzer rises to the challenge with some of his most searching and penetrating lines of the set.

In the Moment-which aptly describes the collaborative zeal of this quartet-serves as a good reminder that, when he isn't blowing big band charts or smooth funk with the Yellowjackets, Bob Mintzer is a great straight-ahead tenorman. Good stories well told, even with familiar plots and themes, make for good ensemble efforts and, if not challenging to the ear, are nevertheless thoroughly engaging. In a sea of sax quartet releases, In the Moment rises well above the crowd.

Andrea Canter, Contributing Editor - Jazz Police

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Classy,Romantic, And Stirring.
Lovely - Just Lovely!
Encore!
Captivating
Sarah Brightman's Best

Encore
Sarah Brightman , Andrew Lloyd Webber , Richard Rodgers , Burton Lane , Peter Greenwell , Stephen Sondheim , George Gershwin , Giacomo Puccini , Harry Rabinowitz , and Michael Reed
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sarah Brightman Classics
Eden (US Release - 16 tracks)
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Dive
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ASIN: B00005KBBX
Release Date: 2002-04-23

Tracks:

Whistle Down The Wind (Whistle Down The Wind)
Away From You (Rex)
Guardami (With One Look - Italian Version) (Sunset Boulevard)
Think Of Me (The Phantom Of The Opera)
One More Walk Around The Garden (Carmelina)
Surrender (Sunset Boulevard)
If I Ever Fall In Love Again (The Crooked Mile)
Half A Moment (Jeeves)
Piano (Memory - Italian Version) (Cats)
What More Do I Need (Saturday Night)
There Is More To Love (Apects Of Love)
The Last Man In My Life (Song And Dance)
In The Mandarin's Orchid Garden (East Is West)
Nothing Like You've Ever Known (Tell Me On A Sunday & Song And Dance)
Chil Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta (La Rondine)

Amazon.com

In a career that's veered from '70s pop chanteuse to Broadway star and neo-operatic diva, Sarah Brightman has brought a critics-be-damned sense of dramatic scale to nearly every project she's tackled. As the title suggests, the tracks here are largely culled from her Songs That Got Away and Surrender song anthologies, although they do include four previously unreleased outtakes from those collections. Her 1998 recording of the title song from ex-husband Andrew Lloyd Webber's Whistle Down the Wind succeeds by emphasizing its melodic grace with a deft, airy touch, while the remainder rescue worthy songs from obscure or failed musicals. From Lerner and Lane's 1959 Carmelina comes the lovely "One More Walk Around the Garden." Stephen Sondheim's youthful 1954 debut, Saturday Night, yields a sprightly take on "What More Do I Need," while an operatic reading of "In the Mandarin's Orchid Garden," from the Gershwins' unproduced 1929 East Is West, is also included. If the selection leans a little too heavily on the Lloyd Webber connection elsewhere (including Italian versions of "Guardami (With One Look)" from Sunset Boulevard and "Piano (Memory)" from Cats delivered in her patently restraint-free soprano), they're only reminders that shrewdness has hardly been the least of Brightman's talents. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Classy,Romantic, And Stirring........2007-03-09

Encore is the perfect CD for those who love diversity. Classy, Romantic and Stirring. My two favorites are Piano and One More Walk Around The Garden.
Piano (Memory)is even more soul stirring in Italian than the english version.If the english version was perfection she improved upon it. One More Walk Around The Garden is sad and soul stirring bringing a tear to the eye on every play.Sarah sings her way through every song with the voice that earned her the title Angel of Music.Everyone a Gem. A must have for every true fan.

Lovely - Just Lovely!.......2007-01-04

Overall I was very pleased with the content and quality of this CD. Once again, Sarah sings beautifully. I rated this 4 stars instead of 5 simply because, like another reviewer, I, too, felt that it contained too much old material. I used to enjoy 'Memory' but it's been overdone to the point that I cringe when I hear it now. It's sung in Italian here and called 'Piano' but it's still 'Memory'.

I especially liked 'One More Walk Around the Garden' (Carmelina), 'There is More to Love' (Aspects of Love), 'The Last Man in My Life' (Song and Dance) and 'Chi Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta' (La Rondine). 'If I Ever Fall In Love Again' (The Crooked Mile) is especially well done as well.

I do enjoy playing the CD but I find that I pick the songs that I play rather than allowing it to play all the way through.

Encore!.......2005-05-29

The title of the CD is perfect. Sarah has a beautiful and flawless voice and her singing just pulls you in. If you like Sarah Brightman, this is a wonderful CD to add to your collection. I have only started to collect her CDs from concerts she has done and I love every single one of them! BUY THIS!! You won't regret it!!!

Captivating.......2004-12-25

Sarah Brightman sings beautifully. That's not even up for debate. Her choice of material is generally interesting as well. She runs through a wide variety of genre and regularly comes up with excellent pieces from each of them.

`Encore' is a compilation of material recorded between the late 1980's and 2001. It features strong renditions of `Away from You' by Rodgers and Harnick and `In the Mandarin's Garden' by George and Ira Gershwin. The orchestration on `If I ever Fall in Love Again' is a bit overblown but she sings the piece with sincerity, and very well. Her cover of Lane and Lerner's `One More Walk Around the Garden' is a thing of beauty. The same can be said for her handling of Sondheim's `What More Do I Need'. The weakest moment in the set comes during Puccini's `Chi Il Bel Di Doretta'. She sings it well but her voice doesn't quite have the pure power needed for the piece and there are moments where the strain shows.

