Customer Reviews

Live at Vine Street

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On "Live At Vine Street," Dave Frishberg exemplifies his skills as an entertainer. Nine of his clever, witty songs are interwoven around a piano medley which allows Frishberg to display his formidable talents as a pianist. Frishberg's dry wit is evident in most of the song's, but he also proves that he can be serious and poignant on "Long Daddy Green" and "Eloise." The best of the predominant lighter tracks are "You Would Rather Have The Blues" and "Blizzard Of Lies." Also delightful is "The Dear Departed Past," Frishberg's ode to nostalgia.

I don't know how it happened, but I hadn't added any Frishberg titles since I switched over from vinyl. Apparently, the music gods took pity on my ignorance and while hopelessly trying to reorganize my office, I found a tape of a live radio show featuring Dave jamming with Jack Shelton. I tossed the tape in the deck, and within minutes was on Amazon searching desperately for Frishberg, preferably LIVE Frishberg.
Live at Vine Street is the result of my quest and the answer to all my problems because no matter how bad I feel at the end of the day, LIVE in the stereo makes the problems go away.
"Zanzibar," "El Cajon" and "The Sports Page" will make you laugh and cry, and "You Would Rather Have the Blues" is an example of how great lyrics can be if written by a real writer. Frishberg fans will recognize all of these titles, but will also enjoy cuts like "Eloise" and "Long Daddy Green" which are poignant, insightful and witty, in addition to beautiful.
The Frishberg voice is high and nasal, yet like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Louis Armstrong, his phrasing and command of the melody makes the combination work. He is accompanied only by his own piano playing, which is exceptional. The combination of instrument and voice give the listener a close relationship with the song which would only be diminished by additional studio production. It's almost like living next door to the master and enjoying his music over the back fence.
Frishberg is an eloquent spokesman for everyone who understands the beauty of sports, relationships, love, melodies and laughs. In other words everything that makes life worth living.
My urgent request to Mr. Frishberg is MORE LIVE, and my urgent request to Amazon.com is MORE FRISHBERG.

This disc catches Dave Frishberg in his prime, with a solo set from a 1984 Hollywood gig. There are some truly amazing displays of virtuoso wordsmithery on here: Frishberg is especially adept at the genre of the catalogue lyric, & he works miracles in the lyrics of tunes like "The Dear Departed Past" (the past is among other things "when basketballs had laces, and halfbacks played safety on defence...when there were parking places; hot dog for a dime, White Castle seven cents"). His nasal, Woody Allenish delivery--barely sung, mostly spoken--is precisely right for these songs, suffused in self-deprecation & self-consciously absurd nostalgia. He also plays unimpeachable mainstream piano, & there's a deft medley of Johnny Hodges-associated tunes in the middle of the set (on which Frishberg doesn't sing).

This is the Frishberg disc to get along with the immortal _Classics_. (In recent years, Frishberg's voice has become more weathered & his pace of composition has slowed down considerably--later discs lean heavily on earlier compositions, but usually the earlier versions are better.) Recommended.

BLIZZARD OF LIES and EL CAJON alone are worth the price of admission! Having seen Dave in person more than once, I can honestly say this CD catches his essence as a live performer quite well - all the charm he has as an entertainer, as well as his musical sophistication - he's got the goods!

All Dave Frishberg fans know well his classics, and they probably have his "Classics" on record or CD. I have it too, but actually have always listened to this recording more, first on vinyl in the early 1980's when it came out, and then, after a looonnng hiatus (no turntable anymore) in which I totally lost contact with this recording, I found a great deal on Amazon for the CD.

Really happy with the audio quality of the recording. Sounds great. Not much ambient noise at all; the voice is crystal clear and the piano sounds spectacular. The audience laughter (unavoidable due to Dave's incisive wit and intelligence) -- is happily subdued. Of course, the tunes, the singing, and Frishberg's pianistic exploits are A-plus all the way. The CD is also "Extended," meaning it has an additional 9-minute or so section of David playing solo piano on several terrific standards. This was a super bonus.

"Live at Vine Street" on CD is a great find, a keeper, and if you're a Frishberg fan and can find it, grab it, give it a listen and you won't be disappointed.

Composer, lyricist, pianist, singer, leader - for more than 25 years Dave Frishberg has embodied a unique and extraordinary combination of creativity, wit, and virtuosity that are fully on display in this live club recording. He is most famous as a songwriter - his music has found a permanent home in the repertoires of such particular artists as Rosemary Clooney and Blossom Dearie - but he is his own best interpreter, and a lot more besides.

In addition to excellent versions of some of his most popular songs ("Blizzard of Lies," "I'm Hip," "The Dear Departed Past"), Frishberg offers a stunning solo piano tribute to Johnny Hodges. At the price, this is an extraordinary value - I paid more when it was first released on vinyl! Buy it, and enjoy.