Gone Ain't Gone [Limited Edition] [Import]

1. I Hope Yer There

2. Toasted Rye

3. No Good Here

4. Eating At The Grocery Store With William

5. Forty-Five Remedies

6. I've Kept Singing (Feat. Paul Robeson)

7. Not A Hit Song

8. Took A Wife

9. Shook

10. If I Had A Cop Show

11. Flowers-Bloom

12. A Little Bit

13. Disgrace

14. Mascara Lies

15. Time Comes Around

16. Away From The Snakes

17. More You Do

18. On The Line (Bonus Track For Japan)

Gone Ain't Gone,Tim Fite,Sony/Epic,Rock,Rock/Pop

Average customer rating: Absolutely peerless once-in-a-lifetime greatness We love this album Simply great Porgy and Bess

Porgy & Bess Ella Fitzgerald , and Louis Armstrong Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classic Vocalists | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Porgy and Bess Gershwin: Porgy & Bess [With Members of the Original Cast] Porgy & Bess: High Performance George Gershwin - Porgy & Bess / Trevor Nunn · Sir Simon Rattle · W. White · C. Haymon · Glyndebourne Opera Ella & Louis Again (Dig) ASIN: B0000046Z5 Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Overture
2. Summertime
3. I Wants To Stay Here
4. My Man's Gone Now
5. I Got Plenty O'Nuttin'
6. Buzzard Song
7. Bess, You Is My Woman Now
8. It Ain't Necessarily So
9. What You Want Wild Bess?
10. A Woman Is A Sometime Thing
11. Oh, Doctor Jesus
12. Medley: Here Come De Honey Man/Crab Man/Oh, Deh's So Fresh And Fine (Strawberry Woman)
13. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
14. Bess, Oh Where's My Bess
15. Oh Lawd, I'm On My Way

Amazon.com

Getting the two most personable voices in jazz to sing an hour's worth of George Gershwin's opera Porgy & Bess (Ella doing all the female parts, Satchmo all the male) was a good idea, but not quite as great as it sounded. Armstrong savors the down-and-dirty Charlestonisms that inspired the cadences of the music and lyrics, and they fit his happy rasp like an old shoe; Fitzgerald, conversely, sounds almost prissy every time she has to sing the word "ain't," though her melodic genius gets Gershwin's bold, supple tunes over. The arrangements are full-throttle Broadway, with a few leaps into Dixieland (including some fine Armstrong trumpet solos), but the disc works best when the vocalists break character and let their jazz side out. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely peerless.......2006-11-17

"Porgy and Bess" has just opened (with some controversy) in London's West End, though as a musical and not as an opera as it was originally conceived. Reviews have been promising and I aim to go down and see it soon. I decided to listen to this CD to put myself in the mood. I hadn't listened to it for years and I'd completely forgotten how good it actually is. Ella's voice blends with Louis' perfectly and Russell Garcia's orchestration gives them a dreamy landscape to perform against. I have one or two other CDs by Louis and Ella but this one is by far my favourite. The CD opens with "Overture" and its orchestral performance of classics like "Summertime", "I Wants To Stay Here", "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'" and "It Ain't Neccessarily So" set the tone nicely, leaving one ever so keen for the vocal versions. Louis Armstong has a very rough tone to his voice but the emotion he packs with it is moving, most especially on the mournful "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" And we get all this and Louis' wonderful trumpet playing too?

Gershwin and Gershwin must be among the top composers of the last century and this opera showcases their talents more than anything I've heard. Ella and Louis are peerless as a vocal duo and though I doubt the West End performance will capture the magic in the same way they did, I still remain very keen to go see it. Is it opera or is it a jazz performance? I don't really know. I just know that I love it. And strongly recommend it.

once-in-a-lifetime greatness.......2006-10-06

Two thousand five hundred musicians have recorded "Summertime" --- it's a classic. (I bet most Americans can name Janis Joplin and no other singer.) As for "Porgy and Bess," the folk opera from which "Summertime" springs, it's such a classic that it's hard to believe anyone ever had a harsh word to say about it.

But after its premiere in 1935, no less than Duke Ellington said, "It has grand music and a swell play, but the two didn't go together. It does not use the Negro musical idiom --- the times are here to debunk Gershwin's lampblack Negroisms."

A quarter of a century later, the producers of the film version had trouble assembling a cast. Harry Belafonte rejected their offer to play Porgy. Sidney Poitier took the part --- and wished he hadn't. Poitier later wrote that the movie insulted black people; when he chose clips of his best performances for his tribute at the American Film Institute, he picked nothing from "Porgy and Bess."

And in 1985, when Grace Bumbry was a sensation as Bess in a Metropolitan Opera production, she slammed the opera: "I thought it beneath me, I felt I had worked far too hard, that we had come far too far to have to retrogress to 1935."

All that may be. All I know is that I have, in a long life, rarely been confronted with more genius than in the Fitzgerald/Armstrong recording of "Porgy & Bess." Set aside the achievement of George and Ira Gershwin in transforming DuBose Heyward's novel into a folk opera. Let's just focus on Armstrong and Fitzgerald, who were at the peak of their popularity when this record was made in 1957.

