''Pure Gershwin'' is a 1987 album by American vocalist
Michael Feinstein
Michael Jay Feinstein (born September 7, 1956) is an American singer, pianist, and music revivalist. He is an archivist and interpreter for the repertoire known as the Great American Songbook. In 1988 he won a Drama Desk Special Award for cele ...
of songs composed by
George Gershwin
George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...
. This was Feinstein's debut studio recording.
It was Feinstein's first album of Gershwin's music, his two other all-Gershwin albums are ''
Nice Work If You Can Get It: Songs by the Gershwins'' (1996) and ''
Michael & George: Feinstein Sings Gershwin'' (1998).
Reception
The
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
review by William Ruhlmann awarded the album four ½ stars and said Feinstein's reading of Gershwin was "near perfect", and his piano playing excellent.
Track listing
# "
'S Wonderful" - 3:54
# "
Love Is Here to Stay
"Love Is Here to Stay" is a popular song and jazz standard composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin for the movie ''The Goldwyn Follies'' (1938).
History
"Love Is Here to Stay" was first performed by Kenny Baker in ''The Goldw ...
" - 3:53
# "
Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)
Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)" is a song composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and Gus Kahn. It was introduced in 1929 by Ruby Keeler (as Dixie Dugan) in Florenz Ziegfeld's musical ''Show Girl''. The stage performances were ...
" - 5:24
# "The World Is Mine" - 2:56
# "
They Can't Take That Away from Me
"They Can't Take That Away from Me" is a 1937 popular song with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was introduced by Fred Astaire in the 1937 film ''Shall We Dance'' and gained huge success.
Overview
The song is performed b ...
" - 3:36
# "
Isn't It a Pity?
"Isn't It a Pity?" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, written for the unsuccessful 1933 musical '' Pardon My English''. It was introduced by George Givot and Josephine Huston.
Notable recordings
*Victor Arden - ...
" - 7:03
# "
Let's Call the Whole Thing Off
"Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" is a song written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin for the 1937 film ''Shall We Dance'', where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as part of a celebrated dance duet on roller skates. The shee ...
" - 2:43
# "
Embraceable You" - 4:33
# "What Causes That?" - 3:19
# "
He Loves and She Loves "He Loves and She Loves" is a 1927 song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics written by Ira Gershwin.
It replaced the song "How Long Has This Been Going On?" in the Broadway musical ''Funny Face''. It was introduced by Adele Astaire and Allen ...
"/"
How Long Has This Been Going On?
"How Long Has This Been Going On?" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, for the musical '' Funny Face'' in 1927.
History
According to Ira Gershwin in his book ''Lyrics on Several Occasions'', after the premiere of ...
" - 5:49
# "
They All Laughed
''They All Laughed'' is a 1981 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Bogdanovich and starring Audrey Hepburn, Ben Gazzara, John Ritter, Colleen Camp, Patti Hansen, and Dorothy Stratten. The film was based on a screenplay by Bogdanovic ...
" - 3:03
# "
The Girl I Love" - 4:30
# "
Someone to Watch over Me" - 4:15
All music composed by
George Gershwin
George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...
, and all lyrics written by
Ira Gershwin, additionally
Gus Kahn
Gustav Gerson Kahn (November 6, 1886October 8, 1941) was an American lyricist who contributed a number of songs to the Great American Songbook, including " Pretty Baby", " Ain't We Got Fun?", " Carolina in the Morning", " Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Goo ...
provides lyrics on "Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)"
Personnel
*
Michael Feinstein
Michael Jay Feinstein (born September 7, 1956) is an American singer, pianist, and music revivalist. He is an archivist and interpreter for the repertoire known as the Great American Songbook. In 1988 he won a Drama Desk Special Award for cele ...
-
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...
,
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
*Ted Hawke -
drums
*Jim Hughart -
double bass
The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar i ...
*David Ross - piano
*Morgan Ames -
liner notes
Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes.
Origin
Liner notes are desc ...
*Herb Eiseman -
producer
*Dennis Sands -
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...
*Rosemary Clooney -
singing
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or with ...
,
"Isn't it a pity"
References
{{Authority control
Asylum Records albums
Michael Feinstein albums
1987 albums