Sure Thing [Original recording remastered] [Import]

Product Description
Japanese version featuring a limited LP style sleeve cover. Digital K2 remastering.

Sure Thing,Blue Mitchell,Jvc,Jazz

Jazz

Music

jazz

music

Average customer rating: Great CD Simply the Best Inconsistent, but mostly excellent "Celebration" is not strong enough a word A maginificent evening, a magnificent album

Sondheim - A Celebration at Carnegie Hall (1992 Concert Cast) Stephen Sondheim , Betty Buckley , Paul Gemignani , Patti LuPone , Liza Minnelli , and Bernadette Peters Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music 1990s | By Decade | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Hadley, Jerry | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music 1990s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music 1990-1999 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Musicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Sondheim Evening: A Musical Tribute (1973 Concert Cast) Side By Side By Sondheim (1976 Original London Cast) Send in the Clowns: The Ballads of Stephen Sondheim Sondheim - A Celebration at Carnegie Hall Sondheim, Etc.: Bernadette Peters Live at Carnegie Hall ASIN: B000003FDW Release Date: 1993-02-23

Tracks:

1. Symphonic Sondheim: Sweeney Todd--orchestra, Jerry Hadley ("Johanna"), Eugene Perry,Herbert Perry ("Pretty Women")
2. Evening Introduction--Bill Irwin
3. Loveland/Getting Married Today--Ensemble, Jeanne Lehman, Mark Jacoby, Madeline Kahn
4. Waiting for the Girls Upstairs--George Lee Andrews, Michael Jeter, James Naughton/Love, I Hear--Michael Jeter/Live Alone and Like It--James Naughton
5. Someone Is Waiting--Richard Muenz/Symphonic Sondheim: Barcelona--orchestra
6. Being Alive--Patti LuPone
7. Good Thing Going--The Tonics
8. Losing My Mind/You Could Drive a Person Crazy--Dorothy Loudon
9. Our Time--Boys Choir of Harlem/Children Will Listen--Betty Buckley
10. Anyone Can Whistle--Billy Stritch
11. Water Under the Bridge--Liza Minnellli, Billy Stritch
12. Back in Business--Liza Minnellli, Billy Stritch, Ensemble

Tracks:

1. Symphonic Sondheim: Comedy Tonight--Bill Irwin, orchestra
2. Sooner or Later--Karen Ziemba
3. Pretty Lady--Mark Jacoby, Eugene Perry, Herbert Perry
4. Green Finch and Linnet Bird--Harolyn Blackwell
5. The Ballad of Booth--Patrick Cassidy, Victor Garber
6. Broadway Baby--Daisy Eagan
7. I Never Do Anything Twice--BETTY
8. With So Little to Be Sure Of--Jerry Hadley, Carolann Page
9. Not a Day Goes By--Bernadette Peters
10. Remember?--Ron Baker, Peter Blanchet, Carol Meyer, Bronwyn Thomas, Blythe Walker (Quintet)/A Weekend in the Country--Kevin Anderson, George Lee Andrews, Mark Jacoby, Beverly Lambert, Maureen Moore, Susan Terry, Quintet
11. Send in the Clowns--Glenn Close
12. Old Friends--Liza Minnelli
13. Sunday--Bernadette Peters, Broadway Chorus

Customer Reviews:

Great CD.......2006-08-06

This is a wonderful double CD of fabulous musical numbers performed by theatre greats and directed by a legandary musical director.

Simply the Best.......2005-06-29

First, to the person who criticizes the recording b/c of "Broadway Baby." Daisy Egan (who sings in in this recording) sounds like she's 10 becuase she IS young. She had just appeared on Braodway in Secret Garden and won a Tony for it. It's a joke...Broadway BABY...hello, it's a joke.

In a compilation of songs like this you're always going to have tracks that you prefer over others, but the majority of the renditions in this CD are great. This is simply one of the best collections of Sondheim out there. You get interpretations that span from "classical" (Green Finch), to bordering on insane (Anything Twice). This is to demonstrate how versatile this composer really is.

In my opinion, some of the best renditions are "Not a Day Goes By," "Anyone Can Whistle", "Girls Upstairs Medley," "Losing My Mind/Drive a Person Crazy," and "Weekend inthe Country." Makes me wish I had been there to witness it first hand.

If you love Sondheim and enjoy hearing Broadway performers, get this CD. A great recording.

Inconsistent, but mostly excellent.......2004-03-21

I am sure no knowledgeable person would deny how absolutely perfect all these songs are. However, the performances on this album are extremely inconsistent. It will go from an excellent rendition (Waiting for the Girls medley, Sunday, With So Little To Be Sure Of, Sooner or Later, Green Finch, Send in the Clowns, Pretty Lady) to the weird (I never Do Anything Twice), to the bad (Broadway Baby, Our Time). I still have absolutely no idea how they managed to butcher one of the best songs ever written--Good Thing Going--and turn it into smooth jazz elevator music. Why would they give Broadway Baby to someone who sounds like she's 10? That said, Liza Minelli, Glenn Close, Karen Ziemba, Dorothy Laudon and the "Waiting for the Girls" performers are all very good. And ending with Bernadette Peters and "Sunday" ends the set on a absolutley fabulous note.

"Celebration" is not strong enough a word.......2003-04-30

This review is by Crosley.