Sarah Brightman really shines when she sings music written by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Her voice takes on an extra richness. He wrote the music for nine of the fifteen cuts on this release and can be identified as the composer of each one just by the tone her voice takes on when she begins singing any one of them. It's softer, richer, more expressive- it's as if there's an extra facet in her voice and spirit just for his compositions. He produced this collection but I don't believe that was a factor. The same thing struck me when she performed the material from the Phantom of the Opera that appeared on her La Luna concert DVD. `Think of Me' as performed by her was the song that attracted me to her voice even when I was less than sure of the scope of her talent. The recording here is the recording from `Phantom' and it's still stunning. `Piano' is hauntingly beautiful. `The Last Man in My Life' is given a ravishing performance. `Half a Moment' is devastating. The list goes on. There's not a weak cut from among his material. Webber's songs stay with the listener. Their melodic are lush and rich and have enough scope and variety to remain interesting over a long period of time. His orchestration is sumptuous, elaborately textured and a little sweet in the way that touches the listener as a caress. When she sings them they become all they can be. This isn't his music or hers. It's their music.

This is an excellent collection because of the way it showcases this. The material here has been (unkindly) labelled as `ear worms'. To an extent the term is accurate. Show tunes do lean toward catchy and easily accessible melodic lines. Their lyrics are often shallow. What's presented on this collection has more than its share of all of these faults. It's impossible to be cynical about it though. These songs, particularly the numbers penned by Lloyd-Webber, are strong on their own. When they're performed this well, and with this amount of affection, they're captivating. The quality of the sound on the release compliments the material beautifully. It's rich, lush and always crystal clear. Sarah Brightman herself is always a pleasure to listen to. Her voice it has a sparkling quality that's radiantly beautiful. The material on this collection shows that beauty to its fullest.

Listen to her singing these songs and let them wash over you. It's the perfect antidote for cynicism.

Sarah Brightman's Best.......2004-02-17

When I bought this Cd, I knew that I already had much of the music already, but there were a few new songs. I just had to get it for that reason. And I had to get it so that I had more than one recording of Sarah's finest songs. I absolutely love her and feel she was and is the ultimate Christine in "Phantom." I know I would be in a minority. I think she is past that part of her life and could not play the part again, but how I wish I had seen her. I could only imagine. If you have never heard Sarah sing before, this is a perfect CD to introduce her voice. The fact that she can sing so many different styles always amazes me. I suppose I appreciate that since I am a singer myself. I recommend this Cd to anyone.

Average customer rating:

great singers, great songs

Encores from Encores!

Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00008XERI
Release Date: 2003-05-06

Tracks:

Overture [From Do Re Mi]
Make Someone Happy [From Do Re Mi] - Heather Headley, Brian Stokes Mitchell
All My Life [From Do Re Mi] - Nathan Lane
Tommy, Tommy [From Tenderloin] - Sarah Uriarte Berry, Patrick Wilson
Good Clean Fun [From Tenderloin] - David Ogden Stiers
My Gentle Young Johnny - Debbie Gravitte
Hostess With the Mostes' on the Ball [From Call Me Madam] - Tyne Daly
It's a Lovely Day [From Call Me Madam] - Lewis Cleale, Melissa Errico
Where or When [From Babes in Arms] - David Campbell, Erin Dilly
Johnny One Note [From Babes in Arms] - Melissa Rain Anderson
I Wish I Were in Love Again [From Babes in Arms] - Christopher Fitzgerald, Jessica Stone, Jessica Stone
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered [From Pal Joey] - Patti LuPone
Zip [From Pal Joey] - Bebe Neuwirth
I'm Talkin' to My Pal [From Pal Joey] - Peter Gallagher
I Am Loved [From Out of This World] - Marin Mazzie
Nobody's Chasing Me [From Out of This World] - Andrea Martin
From This Moment On [From Out of This World] - Gregg Edelman, Marin Mazzie
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He and She [From the Boys from Syracuse] - Mario Cantone, Debbie Gravitte
Sing for Your Supper [From the Boys from Syracuse] - Sarah Uriarte Berry, Debbie Gravitte, Rebecca Luker

Customer Reviews:

great singers, great songs.......2006-05-03

Some of broadway's best singers are on this album, including Brian Stokes Mitchell, Debbie Gravitte, Marin Mazzie, and Rebecca Luker. (The cd is worth buying for Rebecca Luker's song alone!) The songs are beautifully orchestrated and sung. Most are light hearted and fun, leaving me with a good feeling when listening.
If you're a fan of broadway showtunes, I believe you'll enjoy this album.

Average customer rating:

Age breeds a shining moment
Nice but dismissable.
Disappointing by Quartet West standards
If you breathe and have ears, buy this record!
A Night and a Lonely Town

The Art of the Song

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000JNMR
Release Date: 1999-07-27

Tracks:

Lonely Town
Why Did I Choose You
Moment Musical Opus 16 No.3 In B Minor
In Love In Vain
Ruth's Waltz
Scenes From A Silver Screen
I'm Gonna Laugh you Right Out Of My Life
You My Love
Prelude En La Mineur
The Folks Who Live On The Hill
Easy On The Heart
Theme For Charlie
Wayfaring Stranger

Amazon.com

Bassist Charlie Haden was an integral part of Ornette Coleman's pioneering avant-garde groups in the '50s and '60s and led his own equally forward-thinking Liberation Music Orchestra. His ensemble Quartet West, with tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts, drummer Larance Marable, and pianist Alan Broadbent, revealed a sentimental side of his musical personality that surprised many. This recording, with string arrangements by Broadbent, sounds like a soundtrack to a Raymond Chandler film as Haden's sturdy bass tones make him a worthy supporting actor. But although Shirley Horn's ethereal voice sparkles on "Lonely Town," "In Love in Vain," and "I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out of My Life," and crooner Bill Henderson's towering pipes are radiant on "Why Did I Choose You," "Ruth's Waltz," "You My Love," and "Easy on the Heart," all of the material is in pretty much the same ballad tempo, which, compounded by the time length of the CD, robs it of the romantic resonance it could truly shine on the listener. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Customer Reviews:

Age breeds a shining moment.......2003-11-20

The criticisms miss the point. This is an effort that does a rare thing - it brings together men and women who can put the experience of life to judicious use in their art. Unlike listening to the deterioration other performers have faced, in later years, at the hands of studio production teams that no longer know what to do with them, Charlie Haden has found a way to create a beautiful volume of space in which to let the years of these venerated performers shine through. It is in this space you shall hear the notes of lives lived and savored.

