Bill Charlap, Benny Greenm, Fred Hersch,
Kenny Barron, Marian McPartland, George Shearing
- Nobody's HeartLyrics (Rodgers & Hart) performed by Bill Charlap - 4:46
- The Blue Room Lyrics performed (Rodgers & Hart) by Bill Charlap - 5:23
- The Surrey With the Fringe on Top (Rodgers & Hammerstein) performed by Benny Green - 4:38
- Manhattan Lyrics (Rodgers & Hart) performed by Benny Green - 5:21
- If I Loved You (Rodgers & Hammerstein) performed by Fred Hersch - 5:26
- The Sweetest Sounds (Rodgers) performed by Fred Hersch - 4:13
- My Funny Valentine (Rodgers & Hart) performed by Kenny Barron - 7:42
- Have You Met Miss Jones? Lyrics (Rodgers & Hart) performed by Kenny Barron - 3:19
- It Never Entered My Mind (Rodgers & Hart) performed by Marian McPartland - 4:14
- We Kiss in a Shadow (Rodgers & Hammerstein) performed by Marian McPartland - 3:52
- Yours Sincerely Lyrics (Rodgers & Hart) performed by George Shearing - 4:26
Label: Broadway Cares
Fred Hersch has put together yet another memorable anthology, recorded to benefit the fight against AIDS; this time it is a collection of piano solos to help raise funds for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The theme of a Richard Rodgers tribute is very appropriate, as he created many memorable melodies for Broadway shows in collaboration with Lorenz Hart and later with Oscar Hammerstein II. Rodgers would surely have appreciated Bill Charlap's interpretations of two less frequently played songs, "Nobody's Heart[Lyrics]" and "The Blue Room [Lyrics]." Charlap isn't afraid of using space in his arrangements, allowing the natural beauty of the music to come to the surface without excessive ornamentation. Benny Green's playful rendition of "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top" and his inventive take of "Manhattan" are followed by Hersch's breathtaking version of "If I Loved You" and a lively dancing "The Sweetest Sounds," although the latter obviously omits the rarely heard lyrics of Rodgers. The last three pianists should be easy for any veteran jazz fan to identify in a blindfold test. Kenny Barron's lovely yet roundabout introduction to "My Funny Valentine" puts his distinct touch on a piece that has become a jazz standard; his approach to "Have You Met Miss Jones?" is classic bop. Marian McPartland has few peers as an interpreter of ballads; she captures the bittersweet essence of "It Never Entered My Mind " and adds a sparkling "We Kiss in a Shadow" (from The King and I), a piece rarely recorded in a jazz setting. Unlike the other pianists, George Shearing is only featured on a single track, a beautiful take of "Yours Sincerely [Lyrics]." This highly recommended benefit CD is available exclusively from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids at www.broadwaycares.org and is surely destined to become a collector's item.
Overview
Review
Fred Hersch has put together yet another memorable anthology, recorded to benefit the fight against AIDS; this time it is a collection of piano solos to help raise funds for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The theme of a Richard Rodgers tribute is very appropriate, as he created many memorable melodies for Broadway shows in collaboration with Lorenz Hart and later with Oscar Hammerstein II. Rodgers would surely have appreciated Bill Charlap's interpretations of two less frequently played songs, "Nobody's Heart[Lyrics]" and "The Blue Room [Lyrics]." Charlap isn't afraid of using space in his arrangements, allowing the natural beauty of the music to come to the surface without excessive ornamentation. Benny Green's playful rendition of "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top" and his inventive take of "Manhattan" are followed by Hersch's breathtaking version of "If I Loved You" and a lively dancing "The Sweetest Sounds," although the latter obviously omits the rarely heard lyrics of Rodgers. The last three pianists should be easy for any veteran jazz fan to identify in a blindfold test. Kenny Barron's lovely yet roundabout introduction to "My Funny Valentine" puts his distinct touch on a piece that has become a jazz standard; his approach to "Have You Met Miss Jones?" is classic bop. Marian McPartland has few peers as an interpreter of ballads; she captures the bittersweet essence of "It Never Entered My Mind " and adds a sparkling "We Kiss in a Shadow" (from The King and I), a piece rarely recorded in a jazz setting. Unlike the other pianists, George Shearing is only featured on a single track, a beautiful take of "Yours Sincerely [Lyrics]." This highly recommended benefit CD is available exclusively from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids at www.broadwaycares.org and is surely destined to become a collector's item.