The Jazz Album: Watch What Happens

George Gershwin (Composer), Adam John / Price, Stuart David Blake (Composer), Sammy Fain (Composer), Stevie Wonder (Composer), Harold Arlen (Composer), Frederick Loewe (Composer), Eric Stephen Cunningham (Composer), Charlie [1] Chaplin (Composer), Richard Rodgers (Composer), Michel Legrand (Composer), Duke Ellington (Composer), Nan Schwartz Mishkin (Conductor), Deutsches Symphony Orchestra Berlin (Orchestra), Alan Broadbent (Performer), Thomas Quasthoff (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Alan Broadbent, Thomas Quasthoff
• Orchestra: Deutsches Symphony Orchestra Berlin
• Conductor: Nan Schwartz Mishkin
• Composer: George Gershwin, Adam John / Price, Stuart David Blake, Sammy Fain, Stevie Wonder, Harold Arlen, et al.
• Audio CD (February 13, 2007)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B000JFZ9FM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,043 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #91 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Languages > English

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Is it surprising that a master of German art song would produce a jazz album? Not if he's Thomas Quasthoff, who has sung jazz since his university days and maintains an infectious enthusiasm for it. From breezily light baritone to sexy bass (he rumbles very comfortably around low F), Quasthoff totally adapts his sound to the music's needs, confidently attacking certain notes "white" before adding vibrato. The American "r" – so difficult for foreign artists – does draw undue attention, as do certain vowel sounds, but otherwise Quasthoff's delivery of English is convincing. He sings much of the music comparatively "straight" (one frequently wishes he'd indulge in some really off-the-wall improvisation), but he definitely knows his way around this material. Highlights are a cool "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face," a jaunty "Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive," and especially haunting versions of Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" and Duke Ellington's "In My Solitude." Very enjoyable, too, is the growling conclusion of Stevie Wonder's "You and I." Quasthoff is supported by a strong ensemble, including Germany's most gifted jazz trumpeter, Till Brönner, and the excellent pianist Alan Broadbent. The Deutsches Symphonie-Orchestra, however, brings an unwelcome "101 Strings""flavor to six numbers. --Roger Pines

Product Description

No Description Available.
Genre: Classical Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 13-FEB-2007

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thomas Quasthoff shines once again, & sounds just like a Rat-Packer!, February 22, 2007

By 

mllekate (USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Jazz Album: Watch What Happens (Audio CD)

I have most of the superb Thomas Quasthoff's albums, and am always interested in hearing him do different music. Singing these jazz numbers, he sounds just like a member of the Rat Pack! He always sings authentically, and always with great originality. In this jazz album, Mr. Quasthoff sings with no trace of a German accent, and he captures the style and razzle-dazzle of these songs. The liner notes indicate that these songs were selected to form a song cycle of the artist's own emotional experiences.

My favorites are the Stevie Wonder song "You and I" and "They All Laughed." Other composers featured are George Gershwin, Michel Legrand, Duke Ellington, Rodgers and Hart, and others. There is a mix of the upbeat and humorous (Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive, Can't We Be Friends, They All Laughed), and the more reflective and serious (Smile, In My Solitude).

There is quite a bit of artistry involved in the interpretations here. For example, in Duke Ellington's "In my Solitude," there is disturbing and eerie quality, particularly in the instrumental section following the line "I know that I'll soon go mad." Special mention must be made of the outstanding instrumental contributions, the excellent Till Bronner on trumpet and Alan Broadbent on piano, as well as the back up orchestra, which is essential to the interpretations (such as in the Duke Ellington, mentioned above).

This entire album is masterfully sung by Mr. Quasthoff in his own unique style. I highly recommend this album, as I do all his other albums. I only wish that Thomas Quasthoff would begin recording albums of all his current concerts, such as Brahm's Die Schone Magelone, and Mahler's Kindertotenlieder. Much of the public, myself included, can never get enough of this voice and more albums.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply wonderful!, March 20, 2007

By 

Penet Guy - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Jazz Album: Watch What Happens (Audio CD)

Being a great admirer of T. Quasthoff in his classical performance and a jazz lover, I didn't hesitate to order this cd. Moreover, the jazz impro bonus on The Voice let me think that Mr Quasthoff's voice could match perfectly the jazz style. The result is beyond the expectations. Mr Quasthoff sings these jazz standards as if he had done that all his life long, and the result is astonishing. It is even further enhanced by the great recording! So, order this CD without hesitation....

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Voice, Not the greatest song selection, July 7, 2011

By 

saturdaysun - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Jazz Album: Watch What Happens (Audio CD)

Quasthoff has a great voice, there's no denying that. And these songs take him out of his comfort zone, as an opera singer. Needless to say, his voice resonates with much more power and refinement than the original singers. And the arrangements with the Dutch Philharmonic are clean and defer to his voice, which is how most would like it. The only downside for me was that the songs chosen were not able to showcase his voice properly, with a couple exceptions. This is a small quibble because everything still sounds great.