Nice but dismissable........2001-08-09

Haden's pleasant miscellany of neglected but deserving ballads is indeed a mixed bag, but somehow his focus, purpose, and method elude this listener. Neophyte writers are frequently enjoined to compose with a sharp, definitive, unified "thesis." Haden could have used a bit of coaching along these lines before producing this collection. Even drawing upon a common composer (as opposed to ranging from Kern to Rachmaninoff to public domain) might have provided the needed coherence to the project.

In any case, it's always a welcome experience to hear Shirley Horn; the revival of a touching ballad like "In Love in Vain" merits our appreciation; and though I was never a big fan of Bill Henderson (an acquired taste), he deserves to be recorded based on the evidence of this recording.

In sum, this album is more than anything else a "sampler" and should have been priced accordingly.

Disappointing by Quartet West standards.......2001-05-09

The outstanding Quartet West album is 'Always Say Goodbye'. On that CD, Broadbent demonstrates his skills at orchestral arrangement, and Haden deftly selects great oldies to intermingle with some of his own superb compositions. Haden also takes some historic performances -- such as Jo Stafford on vocals -- to bring a resonance to the new covers. The experiment was very successful.

You can see the logic behind this subsequent album: instead of using dusty old recordings, why don't we use today's state-of-the-art production to capture the voices of several current artists? And why don't we let Alan orchestrate the whole album?

The trouble is that the orchestration, beautiful though it is throughout, constrains the band terribly. And the vocals swamp the album. (Actually the Jo Stafford track on 'Always Say Goodbye' is one of the weakest on the album.) They say that the saxophone is the instrument closest to the human voice, and it is Ernie Watts who suffers most on this album, The sax is simply crowded out by all the singing. It is only on the stand-out track, 'Prelude en la mineur', an instrumental re-working of a Ravel piece, that Watts finally gets a chance to let rip.

Shirley Horn's vocals are fine, particularly on 'Lonely Town'. But I simply cannot listen to any of the tracks containing Bill Henderson's voice, and sadly, there are four of them.

The most touching song is the last one, where Haden himself bravely takes the vocal lead. It's a song his mother used to sing on the radio, back in the early 1940s, when the entire Haden family would appear on KWTO Springfield. It is a farewell to the dead, and also a reassurance that one day they will meet again.

If you want a quick survey of this CD, check out tracks #1, #9 and #13. It's a long way from the days of Haden's playing with Ornette Coleman and the Liberation Orchestra, and it's very mellow.

If you breathe and have ears, buy this record!.......2001-04-15

I first heard of Charlie Haden on Dublin's best radio music show - The Mystery Train presented by John Kelly on RTE Radio 1. I bought this CD and it has never been off my current play list. This is beautiful music that touches the heart. Listen to Wayfaring Stranger, Lonely Town, I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out Of My Life, or Ruth's Walz after a tough day at the office or jammed in traffic and you will be back in touch with the good things in life. As someone who has evolved though Thin Lizzy, The Eagles, Eric Clapton, Queen, U2, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, BB King, Grant Green etc, Charlie Haden is proof of my graduation. After since buying other and even better Haden CD's, I am looking forward to seeing him in concert with Quartet West here in Dublin on April 29. BUY IT NOW!

A Night and a Lonely Town.......2000-05-24

Despite its problems, I think this album still deserves a five-star rating. Seemingly inspired by the music of moody classic cinema, a listener might well envision a seedy nightclub in a fog-swept black & white San Francisco of the 1940s or a tearful Ingrid Bergman about to board a twin-propellor leaving Rick and Casablanca behind her forever.

Regardless of which side of the Atlantic you envision on your moody musical journey, this is definitely a lounging type of music, perfect for lazy Sunday afternoons, after-theatre drives around town on warm summer evenings, warm candle-lit baths, or romantic dinners for two. The beautifully romantic ballads range from the longing "Lonely Town" to the mostly-resolute "I'm Going to Laugh You Right Out of My Life" to the quietly complacent "The Folks Who Live on the Hill." Interspersed with these great standards, however, are wonderful instrumental pieces which frame the remaining vocals with stunningly dramatic moods.

The only flaw is the rather unappealing voice of Bill Henderson, who seems to be suffering from a weak set of lungs, if not from lack of enthusiasm. Henderson seems to strive for the vocal capabilities of Shirley Horn, who sings on 1, 4, 7 and 10, but is incapable of achieving those same dramatic pitches of his fellow artist. Nevertheless, he does an adequate job on "Ruth's Waltz" and "Easy on the Heart" even if "Why Did I Choose You" is downright painful to listen to. Haden, who sings on 13, seems similarly incapable of reaching Horn's heights, but "Wayfaring Stranger," the traditional song he chose to render, is capable of carrying itself with the slow somber tone it evokes in the listener.