I have been a major Sondheim fan for quite some time, and I finally obtained a copy of this album. I was blown away by the excellent cast and phenomenal selection of music. It is obvious how much work went into this production, considering that this is the live recording of a one time show, and it's flawless. The songs cover all of his shows with the exception of "Passion," which was released 3 years after this show. Also, the shows for which he wrote only lyrics are ommited, like West Side Story, Gypsy, etc. Thus, you can find material from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Anyone can Whistle, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Merrily we Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Assassins.

There are two striking things about this CD (besides the music and performers themselves). First of all, some of the songs are completely stylistically reworked. The most obvious are "Good Thing Going" and "I Never do Anything Twice." Both are traditionally very ballady with a piano accompaniment, but here they have been redone as jazzy tunes. The result is excellent. Such reworkings demonstrate that Sondheim writes music for virtually any style, and in these cases, across several styles. It's a great example of his variety. The other interesting thing is how many songs have overlapping melodies of songs from different shows. Case in point, "Our Time" and "No one is Alone" are sung seperately by the Harlem Boys Choir and Betty Buckley (the original Grizabella in Webber's atrocious "CATS," although Buckley was excellent) respectively, and then combined. Putting these two songs together offer different meanings to each, and the music is only enhanced. Another example, the trio of "Waiting for the Girls Upstairs," "Love, I Hear," and "Live Alone and Like It" are sung in that order, and then the latter two are combined. Again, the meanings of the songs change, this time in an almost narrative style, and offering different takes on love in the same montage. Lastly (at least for this review, there are more), Dorothy Laudon's (the original Ms. Hannigan in Annie) combination of "Losing my Mind" and "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" is brilliant. Those who are familiar with these songs will wonder how exactly they fit, but trust me, they do. She swtiches back and forth between melodies to create a number that starts poignant and beautiful, and soon moves to become uproariously funny. Both the song reworkings and overlapping melodies of unrelated songs are all for the better.

I recommend this recording to anyone wanting to get better acquainted with some of Sondheim's best work, or those already familiar who want to hear a tour de force of phenomenal music. It has been said that Sondheim is a masterful lyricist (which he is), but lacks real talent for music. This CD is the final proof that such critics are wrong. His music may take a few listenings to get into, contrary to Webber or Wildhorn, but unlike those two, he doesn't cater to the audience. He challenges them to think outside of traditional musical theater in a glorious repertoise of shows that reach for a smarter, more sophisticated form.

A maginificent evening, a magnificent album.......2001-12-16

There's something to be said for the first concert you ever see at Carnegie Hall. I was fortunate enough to have this be my first. This entire evening was devoted to his genius and the performers did not disappoint.

This wonderful double CD shows off the best and brightest of the musical theatre composer and it is, as one person put it, "an embarassment of riches." With songs from his finest works done in amazing arrangements (listen to that harmony in "We Had a Good Thing Going"!) combined with fabulous performers this is a Sondheim lovers delight.

My favorite song is, without a doubt, Dorothy Louden and her wonderful medley of "Losing My Mind" into "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" followed very closely by the recently departed Madeline Kahn singing "Getting Married Today."

Average customer rating: I love this album! A Beautiful Collaboration The Next Step the song is "kern" Superb voice, accompaniment

Sure Thing - The Jerome Kern Songbook / McNair, Previn Sylvia McNair , David Finck , and Jerome Kern Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Come Rain Or Come Shine - The Harold Arlen Songbook / McNair, Previn Sylvia McNair: Love's Sweet Surrender (Mozart Arias) Dawn Upshaw Sings Rodgers & Hart Menuhin & Grappelli Play Berlin, Kern, Porter & Rodgers & Hart I Wish It So ASIN: B00000418P Release Date: 1994-08-23

Tracks:

1. Land Where The Good Songs Go
2. I Won't Dance
3. Nobody Else But Me
4. The Folks Who Live On The Hill
5. A Fine Romance
6. Remind Me
7. You Couldn't Be Cuter
8. Why Was I Born?
9. I'm Old Fashioned
10. All The Things You Are
11. Can't Help Singing - They Didn't Believe Me
12. Till The Clouds Roll By - Look For The Silver Lining
13. Sure Thing - Long Ago (And Far Away)
14. Can I Forget You - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
15. Pick Yourself Up
16. The Song In You
17. Land Where The Good Songs Go
18. Go Little Boat

Customer Reviews:

I love this album!.......2006-02-02

I have been an Andre Previn fan as long as I have been playing the piano--he is an amazing talent. I have also been a Sylvia McNair fan for years. When my parents gave me this album, I was thrilled! (Now I'm a David Finck fan also!)

Sylvia has a beautiful voice, but singing for her is not about showing off her range, it's about the words and the mood, and so she sings with amazing feeling, whether she's singing Mozart or Kern. Andre Previn's piano is brilliant, as always, and this album is an inspiration for all of us who accompany other musicians. His style and talent come through while never overshadowing the words from Sylvia.

I now own several McNair recordings, but this is my favorite. Mozart, Handel, and their crowd are geniuses, of course, and McNair does a nice job on arias. I also enjoy "Come Rain or Come Shine-The Harold Arlen Songbook", but my favorite is this album. I wasn't so familiar with Jerome Kern's work until this CD, but I love the songs. I think that the songs selected for this CD were the perfect selection for Previn, Finck, and McNair. It all comes together in a really beautiful CD.

I highly recommend this CD, as well as "Come Rain or Come Shine."

A Beautiful Collaboration.......2004-11-30

Captivating songs, a seductively stylish soprano and an unobtrusive genius on piano. But what makes this recording so great is the collaboration. They each complement the other and the results are stunning. Karl Haas used "All The Things You Are" as an illustration of the collaborative art and deservedly so. Cudos to bassist David Finck too!

