Michael Feinstein With the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Michael Feinstein (Artist), Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 7, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Concord Records
• ASIN: B00005Q6LL
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #43,493 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > World Music > Middle East > Israel

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
If there's a precious tone to Michael Feinstein's interpretations of the American songbook, it probably stems from a fervent dedication to preserving the original context of his material. This is, after all, a musician who spent many of his formative years in personal service to the late Ira Gershwin. This collection further underscores that commitment, with the lush sound of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (augmented by the piano trio of Alan Broadbent, who also provides all but one of the arrangements here) adding considerable dramatic resonance to Feinstein's performances.

While singers from Sinatra and Streisand to Fitzgerald and Bennett have imbued many of these songs with considerable dollops of jazz, blues, and their own strong personas, Feinstein mines melancholy jewels like "Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year," "How Deep Is the Ocean," and "By Myself" for all their introspective emotion. "Somewhere" pays tribute to Bernstein with glorious, unabashed melodrama, while "Laura" (one of the most recorded songs of all time) gets recast in something approaching its original intent via an arrangement written for this recording by composer David Raksin. Feinstein himself penned the album's notes, paying careful tribute to each composer represented and noting that all were Jews, yet their music came to represent a richly American spectrum that included black and white and encompassed jazz, the theater, and even classics in its scope. There's a lesson herein, and one that spans more than mere history and musical archaeology. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year", March 23, 2008

By	Rebecca*rhapsodyinblue* (CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

"My life is music. It has always been music, and it will always be music. ~ Michael Feinstein ~

"Michael Feinstein with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra" received a nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album in the 2003 Grammy Awards and although this album didn't get the ultimate Grammy nod, it's still one of the best recordings from Michael Feinstein.

Recorded in Tel Aviv in 2001 with additional recording at Capitol Studios in California, he is ably supported by Avishai Cohen on bass, Albie Berk on drums, and backed by an 88-piece orchestra - the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Alan Broadbent, whom I've watched in live performances and I can truly say that he's such a fine and talented arranger/conductor/pianist all rolled into one. Mr. Broadbent did a splendid job in arranging all the selections with the exception of "Laura" and "I Won't Send Roses," arranged by David Raksin and Larry Blank, respectively.

Being a dedicated interpreter of the Great American Songbook, Michael Feinstein is dubbed as the "Ambassador of the Great American Songbook" and he is an active member of the Library of Congress National Recording Preservation Board, an advisory group chaired by Marilyn Bergman aimed at bringing together a number of professional organizations and expert individuals who are passionate about the perpetuation of musical recordings.

This is a showcase of Feinstein's effortless singing and piano artistry and made beautiful by Broadbent's grand orchestral works that utilized almost all the musical instruments you can think of -- from piano to percussions, violins to oboes, and trumpets to timpanis.

Feinstein creates an old-fashioned enchantment on all of the twelve tracks, but the focal point of this treasure of an album is his take on "Love Is Here To Stay." This track is absolutely lovely from the first note to the last, and it is one of the most magical moments in my listening experience. "How Deep Is The Ocean," "On A Clear Day" (You Can See Forever) and "The Best Is Yet To Come" are also highlights. For an added drama, he cries his heart out in "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry," a tear-inducing-song. And the most stirring moment is his eloquent and heartfelt take on a poignant song written by Frank Loesser, "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year."

"As if to say that spring will be a little slow to start
A little slow reviving that music it made in my heart
Yes time heals all things, so I needn't cling to this fear
It's merely that spring will be a little late this year"

For music lovers like me, nothing adds more joy to any day or night than listening to the finest music ever created and this CD is such a good example so please give it a listen and enjoy!

With my heartfelt recommendation.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Michael Feinstein with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, May 17, 2002

By	Rick (Pearland, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

What an incredible CD. I am used to great CD's from Michael but he really outdid himself with this one. He took some great standards such as The Best Is Yet To Come and Stormy Weather and breathed new life into them. He has also shown how much he has grown as an artist and a singer. In so many of the songs, he used his voice in full force with added depth to the songs and his voice. This is a must get CD.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Cabaret Singer Grows Up, March 13, 2003

By	History Reader (United States) - See all my reviews

"Extraordinary how potent cheap music is." -Noel Coward

Like Coward, Mr. Feinstein seems to understand the power of popular, romantic song when flung into the void of an apparently cold universe by an all too human, understated voice...I first heard Michael Feinstein sing and play the piano umpteen years ago in the mad, bad '80s. At that time, I found his choice of material from the great 20th Century American composers refreshing & interesting, his skills as a pianist were good, and his diction to be above average. Yet his voice at that time was a bit weak--there was too much bravura nonsense, too much vibrato and he may have been too young for some of the songs that he sang at the time.

Well, we've both matured, (I hope), and Mr. Feinstein has delivered a remarkably smooth, yet heartfelt performance on this album. I'm particularly impressed by his vocal smoothness and emotional restraint, especially on "Love is Here to Stay", "How Deep Is the Ocean", "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year" & "I Won't Send Roses". Mr. Feinstein appears to really understand the depth of feeling that these words and music evoke in him and us. The vibrato is there when needed, but the ripeness of a mature singer is beginning to be heard on his recordings and the Israeli Philharmonic simply gives his singing wings. The only song that doesn't seem to fit is "Stormy Weather"--I kept hearing Lena Horne in my mind's ear, rather than a polished cabaret singer. I hope that Feinstein continues to grow in vocal power and subtlety as he does here. A lovely album for sophisticated romantics.