Regardless of its faults, this remains a beautiful album. I definitely recommend it to anyone who loves the kind of sit-at-home music it captures so very well in its beautifully jazzy tunes that are, at the very least, easy on the ears.

Forbidden Broadway 2001: A Spoof Odyssey
Average customer rating:

As Always, Hilarious

Spoof Odessey worth the laughs!

better to be "Lost in Space"

Stretched Thin

Do the Math

Forbidden Broadway 2001: A Spoof Odyssey

Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Forbidden Broadway Cleans Up Its Act!: The Unoriginal Cast Recording, Volume 5 (1998 New York Cast)

Forbidden Broadway, Vol. 8 - Special Victims Unit

Forbidden Broadway (20th Anniversary Edition)

Forbidden Broadway, Vols. 1-4

Forbidden Broadway Strikes Back!: Another Unoriginal Cast Recording, Volume 4 (1996 New York Cast)

ASIN: B0000584UL
Release Date: 2001-02-13

Tracks:

Forbidden Broadway 2001: Another Op'nin, 'Another Show
Futuristic Stewardess/Usherette: Come Fly With Me
Judi Dench: Why Can't The English?
Trouble In New Tork City: Trouble
The Music Man Revival 2001: Till There Was You
Cole Porter: You're The Top/From The Moment On
Kiss Me, Kate Revival 2001: Wunderbar
I Hate Ben - Marin Mazzie: I Hate Men
Cheryl Ladd In Annie Get Your Gun: There's No Business Like Show Business
Miss Saigon Farewell: Why God Why?
Saturday Night Fiasco: Stayin' Alive
Gwen Verdon & The Fosse Dancers: I'm A Brass Band/Steam Heat
Liza Minnelli 2001/Alan Cumming in Cabaret: Wilkommen
Let's Run Times Square Again: Let's Do the Time Warp Again
Ethel Merman & Elton John: I've Got Rhythm/Old Fashioned Wedding
Beauty's Been Decreased: Beauty And The Beast
Being Lupone: Being Alive
Sondheim's Blues: Buddy's Blues
Streisand's Farewell Tour: Happy Days Are Here Again/Mame
Les Miz 2001 - Edith Piaf/Milord
Aida - Amneris Intro: Every Story Is A Love Story/Heather Headley/It's Cheesy: Easy As Life
Elaborate Sets (Aida Cont.): Elaborate Lives
Angela Lansbury: I Don't Want To Know
The Full Monty: Let It Go
76 Hit Shows: 76 Trombones
Bows-Ta-Ta Folks: Another Op'nin, 'Another Show
Joseph And The Amazing High 'C': Any Dream Will Do

Customer Reviews:

As Always, Hilarious.......2007-05-03

This is so funny! Like all the Forbidden Broadway cds, its another knock-out. I feel like such a crazy person when I am in the car driving and I just burst out laughing. Its great and a must have for any Forbidden Broadway fan.

Spoof Odessey worth the laughs!.......2002-04-14

I enjoyed "Forbidden Broadway 2001: A Spoof Odyssey." This recording has some truly genius material, and although these actors' impersonations of famous Broadway stars aren't as strong as they have been in the past, the CD has a lot to recommend it.

Particularly strong is Track 16, "Let's do an old fashioned show tune," featuring Elton John and Ethel Merman duking it out over AIDA, which Merman says is "putting everyone here through hell." Likewise, Track 15, "Let's Ruin Times Square Again," tickles my funny bone. Also wonderful are the satires of Beauty and the Beast, Angela Lansbury, and the Full Monty; Gerard Alessandrini's done a tremendous job with these! In addition, this CD's introductory song is much stronger than those on the previous volumes of Forbidden Broadway. It really sets the tone for the best parts of this recording.

Unfortunately, with a few notable exceptions, the first half of the CD is a bit thin, which is why I give this recording 3 out of 5 stars: Even though it entertains me, there's a lot I have to skip over. For example, the Liza Minelli spoof annoying (though, I admit, a little funny), and in the Music Man revival satire, their Robert Preston impersonator sounds *nothing* like the original. (In earlier recordings, the actors *did* sound like the people they claimed to be.)

The good news is that the CD has 30 tracks in all, so even though there are 13 that I dislike, I just love the rest... I do recommend it!

better to be "Lost in Space".......2001-12-31

First and foremost, this CD is really for diehard fans of Forbidden Broadway, those of us who want the good, the bad and the ugly on the cd rack. I was extremely unimpressed with the latest offering.

While I agree with some of the other reviewers that there is some nice work, I don't know that Saturday Night Fiasco and Sondheim's Blues are sufficient to carry the rest of the tracks. Not much seems new or worse yet, important. Disney isn't new, nor is Les Miz. And while pointing out what is stale and pedestrian on Broadway was amusing on the last couple of releases, this Forbidden Broadway spoof clearly has joined the list of stale and pedestrian.

While there is some nice material on this disc, I really didn't laugh out loud, and that is why I have always bought these in the past.

If Alessandrini reduces the show to the same complaints of the same shows and then replaying lightly tweaked versions of past numbers, Trouble and Alan Cumming in Cabaret specifically, then he has himself is on the becoming a revival - and we know what he thinks of revivals.

The repeats might even be acceptable if there was something fresh in the perfomance, but both were done much better on their respective discs. I think Danny Gurwin is a great comedian, but he doesn't shine in either of these numbers. We also need a recording with no Ethel Merman or Liza numbers - give them a rest already. And why bring back Streisand with such a poor imitation? The earlier Barbara's were dead on vocal impressions as well as speech patterns. If you aren't going to improve on it, then don't drag it back out.

