Walking the Dog

Track Listings

1. Dog

2. Mashed Potatoes

3. Ooh Poo Pah Doo

4. You Said

5. Boom Boom

6. It's Aw'rite

7. Walking the Dog

8. Ya Ya

9. Land of 1000 Dances

10. Can Your Monkey Do the Dog

11. Cause I Love You

12. I Want to Be Loved

Walking the Dog,Rufus Thomas,Atlantic / Wea,Blues,Electric Memphis Blues,Memphis Soul,Pop,R&B,Soul,Soul/Reggae/Rhythm & Blues,Southern Soul

Walking the Dog

Tracks:

Strike Up The Band
Rhapsody In Blue
Prelude No. 1
Piano Concerto In F
An American In Paris
Prelude No. 3
Medley From Porgy And Bess
Fascinating Rhythm
Lullaby
Promenade (Walking the Dog)
Cuban Overture

Customer Reviews:

Muffled.......2006-11-03

This is a decent enough recording, but it's not anywhere near the best that I have heard. The Andre Previn/LSO recording is much better mixed; at times it seems like there's a muffle on the mikes, or that you're hearing it from a distance.

If I wanted good, dynamic background music, I'd do this. If I wanted to really listen to the music, I'd pick another version.

Somewhat disappointing........2003-09-10

I bought this for the full-length rendition of Rhapsody in Blue. I found the brass too tinny sounding, and the rhythm off in a few places. I like the snippet of this song on the "Best of the Milleneum" CD much better.

Gershwin At His Best in Hearts!.......2003-03-19

To someone who came along as a teenage boy in the mid-1940's, this CD has the elements of authenticity, even surprise, musical history, highly intense performances, and ways evoking memories of emotional highlights of my Youth. When mediocre orchestra 1st tackled Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" at Smoky Mtn Music Camp we were preparing for Sunday's outdoor Concert. Pianos were played by two friends who've presided Music Dept at Carson-Newman College in East Tennessee. In the Trombone section was a skinny kid with too much hair and too big an ego! When our esteemed conductor began the opening bars the Clarinet Soloist, my close friend Danny Boy slide-up the chromatic scale with fleurish. He later became a NC Doctor! He likely plays clarinet for his own amazement in someone's Dixieland Band!

On this wondrous CD there are historic names like Bernstein, Kostelanez, John Williams and Michael Tilson Thomas, Conductors. Andre Previn, Yo-Yo Ma and Sarah Vaughan as Soloists. I would have a hard time choosing which may be called my favorite! It would depend on the day they are playing in my car... traveling to Columbia Seminary classes or GA Diagnostic Prison for lunch with Chaplain friends! I often sing along with the Rhapsody as I did in 1949 when Oscar Levant soloed with Chattanooga Orch. My very young wife was playing in the first violin section! Still today I am totally wiped out when anyone as intensely romantic as Sarah Vaughan sings "Summertime" or "I Loves You, Porgy!"

Is it not amazingly wondrous that someone could create so much enjoyable music in his short lifetime of 39 years? I never wish to part with this all-time favorite 10-Star Recording!
Retired Chaplain Fred W Hood

The best America has to offer!!.......1999-03-09

This is the best collection of his songs i have ever heard. That's probably because it features conductors like John Williams and Micheal Tilson Thomas. My personal favorite is the allegro agitato from the Concerto in F. I have other recordings of this song, but none of them can even come close to matching the excitement of this one.

Average customer rating:

Let the Buyer Beware
Historical and Pristine
"Rhapsody In Blue"

Gershwin Plays Rhapsody in Blue

Manufacturer: Shout Factory
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls
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Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue - Piano Concerto in F - An American in Paris

ASIN: B000098ZSS
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Tracks:

Rhapsody In Blue
An American In Paris
Swanee
Walkin' The Dog
Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
Somebody Loves Me
Our Love Is Here To Stay
S'Wonderful
Embraceable You
Oh, Lady Be Good

Customer Reviews:

Let the Buyer Beware.......2007-01-12

I do not disagree on any level with the other reviewers of this CD. However, the content is recorded from piano rolls rather than directly from the artist. This fact is not explicitly presented on the web page. Yes, if one clicks on the CD cover photo to get an enlarged image, one can read "First recording 1924 from rare piano rolls" at the bottom in small type. Not everyone will do this however. For this reason alone I only rate this product 3 stars.

