Jazz / Standards, Traditional Pop
CD1: The Magic of Cole Porter
CD2: The Magic of Jerome Kern
Bob Mallett Engineer
Derek Boulton Producer
Jack Parnell Producer
Two wonderful Double CD's by legendary pianist, arranger and band leader Ralph Sharon constitute exciting additions to AVID's Essential Collection series.
Born in London in 1926 Ralph Sharon is arguably one of the great unsung heroes of British popular music. Playing with such British greats as Ted Heath, Ronnie Scott and Victor Feldman before leaving for the USA where after becoming an American citizen he went on to become musical director and accompanist to Buddy Rich, Rosemary Clooney, Mel Torme, Carmen McCrae, Peggy Lee and most famously Tony Bennett.
On these delightful recordings Ralph is joined for the first time in 40 years by old sparring partners Jack Parnell on drums and Lennie Bush on bass to pay tribute to some of the greatest songwriters America has ever produced. All three musicians play as if they had just left off all those years before as they tip their hats to the music of Cole Porter and Jerome Kern, offering us music of the very highest standard.
Ralph Sharon
Active Decades: '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and '00s
Born: Sep 17, 1923 in London, England
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Jazz Instrument, Piano Jazz, Standards, Traditional Pop
Ralph Sharon made his professional debut with Ted Heath in 1946, then moved on to Frank Weir's orchestra before leading his own sextet. He moved to the U.S. in 1953, where he initially worked as an accompanist to Chris Connor. In 1957, he became musical director and pianist for Tony Bennett. He acquired American citizenship in 1958. In 1965, he and Bennett split up, but they got back together in 1979 and have stayed together since. Sharon has also led various groups and made many recordings as a leader.
---William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide |
