Customer Reviews

Chris Connor Sings the George Gershwin Almanac of Song

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Ella Fitzgerald is still probably the singer most associated with single-composer recitals, but this 2-CD set by Chris Connor is fully worthy of comparison with Fitzgerald's Gershwin set--indeed, I think I prefer it. Connor's warm voice is given a wide range of settings here, all of them (with the exception of "But Not for Me" and a few previously unreleased tracks with Maynard Ferguson) with small combos. Arrangements are mostly by the pianist Ralph Sharon, & are clever & tasteful but never fussy--there's sometimes a charming period flavour, as in the sly quotation of that West-Coast staple, "Bernie's Tune", in the arrangement to "Strike Up the Band", or the use of three-trombone arrangements for much of disc 2. He likes to keep the verses to the tunes, too, which is a wise move (it adds immeasurably to tunes like "Fascinating Rhythm" or "I Got Rhythm"). Connor handles the lighter-hearted Gershwin tunes like "Slap That Bass" & "Little Jazzbird" with style & wit, while ballads like "A Foggy Day" (given a brilliant, bluesy arrangement by Sharon) or "Our Love Is Here to Stay" receive luminous readings, understated but tremendously moving. Her accompanists include many fine names, like Hank Jones, Joe Newman, Al Cohn, Joe Puma, Herbie Mann, Jaki Byard, Kenny Burrell and Milt Jackson. This is a fine set.

Chris Connor recorded her Gershwin collection about the time Sarah Vaughan was doing hers. They were released about the same time and both sold equally, rather than competed for sales, because they were so different. Sarah's glorious album is pop-centered in terms of approach and large orchestral arrangements, though she can't help but take a jazz point of view on her vocals. It's a superb album and the C.D. version is even better, with alternate takes and portions of recording sessions. Chris' album was totally jazz in approach, relying on small jazz combos for accompaniment and approaching virtually every song as if it had never been sung before. When this album was released Chris was about a year into her career at Atlantic Records, a career that out of the gate aroused gigantic record sales unusual for a jazz artist. This albuma actually was recorded after "A Jazz Date," but that album eventually appeared two albums later (trivia for you Chris buffs). This a low-key, cool album with an intellectual approach to the material. Forty-five years after its first release it remains provocative, endlessly listenable and just as hip as can be. The extra tracks are Chris recordings of Gershwin songs originally on other albums (the Maynard Ferguson tracks all were released before, incidentally) and make the C.D. version even more attractive. Yes, when you see the photos you'll note that at this point Chris and Doris Day resembled each other. Interestingly, Chris was/is a gigantic Doris Day fan and Doris was/is a gigantic Chris fan. As an artist and individual, Chris has long been one of the most popular people in show business. She's so UNshowbizzy, so matter of fact, so interested in so many things, such a walking expert on obscure show tunes and little-known gems by master composers, such an intelligent and cool lady. It's too bad the public only got to know her through her songs--the person herself is so outstanding, too! The resurgence of interest in Chris Connor among young listeners is so thrilling. For a long time she simply was forgotten. Now she's big business again--what a joy that must be for her and what a lucky thing for all lovers of good music. And if you've seen or heard Chris Connor lately you know she is right this minute at the top of her form. Don't miss this wonderful album. George Gershwin would have loved it, Ira Gershwin did love it, and you will too.

After forty plus years, this material remains timeless, as a good classic ought. It's repeatedly listenable; reveals something new every time; has many moments one awaits with anticipation. The Gershwins will continue to get ever greater in apprehension of their place in Music as time goes by. Everybody takes a crack at interpreting the Gershwins, but not even Ella nor Sassy nail it like Chris Connor has.

Weaving the magic as always. I bought this album on vinyl when it was first issued. I wore it out and now need the CD version. If you read this Chris - I love you.

Chris Connor is simply unmatched in this material. The balance between freshness and insight, improvisation and discipline, intellect and feeling and so on is stunning! BUT what makes this set spectacular is that each song gets its due (no mean feat with Gershwin!), yet it all makes sense taken together as an album. This is not a collection of songs so much as a song cycle, and the unity is not top down from the arrangements and sequencing. It all hangs together because of the inner workings of each song; the jazz, the swing, the joy and the brains of Chris Connor weaves them all into an unforgettable experience.

By the way, here is the album I am talking about. You will need to re-create it yourself by re-ordering the CD tracks unless you have a copy of the LP handy. This is how it was meant to be listened to and the way the CDs should have been arranged to match the original LPs.