The Next Step.......2002-09-12

I fell in love with McNair's voice when I heard her sing in a recording of Orff's 'Carmina Burana'. Here is a soprano that could actually hit the REALLY high notes in 'Dulcissime' without sounding strained and forced. it encouraged me to pursue her other recordings. As a lover of early American theatre this CD was the logical choice. I LOVE IT. There are several songs I didn't know, but are some of my favorites now like "a fine romance" and "pick yourself up". She sounds like she is completely enjoying herself and the bass and piano do a fabulous job of supporting her instrument.

the song is "kern".......2002-08-11

that's all i needed to know about this cd when i first learned of its existence....andre previn lent great creadence to it....sylvia mcnair was a question mark....and the big question before that mark was, 'would she be able to make the musical transition?'? i felt, with kern's greatest works (were there really any mediocre ones? if so (which I doubt) even they would be even a little incredible....so how could i lose. i could always turn it off. turn it off? I couldn't stop playing and replaying it....even those that were a bit of a stretch....make that a great stretch...for the diva turned out to have a pull on me....something happens to people who decide to sing "kern"...they begin to believe this is what they were meant to do....and they even have us believing it....and, after all, maybe that's the kind of legacy jerome kern left us.....some composer's melodies fade and feel dated after awhile....kern's work seems to transcend the works of even those considered to be giants...berlin, rodgers, and even gershwin looked up to kern as 'their man'. do i recommend this cd? only if you want to feel you walked into a strange, distant, empty land and heard a beautiful song for the first time in your life....only you knew every musical phrase as it took its turn in telling us of itself....the consistent factor here...and all of kern's genius...is the fact that he never disappoints you. he doesn't know how to compose a dishonest or dissonant chord. i guess the title of this cd says it all, doesn't it. .

Superb voice, accompaniment.......2001-05-15

I was really drawn to Sylvia's vocal stylings on this CD, knowing how difficult it is to adapt from opera to popular music. Granted she seems a little stiff and a bit lacking in jazz swing on the brisker numbers such as "I Won't Dance", but she more than compensates for this minor flaw with her superlative renderings of the gorgeous ballads included here. "The Folks Who Live On the Hill" is probably my favorite cut. As a pianist, I was in awe of Andre Previn's accompanying genius. Every pianist who accompanies a singer should listen to this CD several times. I was a big Previn fan in the seventies, and it's great to here him in this intimate setting. Nice work by the bassist as well. I just hope that we will continue to see more McNair/Previn releases soon!

Average customer rating:

Life Upon the Wicked Stage Carole Cook , Jerome Kern , Grant Geissman , David Stout [trombone] , Dan Fornero , John Fumo , Brock Peters , James Anderson , Jane Lanier , Lauren Kennedy , Linda Michele , Marissa Jaret Winokur , Melissa Errico , Reece Holland , Robert Morse , Rod McKuen , Roger Rees , Ronnie Franklin , and Steve Orich Manufacturer: Lml Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Traditional Vocalists | Compilations | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Tap Your Troubles Away - The Words and Music of Jerry Herman (Historic All-Star Tribute) Kurt Weill: The Centennial ABC (Adler, Bock, Coleman) Over The Rainbow: The Music Of Harold Arlen (1995 Benefit Concert Cast) Dream: The Lyrics and Music of Johnny Mercer ASIN: B0000658H9 Release Date: 2002-05-07

Tracks:

1. The Song Is You - Jamie Anderson
2. How'd You like To Spoon With Me? - Jane Lanier
3. The Land Where The Good Songs Go - Pamela Myers
4. All The Things You Are - Alan Campbell
5. The Folks Who Live On The Hill - Lee Lessack
6. She Didn't Say Yes - Marissa Jaret Winokur
7. Pick Yourself Up - Street Sounds
8. You Couldn't Be Cuter - Marsha Kramer
9. Shimmy With Me - Lea Thompson
10. They All Look Alike - Bruce Vilanch
11. There It Is Again - David Holladay
12. Remind Me - Ron Rifkin
13. In Love In Vain - Melissa Errico
14. Make Believe - Linda Michele
15. Ol' Man River - Brock Peters
16. You Are Love - Dale Kristien
17. I Won't Dance - Bonnie Franklin

Tracks:

1. The Last Time I Saw Paris - Charles Busch
2. Long Ago (And Far Away) - Pam Dawber
3. They Didn't Believe Me - Pat Marshall
4. Look For The Silver Lining - Rod McKuen
5. A Fine Romance - Jane Carr
6. Sure Thing - Sally Kellerman
7. Don't Ever Leave Me/Why Was I Born - Joely Fisher
8. I'm Old Fashioned - Robert Morse
9. Yesterdays - Joan Ryan
10. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - Dorian Harewood
11. In The Heart Of The Dark - Dale Kristien
12. Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man - Valarie Pettiford
13. The Way You Look Tonight - Hugh Panaro
14. Life On The Wicked Stage - Carole Cook
15. I've Told Every Little Star - Carole Cook
16. Till The Clouds Roll By - The Company

Average customer rating: Too bad it's only an EP Sonic ahhhhh a new decade.....!

