Standards to Love: Gershwin Country
Many of you are already familiar with my story, but for those of you who are not, I’ll give a quick little re-cap.
I was born and raised for the first twenty odd years of my life in New York City. My parents instilled within me a great love of the Great American Songbook. One of the stations that was a staple in our household was 1560 WQEW, The Home of American Popular Standards. In my youth, I was afforded the grand education of listening to Jonathan Schwartz as he recounted with erudite splendor the encounters from his own youth growing up in Arthur Schwartz’s home. (Arthur was Jonathan’s father.)
Arthur Schwartz was one of the notable composers who contributed to the Great American Songbook. Jonathan’s childhood home was open to the likes of such esteemed talents as Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra, and myriad others who added their hallmark to American Popular Standards. Not only did Jonathan Schwartz regale his audience with anecdotes from his youth, but he also hosted interviews with countless jazz connoisseurs, musicians, performers, composers, and historians. His program was chock full of information and fabulous music. Truly, listening to him and his guests was an education in and of itself.
Another benefit of being born in NYC was the availability of jazz performers who pay homage to the Great American Songbook with their careers. There are numerous venues devoted to them- Rainbow and Stars, the Rainbow Room, Feinstein’s, to name a few.
Couple all this with my enthusiasm for classic musicals, and I developed a life long passion for this style of music and the history surrounding it. Thankfully, there are still others like me out there, too, because I have enjoyed watching contemporary jazz musicians such as Jane Monheit, Renee Olstead, and Michael Buble achieve milestones in their careers while also introducing the modern generation to American Popular Standards.
Fast forward. In my twenties, after I married, my husband and I, along with my parents, made the momentous decision to leave New York City and build our lives in Tennessee. Not quite fully rural Tennessee, but not in a big city, either. The closest big city to us is Nashville. And, I don’t know if you know this, but Nashville is known as Music City. And while it does boast some of the best music studios in the world, drawing musical talent from all genres, when Nashvillans talk about Music City, the music is almost exclusively Country.
Now, I am not the greatest fan of country music. There are artists I do absolutely love. Dolly Parton, anyone? However, since living here in TN, I have developed a true fondness for country music. There’s a lot to love about Country, particularly Bluegrass which is not only musically complex, but out right toe tapping fun. Not to mention emotive as it can conjure true pathos. Don’t believe me? I dare you to listen to any song sung by Emmy Lou Harris and not feel the slightest inclination to cry.
Though I do enjoy numerous styles of music, the bastion of comfort for me is the Great American Songbook. Alas, there are few people whom I know- in NYC, Tennessee, or otherwise- who share this passion with me.
However, my husband and I have had two opportunities to indulge this passion here in Tennessee. If you dip your toe into the pool of American Popular Standards, you are certain to encounter Michael Feinstein. (I have written at length about Feinstein’s impressive contribution to the Great American Songbook in The Melody Lingers post.) The man is a consummate musician, a superb performer, and a national treasure as it has been his tireless work to purvey the Great American Songbook to the next generations. Since living here, we’ve seen him perform twice at the Schermerhorn Theater and each time, we left uplifted by the experience.
So, imagine my utter delight when I learned that Michael Feinstein, with Liza Minnelli as his producer, has released a new project that takes the Great American Songbook from the jazzy halls of sophisticated New York City and melds it with the down home charm of a country square dance.
Collaborating with some of country music’s biggest and brightest stars- YES, Dolly Parton is one of them- Feinstein is bridging another musical gap. And it is a sheer delight to listen to. I’ve even discovered a new artist with whom I was not familiar.
One of the pillars of the Great American Songbook is George and Ira Gershwin. The Gershwin brothers were a tour de force. Even when George passed away, Ira carried on his legacy, while also continuing to collaborate with other composers and contribute to the Songbook. In fact, it was from Ira Gershwin that Michael Feinstein gleaned so much knowledge about American Popular Standards.
Gershwin Country is a collection of some of the best Gershwin songs. Each one is crafted to showcase both the country talent as well as Michael’s firmly rooted jazz talent. The melding is a unique cornucopia of fun, sophistication, and musicality.
Genres have a tendency to stay within themselves. The cross overs are few and far between. We’ve seen it happen with success, case in point, Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett. It can be done. However, when the genre is highly developed, one that has a distinctive musical standard to adhere to, it becomes increasingly unlikely that it will branch outside of itself.
The hallmark of a great song is its ability to transcend the manner in which it was written to grow into another version of itself. I love it when this happens. That’s why Gershwin Country is such a fine feat. Not only does it blend to seemingly unlikely genres together, but in doing so, it pays the ultimate homage to the genius of the Gershwins.
What defines Country? Certainly the twanging stringed instruments from banjos, mandolins, and guitars. But, country music’s lyrics are generally straightforward, too.
Now, let’s talk talent. Since Michael Feinstein helms this project, his voice is found on each cut. But the country talent that he works with is the creme de la creme, or as they would say in the country, the cream of the crop.
Dolly Parton, Allison Kraus, Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, to name a few, lend their voices to this project. Each one brings their unique contribution. Dolly Parton country is vastly different from Brad Paisley’s. Allison Kraus always maintains a distinct hallmark on every track she records. As does Vince Gill. So, while this album presses boundaries by just combining jazz and country, you’re given a true introduction to the various aspects of how country can meld with jazz. Sometimes it’s that more rock ’n’ roll country of Paisley, other times its that languid, lazy afternoon on the back porch pickin’ of Alison Kraus, and still other times is that powerhouse vocals we associate with Lee Ann Womack.