Chris Connor Sings The George Gershwin Almanac Of Song

Released 1957 on Atlantic as 2-601

Album Time 1:23:07

LP 1: 42:33

01 Somebody Loves Me (1924) 2:30

02 Fascinating Rhythm (1924) 2:37

03 Little Jazzbird (1924) 3:15

04 That Certain Feeling (1925) 2:17

05 The Man I Love (1925) 2:42

06 Looking For a Boy (1925) 3:08

07 Clapp Your Hands (1926) 2:28

08 'S Wonderful (1927) 2:32

LP 1 Side 1: 21:29

09 My One and Only (1927) 2:45

10 How Long Has This Been Going On (1928) 4:04

11 Liza (1929) 2:42

12 I've Got A Crush On You (1930) 2:18

13 Strike Up the Band (1930) 2:34

14 Soon (1930) 2:05

15 I Got Rhythm (1930) 1:57

16 Embraceable You (1930) 2:39

LP 1 Side 2: 21:04

LP 2: 40:34

17 Bla Blah Blah (1931) 3:01

18 Of Thee I Sing (1931) 1:30

19 Love Is Sweeping the Country (1931) 2:58

20 Summertime, Boat Leaving For New York, I Love You Porgy (1935) 7:20

Medley From "Porgy and Bess"

21 I've Got Beginner's Luck (1937) 2:14

22 Foggy Day (1937) 3:27

LP 2 Side 3: 20:30

23 Slap That Bass (1937) 2:10

24 They Can't Take That Away From Me (1937) 2:14

25 I Can't Be Bothered Now (1937) 1:52

26 Nice Work If You Can Get It (1937) 1:23

27 Our Love Is Here To Stay (1938) 3:22

28 Love Walked In (1938) 3:05

29 I Was Doing All Right (1938) 2:20

30 For You, For Me, For Evermore (1947) 3:38

LP 2 Side 4: 20:04

This great singer died in 2009. Since then, I have been discovering her music, CD after CD, and it is a wonder why she is underappreciated and less well known than her contemporaries. She should be up there with the greats and this CD is, by far, her greatest with superb vocals and glorious arrangements. There is nothing flashy here, just great singing, great music and great songs. This is on my desert island list and I hope that she and the CD will eventually be appreciated for how very good it is. The best cuts - an upbeat The Man I Love, no gloomy self-pity here, just a fast-moving swinging version of a woman enjoying the prospect of love; a soft and sensuous Embraceable You and a surprising My One and Only. All of the cuts are very good. My only fault with the CD is that it was re-issued with 3-4 cuts that were not made for the CD and they jar with the tone of the rest of the CD. You can click forward on these cuts. I hope Chris Connor gets the attention she deserves.

Chris has always been my favorite female jazz singer. No one can deliver a song like she does. This album exemplifies her talent.

If there was a jazz equivalent to "Blue Eyed Soul" in Jazz it was the singing of Anita Ao'Day,June Christy,and Chris Connor the latter two both being Kenton singers.While neither Christy or Connor had the chops of O'Day they had a more "cool sound".And Chris Connor who has made great recordings from the 50's through the 90's this LP is her greatest.But it is one of the great tribute Lp's not only because of her great voice,a good(stringless) band but because of the length a choice of material.Though she has the warhorses here like "Summertime","They Can't Take That Away From Me","Embraceable You","But Not For Me", etc but it could have had even more main standards or medium played standards like "Blah,Blah,Blah" or "I've Got Crush On You" but here you get songs from shows that are often not in the instrumental or vocal repertoire of Gershwin albums like "Of Thee I Sing","Soon","Looking For A Boy","I've Got Beginner's Luck","Slap That Bass","For You, For Me, For Evermore",

"Clap Yo Hands","Little Jazzbird","That Certain Feeling","Somebody Loves Me" etc and separate versions of Summertime and a Porgy and Bess medley you listen and not only marvel at the work of Connor doing "Embracabe You" but these chestnuts that rarely see the light of day.Your appreciation for the Gershwin's just deepens as a result.So kudos to Connors and to the producers who chose the material.Just flip back a page and listen.And when you think Porter,Berlin,or Rogers being "the" Great American songwriter pull this gem out.It and the Ella collection should be in every jazz vocal collections.A six star effort.

Peace

Chazz