"Summertime" --- the first song --- sets the tone. A baleful horn figure, then violins. And then Armstrong's trumpet: slow, steady, dignified. But wait --- here comes a slurred note. And a cool little improvisation. Just enough of each. Very tasty.

Fitzgerald sings a verse. She is cool and formal. A lady. Not to be taken lightly. Now it's Armstrong's turn. Tender, but let's not kid ourselves --- this is not singing as others define it. This is melodic speech: rough, gutteral. And thus he is ideally cast: His Porgy may have his charms, but he'll have to stretch to keep Bess.

And so it goes throughout the CD. Trumpet mastery --- Armstrong has dazzling control. His tone is bright, but never shrill; there's a warmth in his playing no one else could produce. And Fitzgerald is just a study in inevitability; to hear her is to wonder how anyone could sing these songs any other way.

"I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'." "Bess, You Is My Woman Now." "A Woman Is a Sometime Thing." "There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York." "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" "Oh Lawd, I'm on My Way."

All brilliantly conceived, orchestrated and recorded.

The greatest trumpet player in this history of jazz.

The father of scat singing.

The queen of the jazz vocal.

There are no-brainers, and then there is this Ella Fitzgerald-Louis Armstrong collaboration --- music that imprints on your soul.

We love this album.......2006-08-22

We hope they will someday bring this beautiful story back to the stage

Simply great.......2006-03-04

The fusion between the great two voices and the orchestra is just brilliant. Very good brass and violins that accompany Fitzeralds and Armstrongs magic voices leaves you with your mouth open.

A must have for everyone!

Porgy and Bess.......2005-10-14

Could not find this anyway locally. It is a great recording

Average customer rating: All-American Fun A great listening pleasure. Better than some other selections I wish I could give more than 5 stars This music needs a lot less diva Bringing American opera to the forefront

Renée Fleming - I Want Magic! ~ American Opera Arias George Gershwin , Carlisle Floyd , Leonard Bernstein , Douglas S. Moore , Bernard Herrmann , Gian Carlo Menotti , Igor Stravinsky , Samuel Barber , André Previn , Metropolitan Opera Orchestra , James Levine , and Renée Fleming Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Barber | Barber, Samuel | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Bernstein | Bernstein, Leonard | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Herrmann | Herrmann, Bernard | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Menotti | Menotti, Gian Carlo | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Previn, André | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Fleming, Renee | C to G | Featured Performers, A-Z | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Renée Fleming Renee Fleming - The Beautiful Voice ~ Gounod, Lehaair, Orff, Puccini, Rachmaninov, Strauss Reneé Fleming & Jean-Yves Thibaudet - Night Songs (Fauré, Debussy, Marx, Strauss, Rachmaninov) Renée Fleming: Bel Canto Renée Fleming - Signatures ~ Great Opera Scenes / Sir Georg Solti ASIN: B00000AFR4 Release Date: 1998-09-15

Tracks:

1. Wuthering Heights: I Have Dreamt
2. The Ballad Of Baby Doe: The Letter Song
3. The Medium: Monica's Waltz
4. Porgy And Bess: Summertime
5. Porgy And Bess: My Man's Gone Now
6. Candide: Glitter And Be Gay
7. Susannah: Ain't It A Pretty Night
8. Susannah: The Trees on the Mountains
9. The Rake's Progress: No Word From Tom ... I Go, I Go To Him
10. VANESSA: He Has Come, He Has Come
11. A Streetcar Named Desire: I Want Magic!

Amazon.com

Like Dawn Upshaw's The World So Wide on Nonesuch, this program is such an inviting cross section of American opera of the last 50 years, you wonder why more of it hasn't been recorded. Composers include Carlisle Floyd, Douglas Moore, Samuel Barber, and Gian Carlo Menotti, whose childlike "Monica's Waltz" from the otherwise lurid opera The Medium is a highlight. Old favorites are here, such as Gershwin's "Summertime." And new favorites, too: Andre Previn's forthcoming "A Streetcar Named Desire" graciously offers Straussian lushness and bitonal wind-instrument details suggesting Blanche DuBois's mind departing from reality, all sounding remarkably true to Previn's pre-World War II upbringing in Berlin. This dramatically alert arioso isn't so melodically memorable but makes all necessary dramatic points eloquently. Though she performs vividly throughout, Fleming often lets her vocal tone overwhelm articulation of the words--a middling drawback. And comedy is not her thing: Bernstein's "Glitter and Be Gay" is way too hammy. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

All-American Fun.......2007-01-01

I love this CD. It's so incredibly American. It features American lyric soprano Renee Fleming singing American opera arias. Ms. Fleming is capably accompanied by the Met orchestra, America's best opera orchestra, conducted by another distinguished American, Maestro James Levine. The only way this CD could be more American is if it were released on July 4th, with two baseball tickets included. I'm grateful that Decca made this release.

