Customer Reviews

Gershwin Album

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A great combination -- Jones and Gershwin. Few singers alive today can do for a song what Jack Jones can. And few songwriters have left their mark like George Gershwin. The arrangements are clean and true. The voice is rich and evocative. Probably not since Michael Feinstein's "Pure Gershwin" has a contemporary singer produced such an exquisite set of songs from the American master. I heartily recommend it!

Jack Jones is simply the BEST!! Nobody does it better than this incredibly gifted and talented man! He was, after all, Frank Sinatra's favorite singer...it doesn't get much better than that! Yes, alright, I'll admit I've been a tremendous fan of Jack Jones' since my youth. All my friends listened to the Beatles, the Stones...all I could think about was Jack Jones. However, when you listen to this marvelous Gershwin tribute, you'll understand why this man is deserving of such devotion. His rendition of "Embraceable You" is not just a song...it's a caress, a lament for lovers past, hope for lovers yet to come, but especially a tribute for lovers in the here and now. I have had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Jones in concert many times and have heard him sing "I Loves You Porgy" in a Gershwin medley on some of those occasions. As you well know, oft times after hearing someone sing a song in person, a recorded version can be disappointing...but not here. This man never lets you down. His version of the incredible "Porgy and Bess" classic is as magnificent a recording as it was in person. The entire album is just one Gershwin treat after another. My personal favorite, "Someone to Watch Over Me", is Jack Jones at his finest...in a word...mesmerizing! As with so many other songs on so many other Jack Jones albums, this one will bring tears to your eyes with its sheer beauty, simplicity...and, above all, emotion. This CD is a must have, not just for fans of Jack Jones or, even, Gershwin...but for all those who love beautiful music presented the way the it was meant to be...what a gift this man has for doing just that! He is a treasure!! NOBODY DOES IT BETTER than Jack Jones.

This Columbia recording must be Jack's last for a major studio. His leaving for a smaller, indie label may not have been for the worse, judging from this portentous production. Jack is in fine voice and definitely has the spirit of the songs in mind, but the emphasis appears to be more on the lavish orchestrations played by the "U. K. Symphony Orchestra." Moreover, whoever mixed these numbers clearly was less interested in showcasing Jack's voice than drowning it in a sonic sea of smothering strings and heavy brass, occasionally spelled by an equally suffocating, "sexy" alto saxophone from out of a 1950's movie score. On a quirky side note, three of the songs are one-minute "Interludes" played by pianist Fred Hersch.

Had Jack been able to veto the violins, and simply employ the rhythm section accompanying him on "Jack Jones Paints a Tribute to Tony Bennett," this might have been a memorable session.

Although thsi would have been better without the orchestra, and with just a jazz trio(maybe Mike Renzi's trio), in anycase this is still a fine outing by Jones who posesses the best set of pipes in the music industry, his vocal control is amazing, and his appealing baritone shines and uplifts this marvelous set of Gershwin standards. a marvelous set, of superior standards as sung by a superior middle of the road pop singer, who sounds closer to a jazz singer these days...

First, let me say I've always loved Jack Jones' singing! I'm a big fan! Many of his LP's from the 60's featured arrangements by the wonderfully talented Marty Paich ... and I guess I expected the same sort of magic on this CD. It wasn't there! Maybe Jack is trying to appeal to an older audience or whatever, but these arrangements use way too many strings! Strings, strings everywhere! No complaint with Jack's singing, he's still great, but, in my opinion, he desperately needed arrangements that had some life in them! The CD was a big disappointment to me!

Hey, I'm 16 years old and love this cd, it's great music for makin' out wit' boyz! The msuic is really great and Jack has the best voice of any male singer, I can't believe his vocal control! Buy this youll love it