Flaxen Bethany Curve Manufacturer: Kitchen Whore ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Dream Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: You Brought Us Here Gold Skies A Crossed Sky Bloweyelashwish Ferment ASIN: B0001ARH8M Release Date: 2004-02-03

Tracks:

1. The Automatic
2. Jettison
3. Omaha Beach
4. Sleep
5. The Means
6. Utah Beach

Album Description

Bethany Curve's 5th record, Flaxen, takes the band's dreamy yet intricate guitar sound to a new level. Each song has its own storyline, containing unexpected twists and turns, fused with well-matched male vocals. This record contains some interesting song dynamics that take you from blissful melodies, to noise, to rock and roll. A sure thing for any fan of the Shoegaze/Dream-pop movement!

Customer Reviews:

Too bad it's only an EP.......2007-04-08

If another few songs had been added to the six already included on "Flaxen," Bethany Curve's fourth cd (and last as of this writing), it might have been their finest yet, and that's saying alot, because their first two ("Skies A Crossed Sky," and "Gold") were excellent. At their best, Bethany Curve's music truly rivals that of the shoe-gazer giants like My Bloody Valentine, Catherine Wheel and Ride. On "Flaxen," the stand-out song is "The Means," with it's soaring chorus,which surely must be considered one of the band's top tracks. I love the way the opener, "Automatic," shifts gears so effortlessly -- almost like a suite instead of a single song. In fact, there are no weak moments, but, alas, "Flaxen" ends much too quickly.

It took me awhile to appreciate this fine band -- you have to get past the gloom-and-doom feel of alot of the tracks. If you're a fan of the shoegazer genre like me, get all of BC's four albums right now (and while your at it, add to your list the three albums by Voyager One). From their web-site, it looks like B.C., (who are advertising for a new bass player!) seems to be currently dormant. I sincerely hope they put out more albums and go on tour, because I think this band has so much more to offer. Let the shoe-gazers live on!!

Sonic ahhhhh.......2005-03-13

This album is gorgeous. I think the Bethany Curve best describes it's own sound with it's motto: "atmosphere, arrangement, sound, layering, noise." Sometimes it actually feels like time is slowing down and I'm having an out-of-body experience. Instead of trying to make a big deal of vocals and lyrics, the vocal sounds more like an additional layer to a big fuzzy yummy drone-fest. It's contemporary shoe-gazer, and the absolute pinnacle of it's genre.

a new decade.....!.......2004-02-17

are you into shoegaze-dream-space-rock ? then you'll like this !!
i did't thought that after "you brought us here" they would take
me into a new level of atmospheric guitar-emotions.....so i was wrong. with 6 tracks 26 minutes you could say it is like a EP or a mini-album but it doesn't really matter, what counts is how long the "strange feelings" stays after it's finished. i won't do track by track review, just let the music speak for itself !
go their website for some listening.i think the artwork for a album is also important and this one says it all.... ENJOY !!!

Average customer rating: What then is taste? Why no listing of the songs? Lacks that extra drop of refinement

What Then Is Love Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Dowland | Dowland, John | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Holborne, Anthony | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Boston Camerata | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Madrigals | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Partsongs | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music | General Christmas | Today's Deals | Box Sets | Children's Music | Classical Instrumental | Halloween | Hanukkah | Kwanzaa | Opera & Vocal | Pop Instrumental & Easy Listening | Pop Vocal Similar Items: Songs from the Labyrinth (Music by John Dowland) ASIN: B00000IWRF Release Date: 1999-05-18

Tracks:

1. I - Sing A Song Of Joy: Sing A Song Of Joy
2. I - Sing A Song Of Joy: Eliza Is the Fairest Queen
3. I - Sing A Song Of Joy: The Honeysuckle
4. II - What Then Is Love?: What Then Is Love Sings Coridon
5. II - What Then Is Love?: What Then Is Love But Mourning
6. II - What Then Is Love?: What Thing Is Love?
7. III - Sorrow, Come: Galliard 'Shall I Strive'
8. III - Sorrow, Come: I Sigh, As Sure to Wear the Fruit
9. III - Sorrow, Come: Sorrow, Come
10. IV - Shall I Sue?: Heigh-Ho Holiday
11. IV - Shall I Sue?: Shall I Sue
12. IV - Shall I Sue?: Breake Now My Heart And Dye
13. IV - Shall I Sue?: Woo Her And Win Her
14. V - Witty Wanton: The Peaceful Western Wind
15. V - Witty Wanton: Sweet Philomel
16. V - Witty Wanton: I Care Not For These Ladies
17. V - Witty Wanton: Courante On 'I Care Not For These Ladies'
18. V - Witty Wanton: A Pretty Duck There Was
19. V - Witty Wanton: Witty Wanton
20. VI - Faine Would I Wed: Faine Would I Wed
21. VI - Faine Would I Wed: Mother, I Will Have A Husband
22. VI - Faine Would I Wed: Now Hath Flora Robb'd Her Bow'rs
23. VII - Sing We And Chant It: Move Now With Measured Sound
24. VII - Sing We And Chant It: Rest, Sweet Nymphs
25. VII - Sing We And Chant It: Sing We And Chant It

Customer Reviews:

What then is taste?.......2000-04-10

The very reason I purchased this CD was the fact that it used reconstructed Elizabethan accents; attempts at accuracy are always preferable to bowing to popular misconceptions (like in Shakespeare in Love--ack). I found this recording both aesthetically pleasing and intellectually stimulating--one can clearly see through this recording the branch-off point between the modern British and American accents, something which had always mystified me before.

