Customer Reviews

This Funny World: Mary Cleere Haran Sings Lyrics By Hart

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"Beautifully sung, Great arrangement and a rare gem of Rodgers and Hart's collection of song". Mary Cleere Haran introduced me to the beautiful music of Rodgers and the witty lyrics of Hart. I loved her own jazzy and sexy interpretation of "Manhattan" from Garrick Gaieties. Also "Way out West" from Babes in Arms , "Falling in Love with Love" from The Boys from Syracuse ,"Blue Room" from The GirlFriend and "Chicago" from PalJoey are just delicious. Not very popular songs such "I'll Tell the man in the street","This Funny world" and "Everything I've Got" is simpy enjoyable... The whole album is really great, I wish they would have included the more popular Rodgers and Hart classics like "My Funny Valentine" and "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" , but the songs in her albums are worth rediscovering over and over. Great for a sweet romatic evenings....

Miss Haran was discovered by the late Ban Bagley and I'm sure Ben would be very proud of this CD. Miss Haran voice is simply wonderful: soft, warm and somehow sexy, it reminds me Mina.This CD is an wonderful collection of well know songs such as The blue room or Wait till you see her and some seldom revived tunes such as A lady must live and My Friend the night probably the best song in this collection (Miss Haran recorder this song also for Ben Bagley's Rodgers & Hart Vol. V)

This is a tribute album to the lyrics of Lorenz Hart (of Rodgers and Hart fame). While Haran may not have the vocal pyros of Ian Shaw who did a similar project, her cabaret background gave meaning to lyrics that suffused the song with a new life. I know its cliche to say that there's always a new singer who can eclipse the renditions of standards (after all, Ella Fitzgerald is still peerless in this department), but Haran succeeded in making "Everything I've Got" sound like an exasperated plea, unlike the definitive versions of Ella and Holly Cole. Haran's voice is becoming more interesting since "Out Of This World" and "There's A Small Hotel" days, and there is a sexy husk in her voice's throaty sounds. This is highly recommended for people who want to listen to rare Hart songs not overdone by others. Plus Haran is quite a stunner too. Visually.

One of those singers I wish would tour, in a small club in Columbus. Wonderful voice for an intimate room. Hart wrote some wonderful songs most of us haven't heard and they take awhile to sound familiar and correct. More of his standards would have been better, but I will by others by her. Found her in a Forbes "something sort of Grandish" article, with a wealth of other fine singers like Nancy LaMott, Susannah McKorkle, Jeff Harner & KT Sullivan.

Chet Baker was a Hart fan and I was first drawn to Hart's music through Chet.
MCH was a superb artist with a beautiful voice and wonderful phrasing. It is clear that she, like Chet, found that Hart filled a special niche that entranced her. She sings these songs as if they were all personally written for her.

This was a CD that I thought would be impossible to find but, lo and behold, there it was. Looks in perfect shape as described.

.....that is, if there actually was a creative meeting on this project....and i kind of doubt it....because it feels like there could have been a meeting called for a certain date....and nobody showed up. i mean, how else can you explain 'this funny world'? it sounded like a logical concept...except they forgot the concept part and concentrated more on the 'like'. here's mary cleere haran and she loves lyrics and she is going to do this album (it may be on a cd rather than an lp...but it's still an album) and what a choice of material she has at her command....the lyrics by hart. Why she didn't firmly insist that the title be 'mary cleere haran' loves the lyrics of lorenze hart---the bewitched, the bothered, and the bewildered.....well, that was their decision. name it what you want. but how in the world can someone who sings and interprets the works of musical giants look so low instead of reaching up high? how can anyone do an album about the restless, rhapsordic, recitations of a genius like lorenze hart and then go on to LEAVE OUT "It never entered my mind"? or "Where or When" or "Dancing On The Ceiling"...i mean, those are not only three great songs but they are meant to be sung by the exact person who is recording this album and it's as if she...or those she listened to...were of the opinion (there had to be an opinion or two...if only in the first few minutes) that, "Oh, we've heard those...let's try to find something no one else has touched." Great idea except the reason no one else has touched them because they didn't really like the way they felt or they fact that they, themselves, weren't really touched by them. This could have been one of the best valentines (funny or sad) she could've presented to the memory and the legend of lorenz hart...but he couldn't have helped her with this one if he had come to rehearsals...if, in fact, they had one. Surely, they just breezed thru this one. "This Funny World" ...a polite way of describing the insanity that sometimes prevails in "This Crazy Business"....especially when those in charge are thinking ahead to what mary's 'cole porter album' is going to be like.....or maybe they should do half cole and half irving......but, whatever you do....stay away from frank loesser's work. That boat's already been rocked.