Now, on to particulars.
Someone to Watch Over Me
This is the not the first foray Alison Kraus has made into American Popular Standards. If you’re a lover of films, you’ll have heard her voice singing a showcased song in Clint Eastwood’s Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Alison Kraus has a unique ability to completely arrest you with her voice. Whether music accompanies in the background or singing a cappella, Alison Kraus’s voice embodies such purity that one cannot help by paused when one hears it. Couple that with the innocence of the lyrics of Someone to Watch Over Me and you have a winner.
Fascinating Rhythm
Here’s an interesting fact. I have never liked the Gershwin song Fascinating Rhythm. All too often I have heard it recorded in manner that encourages frenetic energy. That’s not the sort of energy I ever like. Ever.
However, the way Michael Feinstein, Vince Gill, and the Time Jumpers wove this cut together is, simply put, S’wonderful. The pace is perfect. The instrumentals are on point- lots of intricacy in the playing. And the delivery is infused with joy. It exudes out of your speakers when you listen to it and leaves you smiling.
Clap Yo’ Hands
Here’s another honest moment from me. When I read that Clap Yo’ Hands was going to be one of the songs on this playlist, I had my doubts. I mean, the piece is fantastic when performed on stage or put on film, such as in the case of Funny Face. But just listening to the recording? I didn’t think it could be successful.
That shows you how much I know. I should have had better faith in Michael Feinstein’s ability to select his songs, oversea their orchestration, and pick his accompaniment. In this case, the talent he duets with is Lyle Lovett. I knew the name, but I was unfamiliar with Lyle’s style.
Well, dear readers, his style breathed life into these lyrics. And, while I always knew that the influences that Gershwin pulled from when he wrote this song were from those old time tent revivals, Lyle Lovett conveys it. In fact, I would go so far as to say that this song has been begging the whole of its life to be recorded by a country music artist who could give it some of that ole time religion.
I Got Rhythm
One of the chief things I have appreciated about a lot of the country music scene is the jam sessions, those times when the musicians just take center stage and go at it.
In I Got Rhythm, that’s precisely what happens. Brad Paisley is a household name, and his songs have heavy rotation on any country music station the country over. However, it was on this cut singing with Michael Feinstein that I really loved him.
This song felt like two bastions of music within their fields coming together to have a good ole time. A favorite part is when the musicians are jamming and they break off into the Andy Griffith theme. What a crazy melding of a musical classic- An American in Paris- with all it’s sophistication and a down home, country cooking sheriff in Andy Griffith. That sort of successful juxtaposition is another reason to just love Country Gershwin.
How Long Has This Been Going On?
This song is all jazz. On this album, its all country, too. From the simple beginning of Michael singing to the gentle strumming of a guitar, I was enrapt. Then Mandy Barnett sang. Of all the people on this album, she was the only one whose name I was unfamiliar with. (Considering the considerable contribution that she has made to country music, and the fact that she’s a member of the Grand Ole Opry, I confess that with a bit of shagrin.)
Oh, dear readers, I love when I am introduced to someone new who is superb. That’s Mandy. In fact, while I would not go so far as to say she’s a new Rosemary Clooney, I will say that several times throughout the recording I got a little misty eyed.
I grew up listening to my father tell me about going to see Rosemary Clooney- his favorite singer- at numerous venues. His all time favorite performances were when Rosie and Michael Feinstein dueted. Thanks to YouTube, I’ve been able to watch some of those performances.
Listening to How Long Has This Been Going On? brought back some of those performances. This cut is easy going. Mellow. Like how Rosie and Michael are together. And, Mandy’s voice has similarities to Rosie that add a memorable gleam to the recording.
Love is Here to Stay
Although this cut is the first one on the album, I include it here as the last because I believe it is a statement of faith that both Michael Feinstein and Dolly Parton are making. The lyrics reference the transitory nature of all things upon the earth- current events, new inventions, celebrity, et. al. However, while all these things may catch our attention and make us anxious, there is a constant to which we can look. Our love.
Like a good country song, the lyrics of Love is Here to Stay are simple and straightforward. They sand down all the rough edges that abrade the surfaces of our lives and reveal the smooth, hard wood beneath. Love.
I understand why Dolly Parton wanted to record this song. It is filled with ineffable hope. And, if you know anything about Dolly Parton, she is a woman who has pitched her tent in the land of hope. No matter the horrors that she sees in the world, she steadfastly clings to hope and makes it part of her life’s work to express that hope to her audience and fans. That’s what this song conveys. Period.
Embraceable You
This post would not be complete without an acknowledgment of this cut. If you follow either Liza Minnelli or Michael Feinstein, you know that their friendship, like love, is here to stay. They are very dear to one another. In fact, I believe they look for projects that they can do together because they have in common what they do for a living and their love for it.
In modern memory, Embraceable You is owned by Liza Minnelli. The voice she sings with now is more mature, deeper, but it is every bit as emotive and vulnerable as her earlier recordings of this classic. Furthermore, since both Michael and Liza bring their maturity to this piece, it bears an ageless wisdom to it. These two people deeply love one another. Theirs is not a romantic relationship, but all the sentiment convey within the lyrics are 100% felt between them which gives this cut a raw honesty and integrity.
This album is a beautiful melting pot. I recommend it with the highest enthusiasm, particularly if you have never been inclined toward jazz, but enjoy country. It’s a fabulous gateway to appreciate American Popular Standards. Bravo, Mr. Feinstein, to a job exceedingly well done. (Again, if you missed it, here’s the link to the full album on YouTube for free.)
