Jazz
Swing
Mainstream Jazz
Bop
Recorded December, 1952 in Los Angeles under the supervision of Norman Granz.
Oscar Peterson - Celeste, Piano
Fred Astaire - Vocals, Liner Notes, Dance (Tap)
Alvin Stoller Drums
Barney Kessel Guitar
Charlie Shavers Trumpet
Flip Phillips Sax (Tenor)
John Flanagan Liner Notes
Lowell Frank Engineer
Ray Brown Bass
For the first time, the complete 4 lp albums of "The Astaire Story" in 1 double-cd set.
Because he was world renowned as a dancer and quite popular as a movie actor, Fred Astaire has tended to be underrated (if not completely overlooked) as a jazz singer. Although not really an improviser, Astaire's phrasing always swing and his occasional vocals on record were usually a joy. This two-CD set is something special for it features Astaire with six members of Jazz At The Philharmonic: tenor-saxophonist Flip Phillips, trumpeter Charlie Shavers, pianist Oscar Peterson, guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Alvin Stoller. In this Los Angeles sessions the musicians have plenty of opportunities to stretch out, and Astaire sings 34 swing standards (many of which he had originally introduced in movies), dances on 5 ad-lib numbers and sits out on one instrumental number.
Total Time: 79:23 + 76:30 min.
Perhaps more organically grounded than his earlier Hollywood recordings, Fred Astaire's December 1952 collaborations with pianist Oscar Peterson have an intimate honesty about them that some might find comforting. Of course, most of this material, written by Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Arthur Schwartz, Jerome Kern, Vincent Youmans, Johnny Mercer, and the Gershwin brothers, is tied directly to Astaire's motion-picture career. Included are two ad-lib tap dance inventions and three original compositions devised especially for this project by Peterson. Producer Norman Granz fortified the sessions with the Jazz at the Philharmonic All-Stars, placing trumpeter Charlie Shavers and tenor saxophonist Flip Phillips in front and surrounding the pianist with guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Alvin Stoller. You can't beat 40 tracks featuring Fred and Oscar together. ~ arwulf arwulf, All Music Guide |