Historical and Pristine.......2006-12-22

This compilation of Gershwin selections taken from the piano rolls of the composer offer a perfect introduction to the music of Gershwin, offering a balance between his serious symphonic pieces and his accessible popular songs. Beginning with two of his concert works, "The Rhapsody in Blue" and "An American in Paris," the CD just hints at what the composer accomplished in the concert hall and the world of serious music. To my understanding, the "Rhapsody in Blue" was originally performed at a concert titled 'An Experiment in Modern Music' in 1924 at Aeolian Hall in New York. The piece was performed by an orchestra with Paul Whiteman as director, and with the composer at the piano as part of a concert experiment in jazz. The version on this CD is a piano adaptation created by the composer based off of the original symphonic work.

"An American in Paris" is also a concert work that did not achieve the widespread adoration that the Rhapsody has garnered. It was intended by the composer to capture the emotions of a tourist visiting Paris, and was purportedly auto-biographical. It was performed in 1928 at New York's Carnegie Hall with Walter Damrosch conducting the New York Philharmonic. It received mixed reviews at the time but remains a favorite of Gershwin's classical works. Like the "Rhapsody," the version included here is a piano adaptation of the original orchestral work.

The remaining works on the CD are those of a popular composer, the flipside of Gershwin's career. No other American composer (or any for that matter) has strattled these two different fields of music with the success with which George Gershwin did. And the popular songs, among them, "Embraceable You," "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," and "Love is Here to Stay" have achieved enormous pop culture penetration and secure Gershwin's place in history as a master of popular song composition. Notably missing from this CD, however, are Ira Gershwin's contributions, i.e. the words, which add an element important to these songs' true place in history. Along with Ira's contributions come the countless Gershwin vocal interpreters who helped to realize these songs' true significance and their dispersion throughout the American popular music idiom.

On these versions, it is simply Gershwin playing his works (albeit the recordings are taken from his piano rolls, not an actual live recording). In these arrangements, the melodies are incorporated into lush and often convoluted harmonic accompaniment, in which the melody often becomes lost (i.e., the bridge or B section of "Oh, Lady Be Good!"). However, the opportunity to hear the composer express the harmonic possibilities of these disguisingly "simple" American tunes is truly a valuable one. The particular bouncing style with which Gershwin jumps from chord to chord to accompany his melodies is clearly apparent on many of these tunes, and that is an aspect borrowed from Ragtime that contributes to Gershwin being labeled as a uniquely "American" styled composer. The idiosyncracy of his composition and playing are tied together and come to life on this CD. The harmonic statements are sophisticated and evasive to the common ear, and the rhythmic precision and prolificity are legendary. Together with the melody, these elements of the musical composition on which Gershwin demonstrates mastery come together to produce a truly quintessential and essential Gershwin compilation.

"Rhapsody In Blue".......2006-07-12

"This piece (Rhapsody In Blue) seemed to sweep through my mind. It was the heart of America, the feverishness of life, the musical welter of races, of peoples, their joys and their passions, their dissipations and their exaltations." ~ George Gershwin (September 26, 1898 - July 11, 1937) ~

Today, July 11, 2006, marks the 69th death anniversary of one of America's most versatile songwriters, George Gershwin. The birth of one of my favorite jazz-infused-classical pieces, "Rhapsody In Blue" in 1924 made Mr. Gershwin an overnight and sensational star and had gained him a worldwide recognition. He had been my late parents' (and mine, too) favorite composer along with Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and Cole Porter. His harmonious collaboration with his brother, Ira Gershwin, had produced the most beautiful songs of all-time. They were the most prolific team of songwriters and their compositions have been recorded countless times by famous interpreters of Great American Songbook such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, Tony Bennett, Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Michael Feinstein, Natalie Cole, Linda Ronstadt, Rod Stewart, Steve Tyrell, Diana Krall, John Pizzarelli, Michael Bublé and Chris Botti, among many others.

