Arlen Plays Arlen: Timeless Tribute Harold Arlen

Sam Arlen | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 4, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: JoSam Records
• ASIN: B0006Z2LHY
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #255,433 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. That’s A Fine Kind O’ Freedom

2. Come Rain Or Come Shine

3. So Long, Big Time!

4. Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin’ All The Time)

5. Anyplace I Hang My Hat Is Home

6. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

7. Ill Wind (You’re Blowin’ Me No Good)

8. Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead / If I Only Had A Brain (Medley)

9. Over The Rainbow

10. Moanin’ In The Mornin’

11. Last Night When We Were Young

12. Let’s Fall In Love

13. It’s A New World (featuring Harold Arlen)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Saxist and bandleader Sam Arlen pays tribute to his uncle and adoptive father, composer Harold Arlen, with this instrumental collection of the elder Arlen¹s best and brightest. Most of the tunes are presented in big-band arrangements. At their best, they recall Henry Mancini's 1960s soundtracks--the Latin-flavored take on "Come Rain or Come Shine" could easily have been on Breakfast at Tiffany's for instance. But sadly, the overall mood is too Lite FM, a feeling reinforced by Sam's smooth tenor-sax solos. Typically, "Over the Rainbow" is sappy instead of heartwrenching. Even a medley of "Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead" and "If I Only Had a Brain" lacks zip. You'd be better off checking out Harold's own demented version of "Ding Dong!," a swinging duet with Barbra Streisand from 1966's Harold Sings Arlen (with Friend). The single most touching moment is the final song, on which a 1955 recording of Harold's singing "It's a New World" has been magically layered over a new backing track. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Product Description

In conjunction with the "2005 Centennial Celebration of Harold Arlen," son Sam Arlen creates a traditionally stylish instrumental set of 13 Harold Arlen standards in this moving 65 minute tribute recording, comprised of a well balanced mix of five-piece, Big Band and Orchestrated Jazz styles tracked in a live studio setting. This Special Centennial Edition CD includes a beautiful 20 page collector’s booklet featuring family photos, pictures of original manuscripts, song histories, and lyrics, complimenting a year of numerous international events to acknowledge the extraordinary life of one of America’s greatest composers.

Co-chairing the Centennial Committee alongside SAM ARLEN is singer, actor and self-professed Arlen music lover BARBRA STREISAND, singing legend TONY BENNETT, ASCAP President and Chairman of the Board MARILYN BERGMAN, and jazz great MICHAEL FEINSTEIN - testifying to the power of Harold Arlen’s music.GET INVOLVED.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a first class tribute CD, February 6, 2005

By 

Cotton Kev (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arlen Plays Arlen: Timeless Tribute Harold Arlen (Audio CD)

First, I was miffed by the Amazon editorial review by Ms V. "Am I listening to the same disc she reviewed?" I knew I recognized her name from somewhere... and then I remembered - she wrote a book I have about ABBA! Not to disrespect Ms V here, but I couldn't disagree with her review of this CD more. I loved ABBA, and I love this CD - a very special tribute to Harold Arlen from his son, celebrating the centennial of this fantastic songwriter's birth. The disc is well arranged, excellently played, superbly recorded, and handsomely presented with a high-quality, informative book containing bits of song trivia and pictures. It is a total package, and was a great buy for me, and for you too if you like instrumental big band and combo jazz.

From beginning to end, Sam's passion for his father's music is evident on this disc. His playing is, for the good, uncomplicated with few frills - (finally a player that concentrates on the melody and not how many notes he can play in 8 bars...), and he uses this quality to really capture the essence of the simplicity of these wonderful songs, while letting the orchestra shine. The liner notes on the CD make it evident that his mission is to promote Harold Arlen's name in this year of the centennial of Arlen's birth. It seems that many people do not know his name, only his songs; I have known Arlen's name for a few decades. Harold Arlen wrote many exceptional songs, and you will find some of the greats here, with some that you might not know... a beautiful way I thought, for a son to pay tribute, instead of just recording only Arlen's hits (which are many, including a nicely executed version of "Over The Rainbow").

As to the CD, one of my favorites is "Stormy Weather", where Sam plays at his best with a heart-wrenching solo. "Ill Wind" is another favorite, almost reminding me of something from 'South Pacific' with its breezy feel and beautiful string arrangements. "Last Night When We Were Young", I learned, was a song that Arlen had around for quite some time (and was one of his favorites - and mine too) before E.Y. Harburg unexpectedly came up with some lyrics. It went on to become one of Frank Sinatra's standby's (along with "One For My Baby And One More For The Road", which may be my only complaint about this CD in that I think Sam could have done a great job with that one too...). "Come Rain Or Come Shine", with its Latin feel, really does 'shine' - well done and quite suitable for radio.

And on "Ding Dong!," Sam is also at his best with the band blowing hard and away - which made me wonder if Ms V had really listened to the disc at all! On a personal note, I almost felt it Sacrilege - and certainly disrespectful, to call anything that Harold Arlen did 'demented!' I know Arlen's music and few recordings very well, and I've never heard anything 'demented' about them. But then I have read Ms V's book... it really seems that Amazon had the wrong person review this CD, which is, in my own opinion, nothing short of wonderful and I highly recommend it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars really good CD, February 17, 2005

By 

Yellow Les Paul "Chuckie" (DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arlen Plays Arlen: Timeless Tribute Harold Arlen (Audio CD)

I am here to say that I love big band jazz, and this CD definately has it. Great work Sam. Beautiful take on "Over The Rainbow" and I love the opener "That's A Fine Kind O Freedom." Man, your dad wrote some great stuff, and you play the hell out of it too. Like the previous reviewer, I also think that Ms Whateverhernameis from Amazon didn't listen to the CD before posting her review, or just gets off by badmouthing. I'll never buy her books and I'll always buy Sam and Harold's records. I highly recommend this CD.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Keeper, February 6, 2005

By 

RED - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arlen Plays Arlen: Timeless Tribute Harold Arlen (Audio CD)

This CD is a wonderful representation of a son's passion for his father and his work. It's the expression from with-in that makes this CD a keeper.