This CD starts out very strong with a gorgeous aria "I have dreamt" from "Wuthering Heights". I've never seen this opera nor heard of this opera. If the opera is half as good as the aria, I would love to see it. Renee cruises through "The Letter Song" from "The Ballad of Baby Doe" with heartfelt interpretation. "Monica's Waltz" is not one of my favorite arias in the world, but Ms. Fleming sings it beautifully.

Here's where we depart, and the reason I gave this CD only 4 stars. First, Renee sings two arias from "Porgy and Bess": "Summertime" and "My Man's Gone Now". Renee's voice is way too rich and lush for these arias. Listen to Renee sing it, then listen to the gold standard, Leontyne Price. You'll see what I mean. Renee's rendition of "My Man's Gone Now" was just way too pretty. The score calls for some extended glissandos, which are supposed to be wails of grief. Renee sang the glissandos beautifully, but no grief was in sight. Her next choice "Glitter and Be Gay" from "Candide" is just not a good choice for her. I think even Renee would tell you that a voice like hers is just not right for Cunegonde. This aria (and role) calls for a smaller voice. [...].

Then Renee reminds me of why I love her in the first place, by returning to two arias from "Susannah", a signature role for her. Her performances of "Ain't it a pretty night!" and "The trees on the mountains" are too good for words. She completely understands this role, and communicates the mood in these arias right through your speakers. Just imagine how good it must be live!

Renee closes with "No word from Tom" (The Rake's Progress), "He has come, he has come!" (Vanessa), and "I want magic! (A Streetcar Named Desire). I wish more opera companies would produce "The Rake's Progress". This is a wonderful opera by an "adopted" American composer, Igor Stravinsky. The aria from "Streetcar" is kind of an odd choice to close this CD, but Renee did premiere the role of Blanche in this Previn piece with the SF Opera. So maybe it's not so strange after all.

Highly recommended for fans of Renee Fleming, and those who need to add some good old American opera to round out their Puccini collections. This is a nice performance record by a woman surely destined to be one of the greatest lyric sopranos in history.

A great listening pleasure. Better than some other selections.......2006-04-05

'I Want Magic' sung by superstar mezzo Renee Fleming, backed by James Levine and his Metropolitan Opera Orchestra follows the same pattern of severa of Fleming's other releases, in that there is one widely known and very familiar piece (Gershwin's 'Summertime' from 'Porgy and Bess') plus many less familiar pieces.

The theme of all the pieces is that they are arias from American operas, all in English. And, I get a lot more from this selection than I do from, for example, her recording of Shubert Lieder. One thing I learn is how totally typical is Leonard Bernstein's piece from 'Candide', which sounds like it stepped right out of a production of 'The Fantasticks'. Gershwin's two great songs, on the other hand, are icons of American music and even Herrmann's movie song from Wuthering Heights makes Bernstein's song sound ordinary.

But, the album is really all about Fleming's realization of these songs, which is simply nothing less than spectacular. While I tend to prefer hearing works 'in situ', Fleming's talent is so great that hearing her do eleven pieces out of context is worth it. The album is also more interesting than the average collection of Lieder in that it has the backing of a major American dramatic orchestra.

Better than average Fleming choice.

I wish I could give more than 5 stars.......2005-09-30

This recording is truly wonderful! I really feel that American composers have written some incredible things. I think that American opera is much better than British opera, with the exception of Benjamin Britten. My favorites on this track are actually all of them, but if I had to choose, I would pick: "No word from Tom" (The Rakes Progress, Stravinsky), "Ain't it a pretty night" (Sussanah, Floyd), "Glitter and be Gay" (Candide, Bernstein), and my absolute favorite "Monica's Waltz" (The Medium, Menotti). This is such a great album. Some of Renee's diction isn't completely clear, but that's opera. In order to acheive a beautiful sound, especially in English, certain vowels need to be altered. ESPECIALLY for the soprano voice. When singing so high, certain vowels and consonants need to be altered a bit. Anyway, it's an incredible album!!

This music needs a lot less diva.......2005-09-18

Renee Fleming has a glorious voice, and there's not a note here that isn't ravishing. Decca's engineers have caught the voice very well, and Levine's conducting is all it could be. The problem? Well, having her sing Summertime and My Man's Gone NOw was a bad idea, not only because both are cliches. Felming has a hard time sounding emotionally natural. She tends to apply her incredible voice with diva-like self-consciousness and play-acted emotion far too often.

Which means that her CD recitals are hit-and-miss. Glitter and Be Gay is a disaster here because she tries to be funny and winds up being self-conscious and embarrassing. But the big aria form Susannah, a role Fleming sings at the Met, is perfect. I expected a lot more adventurousness from this American collection, since Felming is, after all, an American singer. But it's mostly overplayed, like Puccini in English, sobs and all. I enjoyed the voice, but after a while the mannerisms became tiresome.

Bringing American opera to the forefront.......2005-01-20

American opera is not as well-known to many people because it can be complex, both musically and dramatically, and requires amazing vocal technique to sing things that sound simple. Fleming's recording highlights some familiar arias (the Susannah arias, for example) as well as some that are almost unknown. If you are an opera fan, and especially if you want to learn more about American opera, this CD is a great place to start. My favorite: Glitter and Be Gay, from Bernstein's Candide. Wow.

Average customer rating: fun cd An oddly talented one

Gone Ain't Gone Tim Fite Manufacturer: Anti ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: When the Sun's Gone Down Electric Blue Watermelon Z The Craft Boys and Girls in America ASIN: B000AMJD56 Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

1. I Hope Yer There
2. Toasted Rye
3. No Good Here
4. Eating At The Grocery Store
5. Forty Five Remedies
6. I've Kept Singing
7. Not A Hit Song
8. Took A Wife
9. Shook
10. If I Had A Cop Show
11. Flowers Bloom
12. A Little Bit
13. Disgrace
14. Mascara Lies
15. Time Comes Around
16. Away From The Snakes
17. The More You Do

Album Description

Fite approaches music-making with little more than his four favorite chords, a love of Woody Guthrie and Public Enemy, and a stack of other people's sadly forgotten records. The emerging sound is like no other: natural, unique and teeming with fresh blood. While Fite is by no means a virtuosic instrumentalist, he knows how to build a compelling song. His primary talent lies in his knack for finding, stealing, and transforming other people's music into his own, utilizing his resonant voice to lend a disquieting emotional sincerity to the mix. "Gone Ain't Gone", a wry, anachronistic, copyright-defying, country/hip-hop collage, was made mostly from CDs rescued from dollar bins of Australian bar bands, DC garage-punks, and demos from up-and-never-coming rock bands. It's all sampled, looped and laid down as the blueprint for his intriguing avant-folk vision of musical crime and resuscitation.

Customer Reviews:

fun cd.......2006-03-27

This a great album. Very new and refreshing. Yet, it still holds onto many things that have made past musicians great. I would say its above average, but not incredible and new enough to be a 4 star.

I can't figure out where I have heard the song "Away from the Snakes" before, but I know it is from somewhere. Anyone?

An oddly talented one.......2005-11-07

Tim Fite's album is an entirely new sound, ranging from country twang to big city bass, to apparently intoxicated boredom. Worth the money if you don't mind a little improvisational "noise". This album sounds like Whitey Ford meets alt-country Wilco. Well done for an underbudgeted artistic newcomer.

Average customer rating: Diverse offering full of laughter, love and the blues!!

Black And Blue: A Musical Revue (1989 Original Broadway Cast) Manufacturer: Drg ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Ellington | Ellington, Edward Duke | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classic R&B | R&B | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: Ain't Misbehavin' (1978 Original Broadway Cast) Jelly's Last Jam (1992 Original Broadway Cast) Play On!: A New Musical (1997 Original Broadway Cast) Bubbling Brown Sugar Sarafina! The Music Of Liberation: Broadway Cast Recording (1988 Original Broadway Cast) ASIN: B000000PIF Release Date: 1992-04-10

Tracks:

1. Blues: I'm A Woman
2. Royal Garden Blues
3. St. Louis Blues
4. After You've Gone
5. If I Can't Sell It, I'll Keep Sittin' On It
6. I Want A Big Butter And Egg Man
7. Stompin' At The Savoy
8. I've Got A Right To Sing The Blues
9. Black And Tan Fantasy
10. T'Ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do
11. Call It Stormy Monday/I'm Getting 'Long Alright
12. Body And Soul
13. I'm Confessing
14. Am I Blue
15. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
16. In A Sentimental Mood
17. Black And Blue

Customer Reviews:

Diverse offering full of laughter, love and the blues!!.......1998-12-24

This musical soundtrack is my favorite! It has a diverse offering of artists who range in vocals from a very robust and alluring tenor to enchanting soprano. The types of songs go from fun & upbeat to "somebody-please-get-me-a-tissue" blues. These selections will make you envision whatever scene/theme that is being performed and will force you to crawl into the number and savor/enjoy the fun or the blues of it.

I love it!! I believe you will, too.

Average customer rating: Magnificent

Gershwin: Porgy And Bess/Blue Monday Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B000007OMA Release Date: 1998-05-26

Tracks:

1. Introduction
2. 'Summertime'
3. 'A Woman Is A Sometime Thing'
4. 'Gone, Gone, Gone'
5. Overflow
6. 'My Man's Gone Now'
7. Leavin' For The Promise Lan'
8. 'I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
9. 'Bess, You Is My Woman Now'
10. 'Oh, I Can't Sit Down'
11. 'I Ain't Got No Shame'
12. 'It Ain't Necessarily So'
13. 'I Loves You, Porgy'
14. Opening Scene
15. Lonely Boy
16. 'Oh Bess, O Where's My Bess'
17. 'Oh, Lawd, I'm On My Way'
18. Blue Monday - CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY CHORUS

Customer Reviews:

Magnificent.......2002-02-21

If you have ever been, or think you might ever be, a fan of the music of George Gershwin, opera, musical theatre, jazz, powerful, triumphant singing by trained African-American voices, orchestral music, historical/cultural documents layered in innovative artistry, hearing the next generation of Opera Grand Dammes and Divos before the sun also rises on their already international careers...all of this and more is to be found on this CD. One might say I'm a little biased, as my ex-fiancee/best friend (Angela Brown, Soprano) and a number of friends of mine in the business are on this CD. But you don't have to know them to love them when they sound like this.