Musically, this recording is full of little-known gems of the English Renaissance. This is a sample of what's on it, for Kenneth Melia: Sing a song of joy; Eliza is the fairest Queen; What then is love but mourning; Shall I sue; Heigh-ho holiday; I care not for these ladies; Mother, I will have a husband; Rest, sweet nymphs (a beautiful rendition with soaring harmonies on the chorus); and Sing we and chant it. Kenneth, if you still want a more complete list, just e-mail me (mitsuo@uclink4.berkeley.edu). But I insist that if you buy it now, without knowing all the songs, you will not be disappointed. They are subdued and genteel, with that hint of playfulness which one could say characterized the court under Elizabeth I. The vocalists are excellent, never succumbing to the operatic vocal style so popular with renditions of this repertoire, and, I think, the least authentic. Once again, Anne Azema charms with her supple, almost serpentine stylizations, and you also get a wealth of other talented vocalists who speak the Elizabethan tongue with convincing fluency. The instrumentalists play with passion and a feline subtlety that will catch you and never let go.

Why no listing of the songs?.......1999-12-04

I'll admit, right away, that I haven't heard the music on this CD. What I want to comment about is the fact that it is impossible to FIND OUT WHAT MUSIC IS ACTUALLY ON IT! I thought Amazon would have the list of songs, because I couldn't find out what they were at the local music shop. I already have a good number of Boston Camerata CD's and I wanted to find out what was on this one before I purchased it. The local store even has a software program which normally allows customers to find out what's contained on a CD if it isn't on the cover. The only listing for this CD was "songs." This isn't the first time that a Boston Camerata CD has not had the musical selections listed on the outside. Why not ALWAYS have a listing of the music on the cover? Even if it's in small font it would still be worth it. So, as of yet I haven't purchased it. How does one find out what's on it? K.Melia

Lacks that extra drop of refinement.......1999-05-23

This is a hard one to call. Brought up as I was on the ultra-modulated renditions of this and like material on Vanguard LPs by Alfred Deller and his consort, I find this Erato effort lacks that extra drop of refinement that is needed for the courtly music of the Elizabethan period. (The street and theater music might be another story, but beside the point here.) I know it is Anglophilic bias working here, but I found (for example) tenor William Hite's East Coast accent distracting. The women have accents that, while not all that appropriate, at least do not jar. It is of course true that Elizabethan English was closer to what Ringo Starr sounded like than Laurence Oliver. Play the track that contains "I care not for these ladies," which is indeed sung with a regional accent and you will see what I mean. However, in general "an Elizabetan Songbook" should sound at least what we accept today as British-sounding, if you follow. This said, I cannot fault the vocalizing or the playing. But I will still return to my Vanguard sets before playing this again. Still--who can dispute taste?

Average customer rating: By no means bad!!! Buyer Beware!! Atrocious! Dont be fooled! A wonderful recording of some great Sondheim I just wish I'd been there!

A Stephen Sondheim Evening (1983 Concert Cast) Stephen Sondheim , Liz Callaway , Angela Lansbury , and Steve Orich Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Musicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Sondheim Evening: A Musical Tribute (1973 Concert Cast) Marry Me A Little (1981 Original Off-Broadway Cast) Side By Side By Sondheim (1976 Original London Cast) A Little Night Music (1973 Original Broadway Cast) Company - A Musical Comedy (1970 Original Broadway Cast) ASIN: B000003F96 Release Date: 1994-01-18

Tracks:

1. Invocation And Instructions To The Audience - Bob Gunton And Company
2. Saturday Night - Company
3. Isn't It? - Victoria Mallory
4. Saturday Night (Reprise) - Men
5. Poems - George Hearn/Bob Gunton
6. What More Do I Need? - Liz Callaway
7. Another Hundred People - Judy Kaye
8. With So Little To Be Sure Of - Victoria Mallory/George Hearn
9. Pretty Little Picture - Bob Gunton/Liz Callaway/Steven Jacob
10. The House Of Marcus Lycus - George Hearn/Bob Gunton/Women
11. Echo Song - Liz Callaway
12. There's Something About A War - Cris Groenendaal/Men
13. Being Alive - Judy Kaye
14. The Miller's Son - Liz Callaway
15. Johanna - Cris Groenendaal
16. Not A Day Goes By - Victoria Mallory
17. Someone In A Tree - Bob Gunton/George Hearn/Steven Jacob/Cris Groenendaal
18. Send In The Clowns - Angela Lansbury
19. Old Friends - Stephen Sondheim/Angela Lansbury/Company

Amazon.com

A revue created for the Whitney Museum's Composers' Showcase series (and sometimes known as You're Gonna Love Tomorrow), A Stephen Sondheim Evening collects songs with music and lyrics by Sondheim in a live 1983 concert featuring a top cast of Liz Callaway, Cris Groenendaal, Bob Gunton, George Hearn, Steven Jacob, Judy Kaye, and A Little Night Music's Victoria Mallory, with a special appearance by Angela Lansbury. While many of the songs were somewhat obscure at the time, they're rather familiar decades later, including selections from 1954's Saturday Night and outtakes from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. And though the Fender Rhodes sounds dated, the cast and the performances are excellent. Callaway's "What More Do I Need" is still definitive, and Sondheim himself accompanies Lansbury's "Send in the Clowns" and leads the singers on "Old Friends." --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

By no means bad!!!.......2005-01-04

I like this Sondheim Revue. The performers are good, and I appreciate that they don't try to be "clever" with Sondheim's music. They just performs it as it is written.

The orchestrations are...well...slim. But the synths aren't disturbing, except in Miles Gloriosus.

Otherwise some rare SJS gems are included here. And Angela Lansbury's Clowns is one of the few versions of this song worth listening to (it's not a bad song, but done so many times:P).

