According to Will Friedwald on liner notes, "Gershwin songs are everything you want them to be." Mr. Friedwald is absolutely right and I certainly agree with him. From "Rhapsody In Blue" and "Fascinating Rhythm" to "Love Walked In" and "Love Is Here To Stay," his compositions are the most beloved not only by artists and musicians but music aficionados and listeners as well. For somebody who has never attended a formal music conservatory, he's truly a musical genius gifted with special talent in making melodious music that are so pleasant to the ears.
The year Gershwin wrote his first song was the same year my late father was born. Little did my father know that someday he would be a huge fan of this extraordinary composer and would collect all Gershwin-related records. My recollection on Gershwin music was when I first heard "Rhapsody In Blue" from one of my father's records. I thought it sounded so good with its erratic tempo, the clarinet solo, the orchestra and the way it was played by the composer himself. I like everything about this piece of classic in the Modern era. From that moment on, I became interested in his music.
This one gem of a CD offers eighteen of the best songs composed by the great Gershwin Brothers as interpreted by the finest performers, the likes of Benny Goodman, Fred Astaire, Doris Day, Tony Bennett, Andy Williams, Jo Stafford, Mel Torme, Johnny Mathis and George Benson, among others.
Highlights, in my opinion, are the performances of Doris Day in "But Not For Me," Andy Williams' "Our Love Is Here To Stay," Johnny Mathis' "Love Walked In," Mel Torme's "Isn't It A Pity," Mildred Bailey and Her Orchestra's "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and a jazzy rendition of "A Foggy Day" by George Benson.
This is one of my absolute favorite CDs. Great CD. Great Performers. Great Songs. Great team of Gershwin Brothers. Greatly recommended!