This CD is a musical treasure and one that I would strongly recommend not only to any Gershwin enthusiast but also to any new fan for this includes the original recording of "Rhapsody In Blue" from rare Piano Rolls. The sound quality is just terrific. It highlights two of his major works - "Rhapsody In Blue" (1924) and "An American In Paris" (1928). It also features some of his well-known popular songs and favorites of mine, my parents' theme songs "Our Love Is Here To Stay" and "Embraceable You." It has been said that Mr. Gershwin functioned best and had written his very best compositions at 3 o'clock in the morning and when he finish eight bars that he likes, he can finish a chorus in a few minutes, like the songs "`S Wonderful" and "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off." This recording also includes "Swanee," "Walkin' The Dog," "Somebody Loves Me," and "Oh, Lady Be Good."

It's so amazing that he composed frequently and never run out of inspirations for writing melodic tunes that are so pleasing to the ears. He can write three to five songs in a single afternoon. When he completed the melody of a song, he gives it to Ira to write words to it. He was such a genius and played the piano by ear after a fashion, tapping out the tunes with a finger.

Not known to many, Mr. Gershwin had tried his hand at painting. I've seen a portrait of himself that he painted a year before his death from brain cancer, and I would say, it's a beautiful work of art, almost like a work of a professional painter. He could have been a great painter.

George Gershwin will always be remembered as one of the greatest 20th Century composers and his music will always linger in the hearts of music lovers like me who truly appreciate and enjoy fine music.

Average customer rating:

excellent collection
A Classic Performance of Schuman!
American Masterpieces - For pleasure or music ed. resource

American Masterpieces

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Release Date: 1997-07-01

Tracks:

Candide: Overture
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New England Triptych: Be Glad Then, America
New England Triptych: When Jesus Wept
New England Triptych: Chester
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Customer Reviews:

excellent collection.......2002-06-11

i'm just going to write about my favorite piece on here, which has been heard by all who saw Platoon. that is Barber's Adagio. hearing this piece conducted here by Bernstein sends chills down my spine, especially in the well done section using silence after the climactic rise in notes!

A Classic Performance of Schuman!.......2000-09-17

I must agree with the previous reviewer, that "American Masterpieces" comprises a very thoughtful collection yet suffers slightly from poor interpretation of certain pieces. But the presence alone of the classic performance of William Schuman's "New England Triptych" by Andre Kostelanetz and the New York Philharmonic makes this compilation all worth it. I have looked forward for this particular version of Schuman's work to be released on compact disc for several years, in the meantime not being entirely satisfied with other versions that have circulated, i.e. Howard Hanson/the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra on the Mercury Living Presence label, -very poorly executed with an off-key, off-timed horn in the first movement, or the version on the RCA label by Leonard Slatkin and the St.Louis Symph.Orch. which is very well done, yet to my ear still does not compare to the depth and lively energy with which Kostelanetz and the New York Philharmonic presents this work.

I was disappointed with the manner with which the first two pieces by Berstein and Ives were conducted. The "Candide Orchestra" lacked the sensitivity of the performance by Lukas Foss /Milwaukee SO on the Pro Arte label, while Slatkin does a much better job with the Ives piece for RCA.

But the remainder of colorful material following Schuman on this CD - even with the overdone "Adagio for Strings" by Barber - makes for a very rewarding listening experience, with the only disappointing exception of the third piece ( "A Narrative") curiously missing from Virgil Thomson's "Acadian Songs and Dances", yet present on an old scratchy, mono LP that I have on the Decca label (Thomas Scherman /the Little Orchestra Society). Did Thomson later revise this suite? Or did this CD run out of space? If the latter is true, one can only wish that Barber's overplayed "Adagio" would have been bumped to make room for the entirety of Thomson's superb "Acadian Songs".

American Masterpieces - For pleasure or music ed. resource.......2000-07-28

The American Masterpieces CD is an excellent compilation of music that is uniquely American. Much of the material is based on folk sources, and all of it is thoughtfully selected. The only negative is that some of the music is not the best version available, but I'm sure that's due to the limitations of the Sony label. The "Adagio for Strings," for example, is taken at a slightly fast tempo, lessening the dramatic impact of the build-up. The selections are a music educator's delight. Bernstein's "Candide Overture" is perfection. Ives' "Variations on America" is a wonderful study in the use of a familiar theme in an unusual manner. "When Jesus Wept" can be sung by a chorus and then compared with Schuman's treatment. Gould's "American Salute" is an exciting study in theme and variations on the familiar tune, "When Johnny Comes Marching Home." And, of course, Gershwin's "Promenade" is delightful, and an excellent follow-up for the Fantasia 2000 film. The reason I bought the recording was for the Gottschalk "Grand Walkaround" and "Jamaican Rumba" by Benjamin. Both are based on American folk materials (Sweet Potatoes - Louisiana, and Mango Walk, respectively). The original songs can be sung, compared, performed in an Orff arrangement, and then presented in the orchestral interpretations. The folk songs are both found in the McGraw Hill music series, Share the Music, Grade 5. If you like this CD, try the American Salute CD from Musical Heritage Society.

