Some Enchanted Evening [Import]

"It wasn't Monet, it was France;
It's not what we say
But the dance we're in;
There lies the mysterious glue
In this set of songs I sing to you" ~ Art Garfunkel ~

As someone who grew up with the standards from my late parents' collection playing over and over at our musical household as sung by Sinatra, Fitzgerald, Cole, Vaughan, Martin, Bennett, Clooney, Day, London, Stafford, among many others, I totally welcome and embrace new interpretations by contemporary artists done in the most beautiful recordings with splendid vocals and sublime arrangements. This album fits that description to a T.

So it's only natural for me to love this "comeback album" of timeless standards by Art Garfunkel, "Some Enchanted Evening." And these are some great reasons.

Firstly, I have admired the music of Simon and Garfunkel in the past - "The Sound of Silence," "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "Mrs. Robinson," to mention a few. When the duo went separate ways, I remained a fan of Art Garfunkel having loved some of his hit songs such as "Disney Girls," "I Only Have Eyes For You," "Since I Don't Have You," "It's All In The Game" and "Crying In The Rain," an awesome duet with another talented singer/guitarist/songwriter James Taylor.

Secondly, how can I not love the songs in the repertoire when these are everlasting favorites of mine? These are the most appealing works of brilliant tunesmiths and lyricists such as George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Oscar Hammerstein II, Johnny Mercer, among others. Many thanks Mr. Garfunkel and everyone involved in this incredibly beautiful album of classic standards with such contemporary approach. Let there be a follow-up album of this kind. (Paging Richard Perry and Lauren Wild!).

Thirdly, with its sublimely remarkable arrangements and instrumentations from the finest musicians in the recording scene, the likes of Steve Gadd (drums), Dean Parks, Randy Kerber, Lee Thornburg, Bobby Ginsberg and Frank Simes (guitars), Mike Thompson and Alex Navarro (piano and keyboards), Bob Glaub (synth strings), Nick Sample (bass), Doug Webb (clarinet and flute), Chris Smith (harmonica), Maia Sharp (sax), Michael Montilla (percussion) as well as Mr. Garfunkel's perfect-in-every-way interpretations, this album will truly win not only your ears but also your heart. Mr. Garfunkel has not lost the luster of his voice with the passage of time. The gorgeousness of this album flows freely and smoothly from the first track "I Remember You" to the last "If I Loved You" making each rendition a showcase of his enchanting and heartwarming vocal style. "Someone To Watch Over Me" is stunning. "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars" is absolutely beautiful. "What'll I Do?" is poignant and moving. "I'm Glad There Is You" is so charming. "It Could Happen To You" is inspiring. "Let's Fall In Love" is so lovable. "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face" is outstanding. "Life Is But A Dream" is pensive and features producer Richard Perry on bass vocals. And the title track "Some Enchanted Evening" is enthralling. I've never heard this ditty sang in a totally different rhythm. It's so beautiful!

Lastly, it's an enchantingly perfect addition to your collection of ageless standards.

So deserving of *****TEN STARS*****rating! With my heartfelt recommendation for your listening pleasure always and forever.

"In this album, I confess I am under the sway of two magnificent singers, Chet Baker and Johnny Mathis." ~ Art Garfunkel ~

Sometimes after a particularly difficult day at work all you want to do when you get home is kick back, relax and enjoy some great music. For many years, whenever I have found myself in this mode I would turn to Linda Ronstadt's landmark album "What's New" which she recorded back in the eighties with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. Since that time any number of rock n' rollers have tried this idea with varying degrees of success. Most simply don't have the pipes to do justice to tunes from the Great American songbook. Exhibit A would be Rod Stewart. One of my very favorite male vocalists of all time is Art Garfunkel. When I heard that he was about to release an album of this music I was pretty confident that he could pull it off. And I was not disappointed. In the tradition of "What's New", Art Garfunkel's new disc "Some Enchanted Evening" offers a baker's dozen of some of the greatest American pop tunes ever written. It is really a joy to listen to.

It is probably no coincidence that "Some Enchanted Evening" includes a pair of numbers from that "What's New" album. It seems that George and Ira Gershwin's "Someone To Watch Over Me" becomes more popular with each passing year. In 1924, legendary bandleader Paul Whiteman had a #1 hit with the classic Irving Berlin tune "What'll I Do". Art Garfunkel pulls off both of these songs with ease and makes them all his own. The upbeat arrangement of Harold Arlen's "Let's Fall In Love" would remind you quite a bit of Garfunkel's 1988 hit single "So Much In Love". One of my favorite songs on this CD would have to be the great Rogers and Hammerstein favorite "If I Loved You" from the musical "Carousel". The arrangement is superb! Fans of Art Garfunkel know that he really enjoys doo-wop music and that he always seems to include at least one such tune in his albums. "Life Is But A Dream" was a major hit for the Harptones in the mid fifties. Art Garfunkel's updated version features a marvelous bass vocal by none other than the album's producer Richard Perry. Very nice!! I also enjoyed hearing a number of other familiar favorites like Johnny Mercer's "I Remember You", Lerner and Loewe's "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" and of course the title track "Some Enchanted Evening". While I certainly enjoyed Garfunkel's rendition of "Some Enchanted Evening" for my money the best version of that tune remains Jay and the Americans 1965 hit single. For me the sleeper on this disc would have to be "I'm Glad There Is You". I had never heard this tune before but I enjoyed it immensely. See if you agree.

From now on, "Some Enchanted Evening" will occupy a spot in my music library right next to "What's New". And while this disc is not quite up to the lofty standards of "What's New" it is nonetheless a solid four star offering that you will certainly enjoy. Highly recommended!

The velvety voice of Garfunkel blends in extraordinary melodies of some time ago... with heart-warmth voice tunes, he comes to reach you in a nice romantic evening in which you wish you were having the best grilled lobster with candlelights and the sound of waves crashing near you... just to get you in the mood of something so romantic... that will bump in your mood as you continue listening to this touching songs... Enjoy! And cheers to You Mr. Garfunkel, what a nice treat!