Alessandrini suggests that this is one of the best casts he has ever worked with. I don't know what he bases that on, but I beg to differ, either cast with Bryan Batt was significantly better, although they worked with fresh, clever material. Still, those recordings had verocious talent that brought Gerard's stinging wit to life for those of us who can't see every new production of FB.

Maybe it is time to go to off Broadway productions, or to the radio or the movies for some new ideas. Or else promise no references to the Gap, Disney, or Chorus Boys, (way over used on this recording), along with a Merman and Liza free season. Start from scratch. That might give us hope that Forbidden Broadway too might not be dead.

Stretched Thin.......2001-03-26

I just saw the stage production of Forbidden Broadway 2001: A Spoof Odyssey. I agree with the other reviewers who feel that Alessandrini is no longer at the top of his game. Perhaps he should lay off for a year or three and let Broadway present new things for him to lampoon - as it always will.

The opening sequence is forced and unfunny, and clearly in place only to batter the listener with the "2001" theme. Unlike a previous reviewer, I found the Judi Dench parody hysterical, though I question its accuracy.

The "Trouble" parody is, as it always was, incomplete and thin. My dear friend John Kenrick (...) did a better job with it - included the segments of the original song that GA left out, and in a funnier fashion. The Cole Porter parody is marginally amusing, but the Brian Mitchell/Marin Mazzie parody is dead on the mark, and VERY funny.

The parody of Cheryl Ladd remains in the show, although she's no longer in "Annie Get Your Gun" - Reba McIntyre is now in the role. Similarly, he stabs at Alan Cumming, who is no longer playing the Emcee. These numbers, while funny, lack punch. On the other hand, he once again skewers long time target Patti LuPone with an hysterical new parody of Being Alive. I suppose she's innately funnier, after all these years, than Alan Cumming, who is, after all, a relative newcomer.

The Rocky Horror parody is amusing, and the observation that sex has moved off 42nd Street and onto the Broadway stage is not without merit. The Beauty parody is amusing, and apt, but as has already been noted, GA has been clobbering us with the Disnification of Broadway for years now. I suppose he finds some glee in the fading success of this particular show.

I must say that while Gurwin is not the greatest singer, "Sondheim's Blues" is the most brilliant piece I've heard from Alessandrini in years. It's absolutely dead on. The friends I was with had never seen nor heard "Follies" and completely missed the point, but I was in stitches.

The "10 Years More" (which does not appear on this album, but remains in the show) has really begun to wear thin, especially with the closing this year of Cats and Miss Saigon. The Cameron Macintosh British mega-musicals are finally releasing their grip on Broadway, and this isn't as funny any more.

Broadway, despite the naysayers, will never die... and apparently, neither will Forbidden Broadway. I don't think it should - but I do think it needs a rest.

Do the Math.......2001-03-15

Four CDs cover the first 20 Years of Forbidden Broadway, Gerard Alessandrini's viciously witty satire of New York Theatre. The last year has seen Three new CDs, FB "Cleans Up Its Act" "20th Anniversary Edition" and now "2001 a Spoof Odyssey". Do the math.

Alessandrini is running out of ideas, and is spreading the remaining ones too thin. . Sanitized Time Square - Been there. Disnified Broadway - Done that, and so many times. Asinine casting faux pas, plotless pointless set-monster musicals, and Ethel Merman and Liza. We've heard it all before - and last time, it was funnier.

Now normally when a writer (or director or actor) has truly entertained me on numerous occasions, I'll forgive the odd show that disappoints. This would be the case here except for two things: Alessandrini is in the vicious parody business - he's never spared anyone else Besides, if he's going to actually include couplets like: "If lyrics are no longer witty... Then I don't want to go " he's inviting the pans.

When you hear the AIDA lampoon, you'll be reminded of the dim bulb in Cyrano de Bergerac who taunts the hero with the brilliant witticism: Your nose is very large

Yes, there are a few true Forbidden Broadway tracks on Spoof Odyssey. Dame Judi Dench singing "Why can't Americans do theatre like the Brits?" (with apologies to My Fair Lady), I Hate Ben (with apologies to Kiss Me Kate) and about 1/3 of "Let's Ruin Time Square Again" (no apologies necessary to Rocky Horror which understands how easy it is for good parody to go bad). Oh yes, there is one absolutely true Forbidden Broadway track: TROUBLE - yes, the same Trouble from Volume 3 which was just re-released on the 20th Anniversary compilation - and it's back again with a more hackneyed Robert Preston impersonation and all of 4 words changed. Granted it's one of the better bits, more worthy of rerunning than say, referring to Miss Saigon as Viet-Numb, but oh, he reran that gag too

Main Titles: 40 Motion Pictures, Volume One - Music Composed, Orchestrated And Conducted By Ennio Morricone, 1965-1995
Average customer rating:
Main Titles: 40 Motion Pictures, Volume One - Music Composed, Orchestrated And Conducted By Ennio Morricone, 1965-1995

Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Singles Collection: 47 Themes From 25 Movies, Volume Two - Music Composed, Orchestrated And Conducted By Ennio Morricone, 1969-1981

Ennio Morricone, Vol.3: Main Titles

With Love, Vol. 2

With Love: Music Composed & Conducted By

Ennio Morricone - Film Music, Vol.1

ASIN: B000000PJ9
Release Date: 1996-11-19

Tracks:

Slalom: Main Title
The Hellbenders: Main Title
Blood And Guns: Viva La Revolucion
L'Alibi: Una Fotografia
The Heart Of A Mother: Ricreazione Divertia
The Invisible Woman: Alla Serenita
The Nun From Monza: Main Title
Machine Gun McCain: La Ballata Di Hank McCain
The Lady Caliph: Main Title
The 5th Dawn: Lontano
Private Pictures Of A Lady: Main Title
Revolver (Blood In The Streets): Un Amico
Maddalena: Chi Mai
The Poetry Of A Woman: Main Title
What Am I Doing In The Middle Of The Revolution?: Main Title
This Kind Of Love: Main Title
Devil In The Brain: La Ragione, Il Cuore, L'Amore
Two Seasons Of Life: Main Title
The Children Who Are Asking Why: Main Title
Without Apparent Motive: Main Title
One Could Die Of Love: Main Title
My Name Is Nobody: Main Title
The Secret: Main Title

Tracks:

The Infernal Trio: Main Title
The Cousin: Main Title
Around The World With The Lovers Of Peynet: Forse Basta
Who Saw Him Die?: Main Title
The Lady Bunker: Dedicace
The Professional: Le Vent, Le Cri
The Outsider: Main Title
The Resenter: Main Title
The Venetian Woman: Baci Dopo Il Tramonto
Farewell To Moscow: Main Title
The Neighborhood: Romanza Quartiere
Nuovo Cinema Paradiso: Main Title
A Time To Kill: Main Title
To Forget Palermo: Main Title
Three Columns On The Front Page: Main Title
Piazza Di Spagna: Main Title
The Night And The Moment: A Caccia Di Lei

Amazon.com

This double-disc treat covers Morricone's work from 1965 to 1995 and contains mostly never-before-released material from 40 different motion pictures, many of which demonstrate his quirkier side. Many are from less-known films like To Forget Palermo and What Am I Doing in the Middle of the Revolution? But there are also more famous tracks like the main titles to Cinema Paradiso and My Name Is Nobody as well as the haunting "Chi Mai" from Maddalena. Though best known for his much-imitated and oppressively cute spaghetti-Western themes, Morricone here demonstrates his much more intriguing romantic and melancholic sides. His title song to Farewell to Moscow is among his saddest and menacing works and, like several other selections, can be the preferred antidote to Prozac. --Joseph Lanza

Weill: Lady in the Dark / Risë Stevens, Adolph Green, Lehman Engel, Danny Kaye

Average customer rating:

stunning studio album in creamy stereo
STELLAR STAR!
There IS a more complete recording. . .
Great Fun
A fun, if abbreviated, recording

Weill: Lady in the Dark / Risë Stevens, Adolph Green, Lehman Engel, Danny Kaye
Kurt Weill , Maurice de Abravanel , Risë Stevens , Adolph Green , Danny Kaye , Lehman Engel , Michael Kellman , Dennis D. Rooney , and John Reardon
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Knickerbocker Holiday
Lost In The Stars (1949 Original Broadway Cast)
Lady In The Dark (1997 Original London Cast)
Lady In The Dark (1950 Original Cast Members)
Lady in the Dark/Down in the Valley

ASIN: B0000029VA
Release Date: 1997-06-03

Tracks:

Lady In The Dark: Glamour Dream: Oh, Fabulous One
Lady In The Dark: Huxley (Liza, Beekman)
Lady In The Dark: One Life To Live (Liza)
Lady In The Dark: Girl Of The Moment (Liza)
Lady In The Dark: Wedding Dream: Liza, Liza
Lady In The Dark: Mapleton High Chorale
Lady In The Dark: This Is New (Randy, Liza)
Lady In The Dark: The Princess Of Pure Delight (Liza, Randy)
Lady In The Dark: Circus Dream: The Greatest Show On Earth (Ringmaster, Randy)
Lady In The Dark: The Best Years Of His Life (Ringmaster, Randy, Liza)
Lady In The Dark: Tschaikowsky (Ringmaster)
Lady In The Dark: The Saga Of Jenny (Liza)
Lady In The Dark: Childhood Dream: My Ship (Liza)
Lady In The Dark: One Life To Live
Lady In The Dark: The Princess Of Pure Delight
Lady In The Dark: It's Never Too Late To Mendelssohn
Lady In The Dark: Tschaikowsky And Other Russians
Lady In The Dark: Jenny
Lady In The Dark: My Ship

Customer Reviews:

stunning studio album in creamy stereo.......2004-08-05

This studio album of Weill and Gershwin's LADY IN THE DARK features the lovely Rise Stevens making the role of Liza Elliott her own, with Adolph Green in the role that made Danny Kaye a star in the original production.

This sumptuous reissue on the Columbia 'Masterworks Heritage' label presents the recording in creamy stereo, with the orchestra under the baton of Lehman Engel. Rise Stevens is perhaps the best singer to have played Liza on any recording of LADY IN THE DARK. The trained opera singer lets her hair down for the manic "Saga of Jenny", and yields glowing versions of "My Ship" and "One Life to Live". Also featured among the cast are John Reardon and Stephanie Augustine.

My only qualm about the release is the horrid packaging. The disc is enclosed in a cardboard sleeve at the back of a booklet-style slipcase, leaving the CD vulnerable to scratches and dust (I remedied the problem by putting the CD in a separate plastic jewel case and filing it on the shelf next to the empty booklet case). However this should not deter collectors and musical theatre fans from seeking out this lovely recording.

STELLAR STAR!.......2003-01-03

MISS STEVENS shinesas Liza Eliot in this perfect recording of "Lady in the Dark". [For the first time - with repect to the other artists - the lyrics are pristine!] THE recording? IF you own a 'surround system' - this one IS flawless - just a perfect balance of voice and instrument. [A great restoration job - if only they could do the same to the Lawrence version....]

