Customer Reviews

Off Broadway

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Most people recognize Mr. Orbach from his role as a world-weary detective on NBC's "Law & Order". Prior to that famous role, the character actor played in a series of good and so-so films, always turning in a strong performance no matter how fine or flimsy the material. He even had a short-lived TV series, spun off of his popular recurring role on "Murder She Wrote". Yet it seemed as though he came from nowhere to star in "Law & Order". What was he doing during his 20's and 30's? The answer: He was starring in musical theater. And surprise---the man can sing!

Told at the tender age of 20 that his shot at achieving film stardom would require his getting a nose job, Mr. Orbach went to the theater instead. There he expended his considerable talent in a series of potent performances. This recording shows the range of his remarkable vocal abilities. No, he's not Sinatra, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Mr. Orbach is a vocal chameleon, adapting to the style of each song while not quite losing the New York edge to his voice. This CD makes it much easier to believe that Lennie and Lumiere really are the same actor.

The songs on this CD vary in style, from brassy to ballad, wise-guy to tender. Our personal favorite was his rendition of "Mack the Knife" with its slowly building tension and hints of black humor. We also enjoyed the lighthearted "King of the World" and the glitzy "Portofino", with its tongue-in-cheek take on the nouveau riche. He adeptly handled faster tunes like "Once In A Blue Moon", and showed vocal sensitivity on the slow "Lazy Afternoon". Mr. Orbach originated the role of El Gallo in "The Fantasticks" and turned in an excellent version of "Try To Remember" for this recording. None of the songs on this CD is a disappointment.

A minor gripe is the poor quality of the recording. This set was done in 1962, so there's a lot of unwelcome sounds woven into the music, including the performer's breathing on a few of the songs. It would be nice if that could be fixed somehow; with modern technology, this sort of shortcoming ought to be fixable. Other than that, however, this CD is a fine example of Mr. Orbach's life work before he achieved fame as a detective on "Law & Order". We highly recommend it for fans of musical theater and anyone who's a fan of Mr. Jerry Orbach.

I knew this man could sing, but i had no idea just how easy it would be to listen to him! His voice is pure...he never once goes off key...it's almost as though his voice is too good to be true. At first, I thought I heard a little Sinatra there, but you know what? I'm a fan of ol' Blue Eyes, but Mr. Orbach is in a class by himself and at least as good as Sinatra. Is there any more out there? Anything recent? The selections are wonderful...great Broadway classics. Please Mr. Orbach...sing!

Jerry Orbach is known to people under 40 as Detective Briscoe of Law and Order, the voice of Lumiere in the film Beauty and the Beast, and Jennifer Grey's dad in Dirty Dancing. This CD reveals the 1963 Jerry, singing and acting star both on and off Broadway. His first great performance,"Try to Remember" from "The Fantasticks" is here, along with a nice version of "Mack the Knife" that has a different attitude than the more famous records by Bobby Darin, Louis Armstrong or Ella Fitzgerald. The other ten cuts are less well-known songs from shows, but very well performed. If you like Broadway-style tunes you won't be disappointed in Jerry's vocal quality or technique.I don't know of any other solo albums he ever released, and after hearing this one, you will also be puzzled as to why his vocal gifts were not brought to public attention more often outside of New York City. There are only 30 minutes of music on this item, but it's a darn likeable half-hour.

Jerry Orback recorded the material on this CD back in 1963 at a time when he was considered one of the better performers in musical theater. He has a fine, mellow baritone with great command of his instrument. Whoever did the digital mastering on this CD knew his/her business; because the sound quality is first-rate. The dozen songs in this collection is a good combination of the familiar and unfamiliar. I'm glad I got this CD; and I can tell after one run-through it's one that will get repeated spins. Highly recommended.

I was unaware that Jerry Orbach had a long career on the Broadway stage until I bought this CD. Jerry sings with such sincerity and warmth on all the tracks, and Norman Paris gave Jerry such great arrangements (Mr. Paris, who died years ago, knew musical theatre well and it showed throughout). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Like most other people of my generation (Gen X), I grew up knowing Jerry Orbach as "daddy" from Dirty Dancing and as Lennie Briscoe on Law & Order. Much to my chagrin, I used to wonder what Mr. Orbach would sound like if he sang. After his death, I learned about his successful career on Broadway and was fortunate to obtain this CD. I have played it over and over, often times singing along with him in my car! This guy can really sing. His sonorous baritone (possibly tenor?) voice is right on key. I am also amazed by how he can manipulate his voice to match almost any musical style. I highly recommend this CD!

For those of you who may only be familiar with Mr.Orbachs work on 'Law And Order', TV or films, you will be richly graced by acquainting yourselves with his truest and best talents from his days on Broadway....most particuarly with these memorable pieces! His tenor is perfect to pitch as always and equal to the challenge of the works. There aren't many talents like his on Broadway these days and certainly few songs like these represented with such style and feeling as Mr.Orbach lends to them on this CD. Might I also recommend 'Carnival' circa 1961 also available from Amazon.com; one of his best works in my opinion. Thank you for sharing this part of your talent with us in this new release Mr.Orbach!