Fascinating Rhythm: The Complete Music for Solo Piano by George Gershwin

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Fascinating Rhythm: The Complete Music for Solo Piano by George Gershwin

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
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Binding: Audio CD

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Michael Tilson Thomas Performs and Conducts Gershwin

Average customer rating:

MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS GLORIFIES GERSHWIN
A treat for the ears
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Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue; Concerto in F; An American in Paris
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Tracks:

Rhapsodies: Rhapsody In Blue (1924)
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Customer Reviews:

MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS GLORIFIES GERSHWIN.......2007-05-13

ANYONE WHO LOVES GERSHWIN WILL CHERISH THIS GRAND MEMENTO OF HIS MUSIC. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.

A treat for the ears.......2004-01-11

Given all the recordings available of Gershwin in general, and the Rhapsody in Blue in particular, and given that there are three versions of the Rhapsody, and given that even those who love the Rhapsody most likely came to it through the full symphony version, there is a real treat in store here for those who've never heard the jazz band version, or who have heard it, loved it, but have never been able to find it anywhere.

The jazz band version was the first, and is unrelenting fun from beginning to end. There is an almost infectious joy written into the music, which is completely missing from the symphonic version. Listen to this disc and rediscover an old favorite.

Fall in love with Gershwin.......2003-08-05

This CD by Michael Tilson Thomas was one of the first I picked up to start my collection of Gershwin's music. His splendid way of bringing out Gershwin's flair is invigorating. I listen to this wonderful CD more often than any other CD I own; the music is impossible to get bored with. Thomas's unique Second Rhapsody particularily grabbed my attention and I find myself humming it often. This CD is an excellent starter to your very own Gershwin collection and a unique, valuable addition to those familiar to Gershwin's tunes.

Great Jazz Rhadsody in Blue But..........2002-10-05

I recall this recording when it was issued as an LP several years ago. The jazz band recording of Rhapsody in Blue is quite a novelty since we usually heard the version for full orchestra. Both orchestrations by Ferde Grofe are wonderful but the jazz band version with its smaller forces is refreshing to hear. The short pieces recorded here like Short Story, Sleepless Night and the Promenade (Walking the Dog) are quite great compositions and are seldom recorded.

However, I have serious reservations about Mr. Tilson Thomas' performance of the Second Rhapsody. This piece is called a "recreation" from George Gershwin's manuscript. One wonders what this means. The Second Rhapsody was originally a sequence in the film Delicious (under the name Manhattan Rhapsody where it was part of a New York setting) which Gershwin developed into a concert work. Gershwin said there was no program for the Rhapsody. The theme Gershwin started with was one he refereed to as a "rivet theme." I think the title given to the Rhapsody (Rhapsody in Rivets) would not have originated with Gershwin.

The Second Rhapsody has not been a popular piece but has been played and recorded before (notably by Oscar Levant with Morton Gould and his Orchestra). Gershwin recorded the work with an orchestra he hired (available on Music masters) before making some corrections to the score for publication. It is an unfortunate fact that Mr. Tilson Thomas performs the Second Rhapsody with his own embellishments. He was asked by Ira Gershwin to stop this practice but, as far as I am aware, Mr. Tilson Thomas never did, so the recording here should list the Second Rhapsody by Gershwin-Tilson Thomas.

Sorry but I cannot recommend a disc where too many liberites have been taken.

Fantastic "Rhapsody in Blue" and more.......2002-09-07

Tilson Thomas on piano and the LA Phil behind him, it is the other end of the piano roll restoration version. You know MTT is inside the music and he draws you into it too. This album is a rock in my Gershwin collection.