FOR the collector - get all three recordings currently available - the 1997 London version is the most complete, the Gertrude Lawrence? It's more of a Star Vehicle for Miss Lawrence - lots of dialogue - with really only the two "Liza' numbers - "Saga of Jenmny" and "My Ship" intact - but also well worth the journey.

AS A BONUS - Miss Stevens recording contains the Danny Kaye contribution missing from the Gertrude Lawrence recording - plus his versions of "My Ship" and "The Saga of Jenny".

There IS a more complete recording. . ........2000-12-06

This recording is terrific, but for a more complete recording with much better quality, look for the Original Cast Recording from the Royal National Theatre Production. It's got all the bridging music which is phenomenal.

Great Fun.......1999-04-15

Until the definitive full version of the score comes out--with all the bridging material and orchestral interludes--this is probably the most complete of one of the greatest and most charming classic Broadway scores (and probably Ira Gershwin's masterpiece). Rise Stevens was born to play the part, and though at times she gets a bit excessive (especially in the dialogue) her voice is beautiful and confident (a high point is her counterpointing the chorus during "The Best Years of His Life"), and iat times really soars, as in "This is new." Adolph Green is hilarious--it's a great tragedy he never got to play this role on Broadway.

A fun, if abbreviated, recording.......1999-04-02

A nifty performance of one of Broadway's classic scores. The biggest problem is that just about everything is slightly abridged (mostly verses, connecting material, dialogue underscoring and choral repeats--although if I'm reading the vocal score right, most of this would still be interesting to listen to); still, a reasonably good taste of the whole thing. The liner notes also don't really give a story synopsis, so if you aren't familiar with the plot, seek out a summary so you aren't completely confused by what is going on. Rise Stevens' acting is pretty mannered, and she goes over the top vocally every now and then; she seems to be shouting, not singing at the end of "Jenny." Adolph Green is hysterically funny and acquits himself supremely well in "Tchaikovsky." How you'll enjoy the appendix of Danny Kaye's recordings depends on how much you like Danny Kaye--enough said.

Average customer rating:

Very Pleasing Collection of Short Virtuoso Pieces
One of my favorite cello albums
Starker's sparkling interpretation is beautiful...

Starker Encore Album

Manufacturer: Denon Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Janos Starker Virtuoso Music for Cello
Italian Cello Sonatas
The Road To Cello Playing
Romantic Cello Favorites
Janos Starker

ASIN: B0000034O7
Release Date: 1993-08-27

Tracks:

Grave, From The Style Of W.F. Bach
Divertiment In D Major
The Swan
Moment Musical No. 3
Prayer
Tarantelle
Arioso
Toccata
Abendlied
Adagio And Rondo
Traumerei
Rumanian Folk Dances

Customer Reviews:

Very Pleasing Collection of Short Virtuoso Pieces.......2007-06-21

Starker manifests a beautiful tone and plays in a sweetly nuanced style that is both precise and flowing. Shuku Iwasaki, accompanying on piano, has just the right touch. The selection consists of largely familiar melodies from the mainstream repertoire. The recording quality is excellent, in accord with Denon's high standards. Highly recommended for the casual and close listener alike.

One of my favorite cello albums.......2007-06-13

On a whim, I picked up a copy of the CD, "Ultra Relaxing Cello Solos" while waiting for a plane. The musicians were not identified on the album, just the composers. The music was so fabulous that I had to find out more about the artists. Lo and behold, I discovered that many of the pieces on that generic album were performed by Janos Starker. I have now obtained copies of most of Starker's albums, and this one is definitely one of the best. Every time that I listen to it, I think that I have a favorite piece, but when I listen to it again, another piece jumps out. Whether you are a cello fan or not, you will enjoy this great compilation by Janos Starker.

Starker's sparkling interpretation is beautiful..........2002-01-31

In this recording Janos Starker exhibits an astounding display of technical mastery of the cello, caressing each nuance and making technical impossiblilities into unique musical experiences. As a cellist, I highly recommend this recording for both study and casual listening, and anyone who enjoys the beauty of the best instrument ever will love it!

The Essential Songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber

Average customer rating:

Okay, but kind of disappointing
Not quite what I expected...
Some great performances, some not so great...
Disappointed
Musical Talent at Its Best

The Essential Songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber

Manufacturer: Metro Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Very Best Of Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Broadway Collection
Gold: The Definitive Hits Collection
Swings Cole Porter
Reflections From Broadway

ASIN: B00005Y47E
Release Date: 2002-02-22

Tracks:

Any Dream Will Do
Close Every Door
Heaven On Their Minds
Everything's Alright
Gethsemane
I Don't Know How To Love Him
Jesus Christ Superstar
Could We Start Again Please?
Don't Cry For Me Argentina
Another Suitcase In Another Hall
Buenos Aires
Rainbow High
High Flying Adored
Memory
Jellicle Cats
Mister Mistofeles
Unexpected Song
Last Man In My Life
Rolling Stock
U-N-C-O-U-P-L-E-D

Tracks:

Only You
Starlight Express
There's Me
Pie Jesu
Angel Of Music
Masquerade
Wishing Somehow You Were Here Again
All I Ask Of You
The Phantom Of The Opera
Music Of The Night
Love Changes Everything
The First Man You Remember
Seeing Is Believing
As If We Never Said Goodbye
Sunset Boulevard
With One Look
Too Much In Love To Care
Half A Moment
Whistle Down The Wind
Our Kind Of Love

Album Description

Full title, 'Essential Songs Of Andrew Lloyd Webber'. UK budget-price compilation. 40 superlative performances featuring songs from every one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musicals. Guest artists include John Barrymore, Issy Van Randwyck, Dave Willetts, Maria Friedman, Kim Criswell, Graham Bickley and the National Symphony Orchestra. Housed in a slipcase. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

Okay, but kind of disappointing.......2006-04-17

This isn't a bad recording, but the tracks are not the actual performances off of any cast recording of any of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals. The reditions of the songs on the disc are of varying quality. Some are pretty good. Some are borderline awful.
It is a good collection for inexpensively getting a lot of Andrew Lloyd Webber's most popular songs in one place and having them there to be able to listen to get the idea of what a certain song sounds like and is about. It isn't the collection of definitive recordings for certain roles. In fact in a couple examples, I wonder if the performer fully understood the context of the song he or she was singing &/or what it was about. Overall, the album is good, for the most part, if not excellent.

