George Gershwin • The Essential George Gershwin

 

Review by Richie Unterberger
Although there are a couple of pieces performed by George Gershwin himself, the rest of this two-CD, 41-track compilation, The Essential George Gershwin, is devoted to interpretations of his works. It's impressive in its stylistic and chronological sprawl, though inconsistent. Spanning 1925-2002 (though most of it predates 1970), the performances include instrumental classical pieces; pop vocals by Frank Sinatra, Dinah Shore, Doris Day, Rosemary Clooney, Mel Torme, and Tony Bennett; and jazzier covers by Miles Davis, Ethel Waters, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Alberta Hunter, and Cab Calloway. There are a number of cuts by artists more associated with the screen and stage than the recording studio, like Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. And there are some rather unusual items here, like the 1960 cover of "It Ain't Necessarily So" by Aretha Franklin; the "Third Movement (Allegro Agitato)," from "Concerto in F," with Oscar Levant on piano (with the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of New York); and the whiter-than-white harmony pop of the Hi-Lo's on "Of Thee I Sing."

Many of Gershwin's major compositions are represented, including "I Got Rhythm," "Summertime," "Nice Work If You Can Get It," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "I've Got a Crush on You," "I Loves You Porgy" (seven of the selections are from Porgy and Bess), and "Rhapsody in Blue." If there are any drawbacks to this package, it's that with such a wide body of material that has been interpreted by so many artists in so many different ways, the final list is bound not to please everybody. As good as Aretha Franklin is, for instance, there have undoubtedly been better versions of "It Ain't Necessarily So," and as novel as the Hi-Lo's' arrangement of "Of Thee I Sing" is, it's so lightweight it treads the saccharine. Although the liner notes include a lot of original recording and release date information, it's unusually cagey in some respects. It doesn't include the label or format of release for numerous cuts. That leaves you to guess, though it's pretty obvious to many informed listeners, that much of this is, in fact, drawn from the Sony catalog: logical and convenient enough considering this is on Sony Classical/Legacy, but a condition that probably kept this retrospective from being as wide-ranging as it could have. Collectors might want to note the inclusion of four previously unreleased cuts: Benny Goodman's "Liza," Rosemary Clooney's "A Foggy Day," Fred Astaire's "They Can't Take That Away from Me," and Michael Feinstein's "Home Blues." It should be noted, though, that the version of "Rhapsody in Blue" with George Gershwin on piano combines his original 1925 recording with additional orchestration laid on in 1976, long after his death.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-essential-george-gershwin-mw0000592599

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Reseña de Richie Unterberger
Aunque hay un par de piezas interpretadas por el propio George Gershwin, el resto de esta recopilación de dos CD y 41 pistas, The Essential George Gershwin, está dedicado a interpretaciones de sus obras. Es impresionante en su extensión estilística y cronológica, aunque inconsistente. Las interpretaciones, que abarcan desde 1925 hasta 2002 (aunque la mayoría son anteriores a 1970), incluyen piezas clásicas instrumentales; voces pop de Frank Sinatra, Dinah Shore, Doris Day, Rosemary Clooney, Mel Torme y Tony Bennett; y versiones más jazzísticas de Miles Davis, Ethel Waters, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Alberta Hunter y Cab Calloway. Hay varios cortes de artistas más asociados con la pantalla y el escenario que con el estudio de grabación, como Fred Astaire y Gene Kelly. Y hay algunos temas bastante inusuales aquí, como la versión de 1960 de «It Ain't Necessarily So» de Aretha Franklin; el «Tercer Movimiento (Allegro Agitato)», del «Concierto en Fa», con Oscar Levant al piano (con la Orquesta Sinfónica Filarmónica de Nueva York); y la armonía pop más blanca que blanca de los Hi-Lo's en «Of Thee I Sing».

Muchas de las principales composiciones de Gershwin están representadas, incluyendo «I Got Rhythm», «Summertime», «Nice Work If You Can Get It», «Someone to Watch Over Me», «I've Got a Crush on You», «I Loves You Porgy» (siete de las selecciones son de Porgy and Bess) y «Rhapsody in Blue». Si hay algún inconveniente en este paquete, es que con un corpus tan amplio de material que ha sido interpretado por tantos artistas de tantas maneras diferentes, la lista final no gustará a todo el mundo. Por muy buena que sea Aretha Franklin, por ejemplo, no cabe duda de que ha habido mejores versiones de «It Ain't Necessarily So», y por muy novedoso que sea el arreglo de Hi-Lo's de «Of Thee I Sing», es tan ligero que roza lo sacarino. Aunque las notas de presentación incluyen mucha información sobre la grabación original y la fecha de lanzamiento, son inusualmente cautelosas en algunos aspectos. No incluye la etiqueta ni el formato de edición de numerosos cortes. Esto deja al lector la tarea de adivinar, aunque es bastante obvio para muchos oyentes informados, que gran parte de este disco procede, de hecho, del catálogo de Sony: algo lógico y conveniente teniendo en cuenta que se trata de Sony Classical/Legacy, pero una condición que probablemente impidió que esta retrospectiva fuera todo lo amplia que podría haber sido. A los coleccionistas les interesará la inclusión de cuatro cortes inéditos: «Liza» de Benny Goodman, “A Foggy Day” de Rosemary Clooney, “They Can't Take That Away from Me” de Fred Astaire y “Home Blues” de Michael Feinstein. Cabe señalar, no obstante, que la versión de «Rhapsody in Blue» con George Gershwin al piano combina su grabación original de 1925 con una orquestación adicional realizada en 1976, mucho después de su muerte.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-essential-george-gershwin-mw0000592599

 

 

 

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