Average customer rating:

Excellent performer
A unique project
Gershwin historical, manic, perfect, archival
Definative

Authentic George Gershwin, Vol. 1-4

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Release Date: 2004-08-24

Tracks:

Swanee
Come To the Moon
I Was So Young (You Were So Beautiful)
Tee-Oodle-Um-bum-Bo
Nobody But You
Limehouse Nights
Drifting Along With The Tide
Rhapsody In Blue
Oh Lady Be Good!
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I'd Rather Charleston
The Man I Love
The Half Of It, Dearie, Blues
So Am I
Kickin' The Clouds Away
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That Certain Feeling (I)
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When Do We Dance?
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That Certain Feeling (II)
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Do, Do, Do
Someone To Watch Over Me
Clap Yo' Hands
Maybe
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My One And Only
'S Wonderful/Funny Face
He Loves And She Loves
An American In Paris
Liza
Strike Up The Band
Embraceable You
I Got Rhythm (I)
I Got Rhythm (II)

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Of Thee I Sing
Jilted
Second Rhapsody
For You, For Me, For Evermore
Cuban Overture
Isn't It A Pity?
Variations On 'I Got Rhythm'
I. Catfish Row: Introduction - Jazzbo Brown - First Chorus, 'Summertime'
II. Porgy Sings: 'I got Plenty O' Nuthin' - 'Bess, You Is My Woman Now'
III. Fugue: Murder Of Crown, Act III Scene 1
IV. Hurricane: Introduction, Act II Scene 3 - Hurricane, Act II Scene 3
V. Good Morning, Brother: Occupational Humoresque, Act III Scene 3 - 'Good Morning, Brother' - Children's Song 'Sure To Go To Heaven' - 'I'm On My Way' (Finale)
They Can't Take That Away From Me
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Our Love Is Here To Stay

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Walking The Dog
I've Got Beginner's Luck
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Shall We Dance
By Strauss
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The Jolly Tar And The Milkmaid (1st Version)
Put Me To The Test
The Jolly Tar And The Milkmaid (2nd Version)
Stiff Upper Lip
A Foggy day (In London Town)
Nice Work If You Can Get It
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I Was Doing All Right
Love Walked In

Customer Reviews:

Excellent performer.......2007-03-09

This plates are wonderful. I was charmed, and when I close my eyes now, I see scenes with American in Paris or Porgy and Bess but my favorite piece of music is Rhapsody in Blue. It's more than excellent is fantastic. Jack Gibbons perfectly feels the unique tone Gershwin's music, the mixture rythms of jazz with influences of impressionists and clear and beauty melodies.
I'm fascinating.

A unique project.......2006-11-23

Gibbons' undertaking is unique: to reconstruct and then execute and record the note-for-note playing of Gershwin as documented on the composers' piano rolls, sound recordings and certain published arrangements. I agree with the reviewer who points out that the result is like a library and not a recital you sit back and listen to (or get up and dance to). In fact Gibbons does some editing of his "library" now and then, and clearly documents it in his liner notes: in some reconstructions he augments accompaniment effects and even the melodic line itself. I don't mind that at all, especially as Gibbons scrupulously accounts for such tampering in his liner notes; but it seems to me that it is in this area of "tampering" that Gibbons the artist is asserting himself...which of course undermines the "library", the "historical archive": you have to search and read a bit to find out when you're hearing only Gershwin and when you're hearing some added Gibbons. I don't mind; Gibbons is a remarkable artist in his own right, not merely an impeccable documentarian. For sheer generosity of production Gibbons' Gershwin must also be unique: 4 cd's, scholar-level liner notes (yes, you need a magnifying glass to read them), and rock-bottom bargain price.