Angela, who has one of the most powerful voices in the industry (she recently covered AIDA at the Met for an all of a sudden slightly nervous and miraculously recovered from illness [upon hearing Angela warm up on stage] Debra Voigt), sings PORGY's "My Man's Gone Now" about as well as I've ever heard her--which is by definition (trust me) better than most of the sopranos of the last century, BAR NONE...the master Greg Baker, who has done Amonasaro and John The Baptist at the Met to incredibly deserved acclaim, performs excerpts from his signatue role Crown and Porgy at the top of his game...the rich tones of Marquita Lister, whose debut as Bess in the Goetz Friedrich production of PORGY in the Theatre Des Westens of Berlin in 1993 was a shot to all established divas heard 'round the world (now singing with her on that stage at that time was FUN, let me tell you), sounds like a ringy, milk chocolate/black velvet version of the milky, white velvet Rene Fleming...Diva Harolyn Blackwell, not to be outdone, rings and soars in everything she does...

This CD would be a treat even without the introduction of BLUE MONDAY, the DNA of PORGY AND BESS work that gives us a window into the creative mind of George Gershwin, and the embryonic existence of PORGY AND BESS itself. BLUE MONDAY gives us much of the thematic material and revolutionary artistic ideas that led to Gershwin triumphantly blurring the lines separating grand Musical Theatre in the tradition of Jerome Kern (think SHOWBOAT) from the high art of Wagnerian/Verdian/Russian Opera with PORGY; influencing everyone from Richard Rogers to Leonard Bernstein to Stephen Sondheim in American composition thereafter. BLUE MONDAY, in its simple, deceptive beauty (with parts sung immaculately by Angela and Marquita) gives you the clue to just how powerfully Gershwin planned to shake up the world with the debut of PORGY and BESS in 1935--and did.

And can you even imagine how it feels to hear the voice of Cab Calloway, linking every conceivable strand of High African-American music, American musical theatre, American opera and Jazz of the 20th century together with every word he says? Could there have been a better Sportin' Life? (Gershwin actually wrote the part of Sportin' Life in PORGY both for and based on the personality and artistry of Calloway--the friend of Ellington and biggest influence on the music and personality of Dizzy Gillespie--while he played in Harlem's Cotton Club in the 1930's.)

But this CD is not a Museum piece made for music academics or an excuse for me and others in the business to party with singer friends (I don't need this good an excuse for that!). This is absolutely beautiful music that will sweeten your home and soul on the first hearing.

This could easily be like Miles Davis' KIND OF BLUE for all enthusiasts of good music who (smartly) don't lay claim to liking, being an "expert" of or sticking to one particular style. Just as anyone who kind of likes any of the jazz they've heard loves KIND OF BLUE, if you have ever heard strong American music sung with powerful American voices over a tight orchestra, but had too much fun listening to it to call it "opera", you will love this CD.

Average customer rating: Another triumph

Tango Song & Dance Anne-Sophie Mutter , Previn , Brahms , and Faure Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Previn: Violin Concerto; Bernstein: Serenade Carmen-Fantasie Anne-Sophie Mutter: The Berlin Recital Vivaldi: The Four Seasons/Tartini: The Devil's Trill Beethoven: Violin Concerto, Romances ASIN: B00007KMOV Release Date: 2003-04-08

Tracks:

1. Tango. Passionately - Andre Previn
2. Song. Simply - Andre Previn
3. Dance. Jazz Feeling - Andre Previn
4. No. 1 In G Minor. Allegro Molto - Anne-Sophie Mutter
5. No. 6 In B Flat Major. Vivace - Anne-Sophie Mutter
6. No. 7 In A Major. Allegretto - Anne-Sophie Mutter
7. Summertime - Andre Previn
8. It Ain't Necessarily So - Andre Previn
9. Bess, You Is My Woman Now - Andre Previn
10. My Man's Gone Now - Andre Previn
11. Schon Rosmarin - Anne-Sophie Mutter
12. Caprice Viennois Op. 2 - Anne-Sophie Mutter
13. Liebesleid - Chagrin D'Amour - Anne-Sophie Mutter
14. 1. Allegro Molto - Anne-Sophie Mutter
15. 2. Andante - Anne-Sophie Mutter
16. 3. Allegro Vivo - Anne-Sophie Mutter
17. Allegro Quasi Presto - Anne-Sophie Mutter