However, the liner notes for "The Essential Songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber" is another matter. I don't mean to be unkind, but the author of the comments on the different tracks (one Rexton S. Bunnett) is blatantly WRONG in multiple instances. I don't mean just in nit-picky details, but in major plot details/context of songs, like the fact that Bunnett identifies "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" as being sung by "our heroine" (who he does not even identify by name as Christine Daae) as she thinks about her lover, not as being sung about Christine's dead father. He also says that the Phantom has found his perfect love and "Angel of Music" in Christine... because HE is the Angel of Music who Christine believes has been sent to her by her dead father, and because although the Phantom is obsessed with Christine, that relationship is far from "loving" (even if Christine shows him compassion. I feel like these (and a couple other mistakes) are major plot points to get wrong. A good amount of the commentary reads as if Bunnett might have written it at the last minute, fudging his way through entries on musicals of which he had little knowledge; like what an essay I might write on a book I never read for my college class but had quickly looked up on Cliff's Notes would sound like. In terms of sheer editing, there are spelling mistakes, run-on sentences and spacing errors ("Any DreamWill Do")in the liner notes. Where was the copy editor?
And the most frightening fact of all, under Bunnett's credentials, it says "Harper Collins has just published his revision and updating of the Collins Book of the Musical."
I am being very critical, but I think that for a widely-released CD it is reasonable to expect the liner notes to be at a professional level, as they were most likely supposed to be.

Not quite what I expected..........2005-04-23

I was looking for a CD of the original performances and this CD doesn't have them. I suppose it was my fault for not looking closer, but the songs just weren't the same. Personally, I was not impressed. If you don't care that they aren't the originals then it is nice to listen to.

Some great performances, some not so great..........2005-04-18

This CD is actually pretty good, considering you get 40 songs for less than $16. Let's evaluate the pros and cons.

Pros:

Two classic songs that are performed excellently are Phantom of the Opera and I Don't Know How to Love Him.

Of course you want to compare Phantom to the classic Michael Crawford/ Sarah Brightman version. Well, guess what? This version is BETTER. The woman has a deeper voice than Brightman, and her singing style is just awesome. The ending of this version (you know, the "Sing, my angel of music, sing for me!") is different, but in a good way... I think.)

And of course, the standard for I Don't Know How to Love Him is Yvonne's version. This version is different, but it grew on me quickly. This version has a country feel to it, almost. Somehow it works and sounds great.

There are a lot of great performances in this collection. My favorites include: Heaven on Their Minds, Everything's Alright, Could We Start Again Please, Another Suitcase in Another Hall, Buenos Aires, Rainbow High, Only You, Starlight Express, Angel of Music, Masquerade, All I Ask of You, Half a Moment, and Whistle Down the Wind. I think they're all great versions of their more famous counterparts.

Cons:

First of all, there are some technical problems that are kind of disappointing. A few of the songs have a very echoey sound. Any Dream Will Do, Another Suitcase in Another Hall, Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, and There's Me are the songs that come to mind that are the worst in this regard. It isn't really bad, just enough to be slightly annoying, more so when the volume is turned way up on your CD player.

A few songs are worthy of skipping over when listening to this collection. In my opinion, Superstar, Sunset Boulevard, and Gethesmane are the biggest disappointments.

Superstar just doesn't cut it for me. The singer really overdoes it, making it overstylized... really makes you yearn for Murray Head. I can't stand listening to it. Just my opinion.

Sunset Boulevard is one of my very favorite musicals, so I was really hoping that the singer would do justice to its title song. Unfortunately I don't think he did. You can't help but compare it to Alan Campbell's fantastic version. This guy has a very choppy way of singing, when I'm used to it being sung so smoothly. Maybe it would grow on me, but I don't think I'll give it a chance to. However, that last note is much stronger than Alan Campbell's. It doesn't make up for the rest of the song, though.

Finally, Gethsemane. The inevitable fact is that NO ONE can sing this song like Michael Ball. This guy tries, he really does. But he doesn't have the right voice or the right style. So please listen to Michael Ball's performance of Gethsemane if you want to know how breathtaking of a song it can be. It's on the Royal Albert Hall DVD, and I'm sure he's got it on one of his CDs.

Anyway, overall, this is a good CD if you like quantity over quality. Don't buy it for the classics, you'll probably end up disappointed with many of them. Buy it for the lesser known songs. You probably won't like every song, especially if you're a big ALW fan, but for the price, it's worth it.

If you want classic versions of classic ALW songs, you might prefer something like "The Very Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Broadway Collection".

Disappointed.......2005-03-11

The singer(s)does not do justice for the lyrics. It was grating to the ears. Save your money for the originals.

Musical Talent at Its Best.......2003-01-03

What a pleasure to hear a collection of Andrew Lloyd Webber's beautiful music from such wonderful voices accompanied by an outstanding symphony. This sensational CD is a treasure to own.