Gershwin historical, manic, perfect, archival.......2006-06-12

First: this is 4 high-end produced cd's (in low-end jewel cases) for the price of 2. The liner notes of all 4 cd's are condensed in a booklet of microscopic print, so you may need to spend the savings on a magnifying glass. MONEY WELL SPENT.
Second: Jack Gibbons plays (and has recorded) the Alkan op 39 etudes (he probably plays a lot more Alkan than that). For those of you not in the know, this is to say he has world-class chops, indeed history-class (Liszt, who never played his friend Alkan, at least in public). But it's also to say that Gibbons knows how to interpret and personalize fantastically difficult piano music. For me, his Alkan op 39 is personal and passionate and real (contrast the facile and over-pedalled Hamelin and the just-the-notes-ma'me Ringeissen). An appreciation of Gibbons' Alkan is important here because while his Alkan is uniquely personal (as such music must be, no matter how hard it is to play) his Gershwin is deliberately impersonal...which is to say: no pianist, no singer would want to reproduce what Gibbons has given us in these 4 cd's, and in fact few listeners will be able to listen for long to these 4 cd's without a respite, a break , some silence, some minimal styling from somebody (anybody) else...which brings me to
Third: This is an archive, not a recital. This is a library, not a program. There is no track-by-track contrast of moods here, no track-by-track concession to easy listening, varied delight, any more than a library shelf of novels is alphabetized by authors' last names as a concession to mood or fancy or taste of the searching patron. This is the documented Gershwin in his recording mode: manic, notey, clever, "on", and never, as generations of stylists found in him, ravishing, tender, longing, sweet, glad, hopeful...person-to-person, in a word. I can listen to these cd's about half an hour at a time, max. This is Gerwhsin, not Gibbons. And this is just one side of Gershwin. He died at 38, in the summer. Brain tumor. A lot of pain.
Finally, Jack Gibbons has given the world a uniquely valuable and easily available resource. Gibbons could now do us a service by playing us some Gershwin as he feels it, as it hits him and makes him sing (as Gershwin, our American Schubert, does to all of us, and as I think Alkan has done to Gibbons). I would love to see a Gershwin stylings by Gibbons now that Gibbons himself has made sure Gershwin in his authenticity is safe and sound.

Definative.......2005-07-23

Here's the whole Gershwin catalog at a great price... Five plus hours of bliss. Definately five stars!

Gibbons, according to a family friend and biographer Edward jablonski "recreates Gershwin's style." I'll never know. I can say this is a lively recording and has the perfect balance. It's neither stuffy and plodding or cute.

Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue - First recording from rare piano rolls; American in Paris - for 2 pianos from unpublished original score; Promenade for piano and orchestra (from Shall We Dance)

Average customer rating:

Ah Ha!
really american music

Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue - First recording from rare piano rolls; American in Paris - for 2 pianos from unpublished original score; Promenade for piano and orchestra (from Shall We Dance)

Manufacturer: Biograph
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

Tin Pan Alley | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000003HLG
Release Date: 1993-11-19

Tracks:

Rhapsody In Blue
An American In Paris
Swanee
Walkin' The Dog
Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
Somebody Loves Me
Our Love Is Here To Stay
S'Wonderful
Embraceable You
Oh, Lady Be Good

Customer Reviews:

Ah Ha!.......2007-06-08

Now I know what these pieces should sound like. While I've come close once in a while, often i've been way off, so I appreciated learning more about what Gershwin expected. Most of all, I simplyI enjoyed hearing how he brought his compositions to life. (Most pianist miss the mark, and few tackle, as piano solos or duets, some of the pieces he plays.) If you've been looking for authenticity (technical and emotional), I strongly recommend Gershwin's piano rolls collections.

really american music.......2007-03-10

My dear George.
Your music always touches me; it always goes to the bottom of my heart, of everyone's heart.
It becomes directly from our common souls.
Ah! George, "Our love is here to stay"!

Average customer rating:

Peculiar
Gershwin Never Sounded Better!

Gershwin: Piano Music

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

After The Ball plus Highlights from Vaudeville
Moonlight Bay: Songs as Is Songs as Was
The Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls, Vol. 2
Fascinating Rhythm: The Complete Music for Solo Piano by George Gershwin
Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls

ASIN: B000005IY8
Release Date: 1992-04-09

Tracks:

George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Swanee
George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Nobody But You
George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise
George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Do It Again
George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Fascinating Rhythm
George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Oh, Lady Be Good
George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Somebody Loves Me
George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Sweet And Low Down
George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): That Certain Feeling
George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): The Man I Love
George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Clap Yo' Hands
George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Do Do Do
George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): My One And Only
George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): 'S Wonderful
George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Strike Up The Band
George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Liza
George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): I Got Rhythm
George Gershwin's Song Book (1932): Who Cares?
Other Piano Pieces: Rialto Ripples
Other Piano Pieces: Three Preludes-Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
Other Piano Pieces: Three Preludes - Andante con moto e poco rubato
Other Piano Pieces: Three Preludes - Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
Other Piano Pieces: Impromptu In Two Keys
Other Piano Pieces: Three-Quarter Blues
Other Piano Pieces: Merry Andrew
Other Piano Pieces: Piano Playin' Jazzbo Brown (Jasbo Brown Blues)
Other Piano Pieces: Promenade
Songs By George And Ira Gershwin: I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise
Songs By George And Ira Gershwin: How Long Has This Been Going On?
Songs By George And Ira Gershwin: By Strauss
Songs By George And Ira Gershwin: Someone to Watch over Me
Songs By George And Ira Gershwin: Nice Work If You Can Get It
Songs By George And Ira Gershwin: The Man I Love
Songs By George And Ira Gershwin: Just Another Rhumba
Songs By George And Ira Gershwin: Isn't It A Pity?
Songs By George And Ira Gershwin: They All Laughed
Songs By George And Ira Gershwin: Love Is Here To Stay