Amazon.com

In this album's photographs, Anne-Sophie Mutter, now married to André Previn, looks not only radiantly beautiful, as always, but radiantly happy, and that state of mind is reflected in this light-hearted program. Except for the A-major Fauré Sonata and Previn's new work, which gives the disc its name, it consists of short bravura pieces, more than half of them transcriptions, all without much musical substance, but with plenty of opportunity for technical and tonal display. The disc's highlights are the Fauré, played with stunning brilliance and a soaring, shimmering tone, and Previn's piece, written for Mutter and premiered by her. The first movement sounds like a boogie-woogie parody of a waltz, the second is a calm, simple melody, the third is a ferocious, rhythmically irregular, jazzy run-around. The piece is tailor-made for Mutter's virtuosity, gorgeous tone and unlimited palette of colors, and she obviously enjoys every minute of it. However, playing jazz is clearly a new departure for her; four numbers from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess in the Heifetz transcription sound manufactured and unspontaneous, and the style with its vocal inflections seems alien to her. The contrast with Previn's natural stylistic mastery, as he partners her here and in his own piece, is almost embarrassing. (Lambert Orkis plays the rest of the program.) Strangely enough, Mutter also shows little affinity for the gypsy idiom in Brahms' Hungarian Dances, which sound aggressive and exaggerated, or the Viennese lilt of three Kreisler favorites, where she substitutes manipulation for charm. And the excessive use of color becomes a mannerism, such as turning her vibrato on with full, throbbing intensity or completely off for a "white," eerie sound, without transition, and often without discernible reason. However, the record certainly offers some glorious fiddling. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Another triumph.......2003-04-22

Anne-Sophie Mutter's performance in the debut recording of Previn's Tango Song and Dance is stunning. Dedicated to Mutter, the piece was composed in 1996. (Mutter and Previn married last August--look for the upcoming release of Previn's Violin Concerto with Mutter and the Boston Symphony, conducted by Previn.) Displaying her usual robust tone and variety of timbres, Mutter brings the piece alive. Every phrase is amazingly fresh and spontaneous. The second movement, "Song," is one of the simplest and most heartfelt pieces I've ever heard. Mutter begins it non-vibrato for the first few measures; but soon thereafter the melody begins to leap, and her tone soars. I am always amazed at how vibrant and intense Mutter's upper range sounds. Simply ravishing. The "Dance" movement is fast and rhythmic and shows off Mutter's technique. Previn's jazz influences are highlighted here in the writing. Previn does an excellent job with the piano part, balancing well with Mutter and bringing out the essence of each movement.
Previn also collaborates with Mutter in the Gershwin pieces from Porgy and Bess. Again the two capture the style perfectly. Mutter's sensuous tone is perfect for "Summertime."
Lambert Orkis, Mutter's longtime pianist, performs in the Brahms Hungarian Dances, the Kreisler pieces, and the Faure A Major Sonata--all three are live performances. (Mutter frequently records live--check out her Brahms Concerto with Masur and NY Phil.) As usual, Orkis stays right with Mutter through all the tempo fluctuations and nuances. His opening of the Faure Sonata does not draw attention to the difficulty of it but rather delicately highlights the gorgeous theme. Mutter's intonation wavers slightly in the Brahms Hungarian Dances, which were recorded live and is therefore all the more impressive considering the fierce virtuosity in these Joachim transcriptions. The sound quality of the album is superb. A required purchase for any Mutter fan and anyone curious about the Previn.

Average customer rating: Classic PORGY & BESS but JAMAICA is missing something! Great music, average recording quality 2 cast albums for the price of 1! At Last!!!

Jamaica/ Porgy and Bess Lena and Belafonte, Harry Horne Manufacturer: Collectables ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classic Vocalists | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Indie Music | Stores | Music Traditional & Vocal Pop | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: At the Waldorf Astoria / At the Sands Stormy Weather (Dig) George Gershwin's Porgy & Bess House of Flowers (1954 Original Broadway Cast) Best Of Lena Horne: All Original Recordings ASIN: B00007JGTM Release Date: 2003-01-21

Tracks:

1. Savannah - Ricardo Mantalban
2. Savannah's Wedding - Adelaide Hall
3. Pretty To Walk With
4. Push The Button
5. Incompatibility - Ricardo Mantalban
6. Little Biscuit - Ossie Davis
7. Cocanut Sweet
8. Pity The Sunset
9. Take It Slow, Joe
10. Yankee Dollar - Josephine Premice
11. Monkey In The Mango Tree - Ricardo Montalban
12. Ain't It The Truth
13. What Good Does It Do - Ricardo Montalban
14. Leave The Atom Alone - Josephine Premice
15. Napoleon
16. For Every Fish - Adelaide Hall
17. I Don't Think I'll End It All Today
18. Savannah - Finale

Tracks:

1. A Woman Is A Sometime Thing - Harry Belafonte
2. Summertime
3. Oh, I Got Plenty Of Nothin - Harry Belafonte
4. I Wants To Stay Here
5. Bess, You Is My Woman
6. It Ain't Necessarily So
7. Street Calls: Strawberry Woman/The Honey Man/Crab Man - Harry Belafonte
8. My Man's Gone Now
9. Bess, Oh Where Is My Bess - Harry Belafonte
10. There's A Boat That's Leavin Soon For New York

Album Description

These original RCA recordings also feature Harry Belafonte, Ricardo Montalban and Ossie Davis. The Original Broadway Cast album Jamaica is from 1957, Porgy & Bess is from 1959. 28 tracks. Collectables. 2003.

