Customer Reviews

Play George Gerswin

5 star:		(4)
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Beautiful renditions of Gershwin standards. Gorgeously warm arrangements and immaculate performances grace this well recorded disk nicely restored by Verve. An almost perfect album.

Being a fan of Buddy DeFranco, Oscar Peterson, and George Gershwin, how could I not enjoy this one? There are a few places where the strings lend a little schmaltz, but it happens seldom. I absolutely love DeFranco's playing on this one. He is normally known for using a minimum of vibrato, but here he does use it more, especially in slower stretches, and it sounds fantastic. A good example is the beginning of "The Man I Love." Garcia's orchestral arrangement of "Bess, You Is My Woman Now" is very powerful, just masterful. I also loved "Someone to Watch Over Me" (both versions), but it would have been better if Gershwin's intro bars were included. That intro is Gershwin's best; it has a life of its own. Of course, I very much enjoyed Peterson, though some of his passages were too quiet--had to keep adjusting the volume. Anyway, this is an album I've played numerous times without getting tired of it. One of my collection's true gems.

Everything a person would expect from two of the greatest jazz musicians of all time, playing music by one of america's greatest melody writers. De Franco's clarinet sings over Peterson's incredible talent. One of my all-time favorite cds.

The late Oscar Peterson left us with many recordings, but none like this one. His collaboration with Buddy DeFranco for this their second Gershwin album is quite unique and wonderful. What makes this recording special is the large supporting orchestra conducted by Russ Garcia. The arrangements with strings, brass, horns etc. make this an interesting mix.
"S'Wonderful".