Amazon.com

William Bolcom is my kind of musician. He writes music that is sometimes adventurous but always based in a recognizable American idiom. And he's a terrific ragtime pianist, the best Joplin player I've heard. With these credentials, of course he's a wonderful Gershwin player. These are the best piano performances of Gershwin I know. After you hear those, Bolcom joins his wife Joan Morris for very flavorful versions of 10 George and Ira Gershwin songs. The whole disc is a delight, and the original analog recordings still sound fine. Highly recommended to all Gershwin lovers. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Peculiar.......2005-01-26

I can see how someone might enjoy this album. William Bolcom is a top-flight pianist and the idea of playing the tunes as George Gershwin played them at parties is intriguing.

Because my ear is used to it, I guess, I would like to have heard longer performances of fewer songs. Each one sounded to me like a snippet -- over too soon. Because of that, plus the fact that I'm not a fan of Joan Morris' showy voice, I give the album one thumb up.

Gershwin Never Sounded Better!.......2002-06-25

This is a fantastic CD! Back in the 70's, pianist William Bolcom and his singer wife Joan Morris made a delightful series of albums on the Nonesuch label of old songs from the first half of the twentieth century - just glorious voice backed by brilliant piano. As Ira Gershwin might say - who could ask for anything more? The music is not only beautifully performed, you can hear the joy of the performance in every note. And Bolcom and Morris were never better than when doing Gershwin.

A combination of two albums, the first part of this CD is all piano. The Gershwin Songbook consists of brief (some under a minute) versions of some of his more popular songs in the way that Gershwin himself famously played them at parties. They demonstrate that Gershwin was as gifted a pianist as he was a composer. The other instrumental tracks are some of Gershwin's solo piano pieces, including the wonderful Rialto Ripples, a rag written when he was just seventeen. For me, the pinnacle of both Gershwin's and William Bolcom's artistry is reached on the second of the three preludes - a classic study of a bluesy mood.

Just when you think things can't get any better, Joan Morris arrives. She effortlessly sings and swings her way through ten of Gershwin's best songs from the cheeky comedy of By Strauss to the smoky moodiness of Someone To Watch Over Me. Maybe I'm just an incurable old romantic, but the ballads are the best of all.

Tracks:

Allegro
Andante Con Moto
Allegro Agitato
Lullaby For String Orchestra
Cuban Overture
Second Rhapsody
Promenade

Tracks:

Rhapsody In Blue
'I Got Rhythm' Variations
Introduction - Act 1, Scene 1
Porgy Sings
Fugue
Hurricane - Act II, Scene 3
Good Mornin', Brother - Act III, Scene 3
An American In Paris

Customer Reviews:

The best performances at the cheapest price!.......2001-08-16

I own many recordings of Gershwin but this inexpensive colection is my favorite! The performances are moving, the recording is excellent, and the whole package cannot be beat for value. Simply a great value!!!

Great performances, excellent engineering.......2001-03-22

I'm confused by the previous reviewer's comments.

The engineering is fine analog, but it isn't "in your face" kind of engineering (a la some older Sony recordings; Bernstein's are some of the worst offenders, although recent remasterings have tamed them somewhat), it isn't brightly lit (ditto a lot of von Karajan's DG recordings), but it's pretty natural. Nothing is spotlit, and sounds the way one would hear it in the concert hall. I would hazard that sound systems have a way of filtering the music. I've found that some of my terribly-engineered, really ancient monophonic recordings sound much better on lesser equipment, while my best engineered recordings sound mediocre on lesser equipment, but wonderful on the high end stuff. And the speakers, and, well, this isn't about equipment. Just second guessing how the impression can be made that the enginnering is poor on this disc.

