Dave Grusin - Gershwin Connection
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Artist: Dave GrusinEdition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 1991-09-17
Music Label: Grp Records
Soundtracks:
- That Certain Feeling
- Soon
- Fascinating Rhythm
- Prelude II
- How Long Has This Been Going On?
- There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
- My Man's Gone Now
- Maybe
- Our Love Is Here To Stay
- 'S Wonderful
- I've Got Plenty O' Nuthin'
- Nice Work If You Can Get It
- Medley: Bess You Is My Woman/I Loves You Porgy
Music reviews of Gershwin Connection
Music Review: Spontaneous Arranging (and James Taylor's new Xmas album)
Rating: 5 Stars
America's greatest musical arranger Nelson Riddle confided to a friend, (toward the end of his life in 1985) that he would have traded ALL of his hundreds of arrangements (the absolute favorites of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and other musical giants) in exchange for having written just ONE of the hit songs composed by his contemporary Henry Mancini. (`Hank' wrote numerous award-winning melodies, including two consecutive "Best Song" Oscar-winners --- with lyricist Johnny Mercer.)
Well 20 years later, if he were still with us, I believe Nelson Riddle would express that same longing about the music of Dave Grusin - who like Mancini, is an Oscar-nominated, award-winning composer and arranger. Grusin's evergreen "Cinemagic" album recorded in 1991 with the incomparable London Symphony featured 14 of his movie themes including award winners like "On Golden Pond," "Heaven Can Wait," and "It Might be You" -- the love theme from "Tootsie" (with lyrics by the Bergmans, Alan & Marilyn). What is more, Riddle -- who arranged painstakingly at the piano (not his instrument; he was a trombonist) -- would surely have envied Grusin's command of the piano. And Dave's pianistic prowess was never better displayed than here . . . on this splendid tribute to George Gershwin.
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If I listen long enough to the greatest of jazz pianists (Oscar & Bill) eventually I tire of improvisations (having heard everything in their `bag of tricks' --- their repertoire of favorite phrases) and I find myself craving melody, pure and simple. Or else, thematic variations on strong melody -- `counter melodies' if you will --- which are the personal amusements of all great arrangers including (especially) Nelson Riddle.
I think of Dave Grusin as `spontaneous arranger' (my term) rather than a jazz pianist. And I simply adore off-the-cuff, melodic `variations' of the great pianists/composers/arrangers --- such as Henry Mancini. (Andre Previn is another composer/arranger and accomplished pianist). And, in that stratosphere of `eagles' carried aloft by all three abilities --- Dave Grusin I believe, flies the highest of them all. And the nice thing about this is for all of us? Dave is alive and well and doing his best work these days: He's "one of us" -- he is `happening here-and-now.' And still very much in demand as an arranger.
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Most recently, Dave orchestrated a Christmas album for composer/singer/guitarist James Taylor. And I would give that CD a five star review --- if only I could! Alas, this Grusin-arranged treasure was released "only in stores" - belonging to a certain well-known greeting card company, long-famous for Christmas musical/TV specials (and which this year carried a large line of "Polar Express" products).
His new "Christmas Album" is JT's best recording in years --- especially as it showcases Dave Grusin's sparkling arrangements (for large orchestra and chorus). Its many delights are capped by a `retire-the-trophy' version of Frank Loesser's "Baby It's Cold Outside" (a simply delicious duet with Natalie Cole). In addition to arranging the album, Dave provided (as he often does) literate liner notes --- commending Taylor as "an incredible American icon." Taylor returned the compliment, saying: "It was a delight to work (play, really) with Mr. Grusin."
Incidentally, the "James Taylor Christmas Album" culminates with a song previously performed only by Dave Grusin --- as a piano solo on the first of three, "GRP Christmas" (various jazz artists) compilations. The hauntingly beautiful song is, "Some Children See Him" (composed by Wihla Hutson and Alfred Burt, who never wrote another song of note). Grusin's much earlier performance of "Some Children See Him" - plus one other "GRP Christmas" solo effort on the traditional "Lo, How a Rose E're Blooming" (my Mom's favorite carol) are my personal, all-time favorite, solo piano recordings.
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After those earlier GRP compilations, this album --- "The Gershwin Connection" --- provides listeners with the best Grusin arrangements of great piano music --- superb solos by Dave, small jazz combo arrangements . . . plus lush, and lovely (and huge) orchestral presentations of some of Gershwin's best melodies.
The album opens, incidentally, with a snippet of Gershwin himself --- an amazing player-piano transcription which, through digital technology, conveys in all its shading, the composer's prodigious technique: It is as though Gershwin is in the same room with us today, playing a beautifully engineered concert grand piano. What little there is of it, amounts to a powerhouse performance of Gershwin's obscure, early composition -- "That Certain Feeling." The thrilling energy of his pianistic `stride' fades after less than a minute - replaced by the pure liquid tones of a modern piano (superbly recorded); Grusin, plays a short solo and is supported in the first chorus by clarinet, bass and drums, an enchanting celebration of a lesser-known, but oh-so-beautiful standard -- "Soon." [At the time of this recording (1991) approximately no one had played this song in decades. Recently, Natalie Cole revived it `in style' on her "Ask a Woman Who Knows" CD/DVD.]
Actually, this entire album lives up to the song title `S'wonderful' . . . and the Gershwin tune of that same name, provides this album with the finest, unaccompanied piano performance by anyone in years - a duet, actually, featuring Grusin and jazz great Chick Corea. `Alone together' -- they exchange riffs with such obvious glee and utter abandon, one would think it's the best four-handed piano performance of modern times. (Only duets by Tommy Flanagan and Hank Jones -- arguably the two best piano accompanists of them all --- could rival this.) "S'Wonderful" played here emerges as a melodic / harmonic fountain of jazz brilliance that Gershwin would have loved! Not least for its subtle humor: Five seconds after the song ends, Grusin adds one sardonic `thunk' -- a single, gratuitous, bass note. You can picture Chick and Dave chuckling at the perfection of it all - including that solitary last note!) Other highlights include a pensively beautiful solo by Grusin on "Nice Work If You Can Get It" followed by the best orchestral treatment I have ever heard of two of Gershwin's finest from Porgy & Bess --- "I Loves You Porgy" (and) "Bess, You is My Woman" intertwined as I always imagined they should be. Breathtaking!
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A recording like this one provides musicians (those of us who play instruments OTHER than piano) with a vivid reminder of why the keyboard will always be the `king'- especially when, as here, it is played by a musical genius. In the 14 years since this one was released, there've been very few `piano/orchestra' recordings that begin to approach this pinnacle of greatness. So while we wait for another great `spontaneous arranger' to appear - we'll still have Dave Grusin's "latest project" to look forward to. Whatever it is, we may be sure it will be good!
Description of Gershwin Connection
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