Customer Reviews:

Classic PORGY & BESS but JAMAICA is missing something!.......2004-05-24

The welcome CD reissue of the famous album of highlights from PORGY AND BESS by Lena Horne and Harry Belafonte will make collectors happy. While not a "theatrical" or cast recording, it offers some exciting performances that have been long out-of-print.

JAMAICA, on the other hand, is a true original cast recording. The 1957 musical was originally written for Belafonte, but when he left the project Ricardo Montalban took on the role and the show was re-written to showcase Lena Horne.

RCA Victor's original cast recording has had a curious history. It was made just as the labels were transitioning from mono to stereo recording. At that time it was not possible to fit as much material on a stereo 12-inch LP as on its mono counterpart. RCA Victor issued JAMAICA in mono as LOC 1036 containing all the show's songs but leaving out the Overture and editing out the introductions to "Savannah's Wedding Day" and "What Good Does it Do?" A few months late a Living Stereo release came out as LSO 1036 and including the Overture but dropping 4 songs ("Pity the Sunset", "What Good Does it Do?", "For Every Fish" and "Savannah (Finale)") These issues were deleted in 1961. In 1965 RCA Victor re-released JAMAICA in mono and stereo as LOC/LSO 1103. Now, LOC 1103 was a direct reissue of LOC 1036. BUT...are you following all this? ... LSO 1103 had all the songs, includng the extended versions of "Savannah's Wedding Day" and "What Good Does it Do?" but like its mono counterpart, left off the Overture. The 1995 RCA Victor CD release had the complete song program and the Overture. That CD, sadly is now in cut-out limbo. THIS edition (paired with PORGY AND BESS) reissues the program as heard on the 1965 stereo LP edition (LSO 1103) and is missing the Overture.

With or without the Overture, the score of JAMAICA is quite enjoyable, even more so on disc where you don't have to deal with the show's book! This is one case where the songs work better out of context. Mostly, the numbers offer a chance for Lena to take the spotlight and belt out the great Harold Arlen numbers: "Pretty to Walk With", "Push De Button", "Cocoanut Sweet", "Napoleon" and especially "Ain't it de Truth." The last song was originally written for Lena to sing in the film version of CABIN IN THE SKY. It was cut from the final release prints of the film (Censors objected to the number being staged so that she sang it in a bubble bath!) so Arlen recycled it into JAMAICA. THAT'S the kind of patchwork show JAMAICA was and although it was a minor hit (557 performances) it will never be revived and you don't hear fans of the score clamouring for a revival. It was all about Lena Horne.

Great music, average recording quality.......2003-11-20

I've owned this Porgy & Bess record for many years and purchased the cd as soon as it came out. Harry's and Lena's voices on "Bess, You is My Woman Now" just sends chills up and down my spine. Their voices together are fabulous. I love to hear Lena sing "Summertime". This cd is 36 minutes 52 seconds long. Four songs are song by Lena, and four by Harry. The remainder are duets.

The second CD, Jamaica, was new to me. The CD length is 51:49. Six songs are sung by Lena, three songs are sung by Ricardo Montelban, 3 songs are duets with both Lena and Ricardo. The remainder of the songs are sung by Adelaide Hall, Josephine Premice, Ossie Davis and Augustine Rios. Some of these songs are duets. Lena, as usual, is wonderful. I particularly enjoyed "For Every Fish", sung by Adelaide Hall.

I thoroughly enjoyed both of these cd's. At listening volumes, the cd quality is very acceptable. If I turned up the volume a little louder than normal, I could hear a very tiny buzz. Still, I highly recommend these CDs to any fan of Lena Horne, Porgy & Bess, Harry Belafonte, show tunes...

2 cast albums for the price of 1!.......2003-09-12

This great double-CD from the Collectables label includes two great cast albums: the original 1958 Broadway cast of JAMAICA and the 1959 studio cast of PORGY AND BESS, both starring the gorgeous Lena Horne.

In JAMAICA, one of the lovelier Broadway shows of the late 50s, Lena Horne stars as Savannah, and sings a gorgeous score written especially for her by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. The cast also includes Ricardo Montalban, Adelaide Hall, Josephine Premice and Ossie Davis.

I have absolutely fallen in love with this score, which features many beguiling numbers like "Cocoanut Sweet", "Pretty to Walk With", "Take it Slow, Joe", "Ain't it the Truth" (originally written for CABIN IN THE SKY), "Napoleon" and "Pity the Sunset".

PORGY AND BESS pairs Lena Horne with Harry Belafonte under the musical direction of Horne's husband Lennie Hayton. Horne is well-suited to the colorful score, and sings superb treatments of "I Wants to Stay Here" and "My Man's Gone Now". Harry Belafonte is wonderful singing "Oh, I Got Plenty of Nothin'" and "Bess, You is My Woman".

2 fabulous, long out-of-print cast albums, back and better than ever! Highly-recommended.

At Last!!!.......2003-02-16

I have been waiting for the Horne/Belefonte version of "P&B" to come out on CD since CD's were invented!! And here it is! Of all the versions of "P&B" I own,this is the one I love the most.I have worn out about 5 of the LP's,since I bought the first one in '59,when I was 11,and now I will be able to listen to it forever. Harry and Lena's voices mesh together so perfectly,it's audio-heaven.Especially on "Bess,You is My Woman." What a gorgeous duet.The arrangements and orchestras are wonderful,too.If you love Gershwin;love Harry;love Lena,get this CD.
I have not listened to "Jamaica" yet,as I am so into listening to this "old friend" I found so many years ago.So this review is based only on "P&B." I will say that the audio quality is perfect,though.And if you love Lena and Ricardo,I'm sure you won't go wrong.

Average customer rating:

Empire Brass: Bernstein, Gershwin, Michael Tilson-Thomas Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Bernstein | Bernstein, Leonard | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Class Brass - On The Edge Empire Brass: Greatest Hits Class Brass Royal Brass: Music from Renaissance & Baroque Music Of Gabrieli ASIN: B000003CUN Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Highlights From West Side Story: America
2. Highlights From West Side Story: Something's Coming
3. Highlights From West Side Story: Maria
4. Highlights From West Side Story: Tonight
5. Highlights From West Side Story: Somewhere
6. Selections From Porgy And Bess: I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
7. Selections From Porgy And Bess: Summertime
8. Selections From Porgy And Bess: My Man's Gone Now
9. Selections From Porgy And Bess: Bess, You Is My Woman
10. Selections From Porgy And Bess: It Ain't Necessarily So
11. Selections From Mass: In Nomine Patris - De Profundis
12. Selections From Mass: Simple Song
13. Selections From Mass: Sanctus
14. Street Song

Average customer rating: Be ready to groove

Gershwin's World Manufacturer: Verve ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Ellington | Ellington, Edward Duke | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music Verve | Verve Music Group | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Love Supreme Gershwin's World John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman Brothers in Arms Kind of Blue ASIN: B0000X4IRI Release Date: 2004-11-09

Tracks:

1. Overture (Fascinating Rhythm)
2. It Ain't Necessarily So
3. Man I Love
4. Here Come de Honey Man
5. St. Louis Blues
6. Lullaby
7. Blueberry Rhyme
8. It Ain't Necessarily So (Interlude)
9. Cotton Tail
10. Summertime
11. My Man's Gone Now
12. Prelude in C Sharp Minor
13. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in G, 2nd Movement
14. Embraceable You

Customer Reviews:

Be ready to groove.......2006-07-12

I highly recommend it.
You'll want to play this album from start to finish. I bought this CD ten years ago, and it's still in my rotation.

Average customer rating: From Broadway to Hollywood. One of the greatest singing artists of all time !

From Broadway to Hollywood Manufacturer: Nimbus Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Foster, Stephen | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gershwin | Gershwin, George | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Hanson | Hanson, Howard | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Similar Items: The Stanford Archive Series: Lawrence Tibbett John Charles Thomas: An American Classic John Charles Thomas in Opera & Song Pinza Star of Stage & Screen ASIN: B0000037L1 Release Date: 1996-07-06

Tracks:

1. Porgy and Bess: Summertime - Lawrence Tibbett/Helen Jepson
2. Porgy and Bess: Summertime & Crap Game/A Woman Is A Sometime Thing - Lawrence Tibbett/Helen Jepson
3. Porgy and Bess: My Man's Gone Now - Lawrence Tibbett/Helen Jepson
4. Porgy and Bess: I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
5. Porgy and Bess: The Buzzard Song
6. Porgy and Bess: Bess You Is My Woman Now - Lawrence Tibbett/Helen Jepson
7. Porgy and Bess: It Ain't Necessarily So
8. Porgy and Bess: Where Is My Bess?
9. Emperor Jones: Oh Lord!... Standin' In The Need Of Prayer
10. Merry Mount: Oh, 'Tis An Earth Defiled
11. The Rogue Song: The Rogue Song
12. The Rogue Song: The Narrative
13. The Rogue Song: The White Dove
14. The Rogue Song: When I'm Looking At You
15. The Prodigal: Without A Song
16. The Prodigal: Life Is A Dream
17. Ballads: De Glory Road - Lawrence Tibbett/Stewart Willie
18. Ballads: Old Black Joe
19. Ballads: Goin' Home

Customer Reviews:

From Broadway to Hollywood........2007-02-12

Tibbett had the talent and the way to express it. Would that I had been around to have enjoyed it in person. Who is out there today????????

One of the greatest singing artists of all time !.......2006-01-29

The baritone Lawrence Tibbett was one of the first American artists (with Rosa Ponselle) to gain international fame and acknowledgement in opera. This disc documents his great artistry very well, although it does lack represantation of his great operatic roles.
Tibbett gives every song and aria his whole heart and mind. He may not always sing perfect techniquely, but the truthfulness and drama Tibbett brings to being is superb and has in my opinion never quite been equaled.
This record encompasses all Porgy and Bess recordings he made as well as some very impressive portrayals of ballads and songs. I would recomend this disc not only to the collector but to all who can tolerate a bit of surface noise inorder to hear one of the greatest singers of all time :

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