Powell Symphony Hall, while not the sonic masterpiece that is, for example, New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall (one of the best I've ever been in), is still a wonderful acoustic space, both for listener and player (it's one of those halls where I was able to hear myself play as well as I was the whole orchestra, and you can almost feel your sound being projected into the auditorium). The hall, btw, is gorgeous, graceful, and characterful; much so than the design of Symphony Hall in Chicago (brilliantly finished, btw), or the cavernous feel of the hall in Boston. While some of Slatkin's RCA recordings in Powell recess the sound too much, such is not the case here.

The performances are electrifying, with the exception of the Concerto in F. Even that piece, an awkward attempt on Gershwin's part, has many rewarding aspects, and the performance reveals many of them. Seigel isn't a "polished" pianist--I'd never be interested hearing him play Mozart based on these performances--but here his style (or the style he has captured) is just right.

These are classics in the Gramophone. Not that the critical consensus (well, as consensual as it ever gets) is always correct, but I agree with them.

Insipid uninspiring performances; miserable engineering.......2000-12-07

If only 0 stars were an option!

I found these interpretations of Gershwin lacking; both in the orchestra and piano. None of the performances reached out and pulled me in, they left me wondering what anyone could possibly hear in Gershwin. Thankfully I own several recordings which do not leave me feeling that way! Specificaly in the Rapsody in Blue: Mr. Siegel does not demonstrate a command of the piece; more than once I wondered if he was practicing the piece instead of performing it, as his approach was tenative at best. Mr. Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony rendered the piece with a lush/loose orchestral feel that just does not feel right.

The sound engineering is wanting in all of these performances; the balance between orchestra and piano is poorly maintained throughout. I found the piano lost in sections where a balance between forces is called for. Exchanges between piano and various instruments routinely found one or the other anoyingly out of balance. Nothing in the notes describes the recording process, but from the instances of voice dropout I would hazard to guess that two micropones were placed in the worst seats available in Powell Symphony Hall with the subsequent recordings transfered directly to disc with no review or attempt at editing. What an engineering travesty!

Overall I was glad when the CD's were done. I pulled out other recordings and played numerous tracks back to back to see if I had missed something. I had not! All around the performances are insipid and uninspiring, and I can usually find something redeeming in just about everything to which I give a listen.

If you want an inspired performance of Rhapsody in Blue that will reach out and grab you from the opening wail of the clarinet to the closing orchestral chord, get the recording made by Michael Tilson Thomas and the LA Philharmonic. Unfortunately, he did not record all the orchestral pieces you find in this recording.

Terrific playing at a bargain price.......2000-05-29

This is a terrific collection of Gershwin's orchestral music, including all of his works for piano and orchestra, all at a bargain price. Jeffrey Siegel's piano playing is great, as is Leonard Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. For the bargain hunter in search of Gershwin, this is the set to buy.

Siegel is amazing.......2000-04-17

I have been privileged to listen to Jeffrey Siegel's Keyboard Conversations in Fairfax, VA for many years. I heard him play some Gershwin during one performance, and I had to buy this CD. If you like Gershwin, if you like great piano, if you like music, this is a CD that belongs in your collection

Average customer rating:

The Gershwins in Hollywood

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Hollywood Dreams
Rodgers & Hammerstein - The Complete Overtures ~ Opening Night / Hollywood Bowl Orchestra · Mauceri

ASIN: B00000414N
Release Date: 1991-11-05

Tracks:

Overture: Gershwin in Hollywood - Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
New York Rhapsody [From "Delicious"] - Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Wayne Marshall
Walking the Dog - Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
(I've Got) Beginner's Luck - Patti Austin, Gregory Hines, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
Slap That Bass - Gregory Hines, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
They All Laughed - Patti Austin, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
Let's Call the Whole Thing Off - Patti Austin, Gregory Hines, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
Watch Your Step!: Final Ballet - Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
Foggy Day - Gregory Hines, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
Nice Work If You Can Get It - Gregory Hines, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
American in London - Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
Love Walked In - Patti Austin, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
Love Is Here to Stay - Patti Austin, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
For You, for Me, for Evermore - Patti Austin, Gregory Hines, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra

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