Buyer Beware!!.......2004-05-28

This is one of the better Sondheim tributes, but because RCA cut out 2 numbers from the original 2 lp set to fit on one disc, I can only give this 3 stars. I owned the original lp set, and wasnt aware of this omission until after I bought the cd. One of the best songs on the original, You're Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through with Liz Callaway (among others) from Follies was cut. Inexcusable! There were several other lesser songs they could've cut instead if time was a problem. (Poems and There's Something About a War being two of them) In small print in the booklet it says the 2 cut songs are available on Collected Sondheim. Yeah, like I want to shell out 50 bucks to get those 2 songs when I have everything else on that compilation? If you havent heard the original set, you'll probably love this recording and there is a lot to love, including Angela Lansbury singing Send In the Clowns with Sondheim on the piano. But if you have heard the original LPs, Buyer Beware! Shame on you, RCA!!!

Atrocious! Dont be fooled!.......2000-04-29

This recording is really realllllllllly bad. The songs are terrific, of course, although the selection seems rahter arbitrary. And it is terrific to have a recording of lost gems like House of Marcus Lycus and Invocation. But otherr than that, this CD just stinks! The arrangements were scaled down to a piano (which really seems like its being piped in from a different concert hall) and a wince-inducing synthesizer. The voices are uniformly distant and tinny, the result - i assume - of poor mic placement. And WHO is this Stephen Jacob person, and how did he get it into his head that he's a singer? Every time he opens his mouth - I kid you not - I shudder. I was kind on this CD - I give it 3 stars only because it has some great songs on it, and Judy Kaye's Another Hundred People is very very good. But other than that, this is worthless.

A wonderful recording of some great Sondheim.......2000-04-13

I was at this concert, and this recording captures the excitement that the performers generated that night. A lot of Sondheim's best songs, and a generally strong group of singers. It's unfortunate that the CD release is missing two of the numbers that were performed that evening (and were included on the original LP release). Judy Kaye's "Being Alive" is a particularly glorious highlight of this CD.

I just wish I'd been there!.......1999-09-09

Live performances are tricky to record, and the result is often not nearly as satisfying as attendance at the event itself. This album, though, is different. "Brilliant" about sums it up. Besides including numbers that had been part of recorded scores before, it includes some that were cut from various musicals, or were never produced at all. Not only is Bob Gunton's performance of "Pretty Little Picture" far better than that on the original "Forum" cast album, it is, I think, done more in the fashion Sondheim intended. And two of the "cut" "Forum" numbers are delicious: "In the House of Marcus Lycus" is delightfully sly and filled with double-entendre, and George Hearn revels in the witty lyrics; and "There's Something About A War" is screamingly funny, especially at the point the soldiers lose control gloating about "houses to destroy --Hey! women to enjoy-- hey! statues to deface - hey! - mothers to debase - hey!...". Even the wonderful scoring for small ensemble works perfectly. (In "Something about a war" the fanfare, in the original cast album scored for brass, is performed by a synthesizer, and sounds wonderfully satirical, reminding one of Marvin Martian from the Warner Brothers cartoons.) The numbers from the (at the time) unproduced "Saturday Night" are great, especially Victoria Mallory's ecstatic "What More Do I Need?". The rendition of the moving "Someone In A Tree" is indeed, as others have pointed out, far better than on the "Pacific Overtures" album. And as a final pair of jewels we are treated to Angela Lansbury singing "Send In the Clowns", accompied by Sondheim himself, and then Sondheim and company singing "Old Friends" I could go on and on, but you get the picture. NOW, get the CD!

Average customer rating:

A Sure Thing Manufacturer: Lands End Productions ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000BX86PW Release Date: 1998-01-01

Product Description

Debut cd from gay singer-songwriter based in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

Average customer rating:

Sure Thing St. Germain Manufacturer: Phantom Sound & Vision ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music ASIN: B000BRI6Q2 Release Date: 2001-12-03

Tracks:

1. Sure Thing (St Germain Radio Edit)
2. Sure Thing (Todd Edwards DeepLine Remix)

Average customer rating: Could not disagree more A worthy purchase only because of the video

Sure Thing (Enhanced) St Germain Manufacturer: Emi ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music ASIN: B00005JI9F Release Date: 2001-06-04

Album Details

Includes Exclusive Todd Edwards Deepline Mix and CD-ROM Video of the Title Track.

Customer Reviews:

Could not disagree more.......2002-05-02

So I read the reciew above and could not Disagree more with this person about the Todd Edwards Remix. Now it is definetly a style that is Unique to Todd, but that is what makes it great. It is a house remix not a chill out remix. And the great thing is that it is a Unique Todd Edwards remix. It is alot slower than most of his other remixes, and has more Melody than most. I own a few Todd Tracks and even though this is too slow for me to play out, with the normal UK Garage that I play, I bought it anyway because it is just a great track. I would recomend it to anyone who likes Funky House DJ's such as Mark Farina, or any of the Naked Music Stuff. If you want to hear a clip of the track check out Groovetech dot com.

