Reissued in 1991 by the
Progressive label, this album is a standout tribute to the music of
Jerome Kern ,who transformed
American musical theater into something unique when he collaborated with
Oscar Hammerstein II on the groundbreaking
Show Boat. This production raised the
musical form from little more than a floorshow of unrelated songs into true
musical drama where the music was part and parcel of a cohesive story line.
Kern went on to join with many of the finest lyricists of American Popular Song. In addition to
Hammerstein, there were
Ira Gershwin,
Johnny Mercer, and some say his most successful collaborator,
Dorothy Fields. Together these two wrote the music and lyrics for some of
Fred Astaire's most entertaining films. This CD has representative selections of
Kern's output with each of these illustrious partners. Joined by
Ronnie Bedford on drums and
Linc Milliman on bass, expatriate Englishman
Derek Smith applies a light and lilting touch with
Oscar Peterson-like energy to the play list of 11 songs, six of which have alternate takes as well as the preferred one. In short, this title could just as well have been titled "
Smith Swings
Kern." Tunes such as
"The Way You Look Tonight," "I'm Old Fashioned," and
"I Won't Dance" are given a glowing burnish by
Smith and his cohorts. Even on the tunes where his pace slows down a dash, there's still a swinging swagger to them, such as
"The Folks Who Live on the Hill." If your collection lacks an album featuring the compositions of
Jerome Kern, you would be hard-pressed to find a more satisfying one than this. An extra attraction is that the CD cover art is a replication of
David Stone Martin's original for the LP. ~ Dave Nathan
![Beggars Banquet [50th Anniversary Edition]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0018771850229_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Beggars Banquet [50th Anniversary Edition]")