A worthy purchase only because of the video.......2001-10-10

I saw the video to St. Germain's "Sure Thing" on a big-screen TV in a deserted recreation room during my freshman year of college. And to tell the truth, I was absolutely spellbound. It is quite simply one of the most gorgeous, perfect videos ever made. The paradox is that the plot of the video is actually quite simple--a young black male picks up an old jazz record downtown, walks home through the city past graffiti and steel bridges, and plays the record in his small (albeit lovely) apartment room, jamming along with the music and letting it take control of his soul. I think that, though this certainly isn't one of the more creative videos ever made (it's no "Just" by Radiohead or what have you), it is perhaps the most APPROPRIATE video I have had the pleasure of watching. It expresses music as what it really is, I think--yours and yours only, mine and mine only. We can all bicker and disagree about music, its merits, its originality, its lyrics or creative content, but in the end, what matters is how the music moves through us--how it touches us on a personal level, either through the vibes of its instruments or the haunting qualities of its lyrics. If you have the ability to see this video, you'll understand what I mean. Simply outstanding, in both sound and visual respects.

Now, let us move on to the merits of this particular record. I certainly appreciate its packaging--it comes in an LP gatefold covering, not the typical jewel case that we've all grown so tired of. I realize that our friends at Amazon.com have neglected to include a screenshot of the cover--just let me tell you that it's nothing special (really just blue text) and that there is no album art. I find it decently priced for an enhanced-CD import from France, and I was very willing to pay the requisite funds for the product and am very glad I did--now, I can view the video (which is of course a Quicktime video that comes in two different modes, one for faster CD-ROM's and one for slower ones) whenever I like on my PC. And it's actually of very nice quality. However, I was bitterly disappointed with the two audio tracks on the album. Of course, the first track is "Sure Thing" itself, but cut literally in half. I have a wonderful seven minute version (I believe that that's the album version) on a burned CD, and I was looking forward to perhaps one of these tracks being that version. It's not, however. There is, though, a remix of the song done by some apparent European techno-guru that clocks in at around seven minutes. This remix is utterly atrocious. I definitely could never mellow out to it; however, I could never bring myself to dance to it either. The beat is unimpressive, and the main musical merits of the original track are sacrificed for some very banal [stuff]. You know the marvelous Rhodes jam that makes 80% of the magic on "Sure Thing"? Well, forget about it--it's not on this remix. Perfectly vile and horrid.

In short, I would recommend that you purchase this single ONLY 1) if you are a huge fan of the formidable St. Germain, or 2) if you've never seen the video to "Sure Thing", like "Sure Thing" a whole lot, and can't find the video through legal avenues. Otherwise, I think that you will be a bit disappointed. Remember, though--the video is perfectly breathtaking.

Average customer rating: Caution! Contagious! Perfect sound forever Fun music, with a strong touch of nostalgia

Sure Thing, You Bet! Ariel Manufacturer: Jenpet ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B000MX82GE Release Date: 2007-01-19

Tracks:

1. Are You Ready to Rock?
2. Wrequiem
3. I Can't Bear This Cross No More
4. Until the Last
5. Bordertown
6. Climbing
7. A Word From Our Sponsor
8. Crank Up the Victrola
9. El Dorado Gold
10. Half Way to Harris
11. How Now?
12. The Message Song
13. The Fine Art of Proselytization
14. Franklin, Jackson and Grant
15. Zombies
16. Church of the Cosmic Cookie
17. Sure Thing, You Bet!
18. They Won't Play Us in L.A.

Product Description

Sure Thing, You Bet! features 16 exciting new tunes by San Francisco rockers ARIEL. The band's third studio album, STYB spotlights the songwriting talents of JJ Jenkins and George Petersen with blistering guitar pyrotechnics by fellow ARIEL members Chris LaRocca, Kristian Habenicht and Walter Bush. The CD opens with the jumpin' "Are You Ready to Rock?" a question that's soon answered in the affirmative by the tracks that follow. From the searing prog-rock instrumental "Wrequiem" to the thoroughly tongue-in-cheek screamer "They Won't Play Us in LA," ARIEL mines the fertile landscape of rock styles, from blues ("Franklin, Jackson and Grant"), Latin ("Bordertown"), psychedelic ("Church of the Cosmic Cookie") and folk ("The Message Song") to power ballad ("I Can't Bear This Cross No More"), swamp rock ("El Dorado Gold"), biker rock ("Halfway to Harris"), jazz-tinged ("Zombies"), and Beatlesque ("How Now" and "Climbing") to the good, old-fashioned rock-rock of "The Fine Art of Proselytization." Most notable, perhaps, is STYB's first single pull, "Crank Up the Victrola," a straightforward rocker with a memorable hook that's prefaced by a vintage advertisement featuring famed Metropolitan Opera announcer Milton J. Cross extolling the virtues of Victor Record Company's 1925 Orthophonic recording process. Sure Thing, You Bet! is more than simply this album's title. It's ARIEL's wager that you'll want to play this album again and again. Even from your first listen, STYB has the comfortable feel of classic rock songs you've always loved. Or to quote the venerable Milton J. Cross, "Let your own ears be the judge!"

Customer Reviews:

Caution! Contagious!.......2007-04-07

I got a rockin' pneumonia and a boogie-woogie flu from just one exposure to Ariel's news opus: "Sure Thing, You Bet!"

CDs this infectious should carry a warning label right? This is the best yet from this band of hardworkin' rockers and it's earned the number 1 respected slot in my car's CD changer. With 16 songs written by JJ Jenkins and George Petersen, every Rock sub genre from sensitive ballads to cinematic/cerebral progressive explorations to solid, down and dirty, beer-drinking biker yells are covered. Did I say versatile? Oh yeah and they're good musicians and crafty music producers too. It's made loud to be played loud and I highly recommended it for top-down party crusin' but check with your doctor first, he'll want a copy too.

Barry Rudolph

Perfect sound forever.......2007-03-07

The boyz from Alameda have done it again. After a long layoff from their previous original effort, "International World," Ariel is in fine form on the expansive "Sure Thing, You Bet!" Fine original rockers, with wonderfully recorded guitar licks and classic drumming, are in abundance here: "El Dorado Gold" and "Zombies" are early favorites. Ariel even dusts off the rock/soul ballad with "I Can't Bear This Cross No More," which is an absolute highlight. Make sure this, as well as Ariel's previous albums, are part of your collection.

Fun music, with a strong touch of nostalgia.......2007-02-03

I've been following Ariel off and on for several years in the San Francisco Bay Area. They are one of those hidden treasures of the district -- talented musicians playing small venues because they all have serious day gigs. JJ Jenkins, George Petersen, Walter Bush, Chris LaRocca and Kristian Habenicht are Ariel and they form a group determined to bring honest rock music to their friends and fans. Thankfully with this album there is every chance for them to reach a wider audience!

What does Ariel sound like? In some ways they are a throwback band, in that they sound very 70s, but not in the disco sense, more like classic rock, yet all their material is new and fresh; you will find no cover songs here, though you may find serious nods of the head to many acts. JJ Jenkins and George Petersen have been writing tunes for years and this album shows them witty, thoughtful, melancholic, and determined, with a good swing towards old school stadium rock anthemic into the mix.

Are You Ready to Rock? -- this is a great crowd-pleaser, a tune that gets you into a blues-rock mood, with some call and response work; straight up firey instrumental solos add to the fun!
Wrequiem -- With shades of prog rog here, a nod to Queen, a touch Moody Blues, this is a full-on instrumental piece. Jenkin's keyboard work opens and closes the piece, but LaRocca's guitar dominates the middle. Very exciting!
I Can't Bear This Cross No More -- I first heard this as just piano and voice and loved it then. Now the song is fully realized with further keyboards, percussion, guest back-up vocals by Michelle Jacques and all the rest, yet somehow it is the simple lyrics about troubles of keeping up with life when all seems trying to get you down that get to you. Come for the music, stay for the powerful lyrics.
Until the Last/Bordertown -- Starting off with a Spanish-style classical guitar piece, there is a straight segue into this blues-rock song of a man on the run. Between the driving percussion and the Santana-like riffs of the guitar, you are pulled along by this tune.
Climbing -- "Do your remember the Summer of Love?" starts this song, yet the meat of it revolves around losing one's identity in a world of corporate culture. The lyrics and the almost psychadelic-rock runs blend together to speak of a whole generation lost on its own path; very hummable, very danceable, yet also words make you stop and think.
A Word From Our Sponsor -- This is a hoot! Drawn from a disc promoting Victor recording machines back in the 1930s, listen to a commercial of eld!
Crank Up the Victrola -- This is a BIG song! The title/chorus hook will pull you in immediately and remind you why you want to listen to music, for that chance to put the cares of the world behind you, that chance to enter your own private space. This sounds like classic stadium rock; it could be an anthem anywhere!
El Dorado Gold -- Colonial history, corporate greed, and short-sightedness blend together in the words of this rock-blues powerhouse song. Get swept up, get angry, get out and do something!
Half Way to Harris -- Straight up blues here with a lot of fun behind it!
How Now? -- Shades of the Beatles! This feels and sounds in many ways like a Lennon-McCartney song updated to the present day, right down to the little trumpet riff a la Penny Lane. And the lyrics are oh so biting.
The Message Song -- "I don't mind you speaking your mind, but mind you I've a mind of my own"; boppy, fun, happy, this flute-backed track is all about being yourself in the face of others' expectations. A gleeful tale of individuality!
The Fine Art of Proselytization -- "Religious right, religious wrong"; if that doesn't tell you where this song is coming from, nothing does. If you've been hit up a few too many times on the topic of religion, this song will resonate with you. "Hammer, hammer, hammer into the night."
Franklin, Jackson and Grant -- straight up blues about those favourite Dead Presidents. "They're all good friends of mine." Check your wallet.
Zombies -- If this song wasn't pulled of Steely Dan's Aja album ... well, it wasn't, but it sounds like it fits there! You can practically hear Fagen singing this song. Again, deep lyrics about not selling out, of remaining true to your own vision instead of crumpling and merely becoming part of the mass culture.
Church of the Cosmic Cookie -- Melded tales of religious oddities in the modern world, based on real events, this is a bouncy little tune about brainwashing. An infectiously happy song on a scary topic.
They Won't Play Us in L.A. -- How does it feel to be a middle aged rocker in the Bay Area? Well, some places are hard to book gigs. Still, this is not an angry tale, but rather gives a powerful shrug of the shoulder, a feeling that keeping to one's ways rather than trying to follow the trends is the best way to go in the topsy-turvy world of rock 'n' roll. And the long trail out just is...

So what is this album about? Learning to live, the wonder of pure rock music, getting away from the work grind, and thinking for yourself; not bad little themes! If you feel nostalgic for some old style rock 'n' roll, or simply want to hear some great musicians cutting loose, this is a fantastic album for you. Listen and enjoy!

Jazz Music:

1. Takin' Off
2. That High Lonesome Sound [Live]
3. The Alligator Records 20th Anniversary Tour [Live]
4. The New Miles Davis Quintet
5. The Tao of Cello
6. The Uncollected Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm Orchestra, Vol. 1
7. Thelonious Monk
8. Things To Come
9. Uncollected Raymond Scott (1939)
10. Very Best of Jazz Funk [Import]

Jazz Music

jazz music