Nice Work If You Can Get It: Songs by the Gershwins

by Michael Feinstein

Overview

Nice Work If You Can Get It: Songs by the Gershwins is Michael Feinstein's second all-Gershwin album. His first, Pure Gershwin, was his best record, probably because, as a former secretary to Ira Gershwin, he knew his way around the material. This time, Feinstein puts his extensive knowledge of the Gershwin catalogue to good use, unearthing lost songs -- "Anything for You" and "Will You Remember Me?" are given their first-ever recordings -- resurrecting original arrangements, and singing rarely used lyrics to favorites like "Someone to Watch over Me." The album's tour de force is the seven-and-a-half-minute "Fascinating Rhythm (Medley)," which travels through time to trace the development of the song and its subsequent versions in successive musical styles. The effect is to demonstrate both the timelessness and the endless versatility of George Gershwin's music. All of this is far more elaborate than the piano accompaniment on Pure Gershwin, and Feinstein has developed enough as a singer to keep up. The man has the heart of a research assistant, but few history lessons are this much fun. ~ William Ruhlmann

Product Details

Release Date:	02/13/1996
Label:	Atlantic
UPC:	0075678283321

Tracks

1. Who Cares?
2. Ask Me Again
3. Anything for You
4. Someone to Watch over Me
5. Luckiest Man in the World
6. Fascinating Rhythm
7. Will You Remember Me?
8. Nice Work If You Can Get It
9. Somebody Stole My Heart Away
10. A Foggy Day/Things Are Looking Up
11. Love Is in the Air
12. They Can't Take That Away from Me
13. For You, for Me, for Evermore

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Michael Feinstein   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals
Bill Watrous   Guest Artist,Trombone
Jeff Hamilton   Guest Artist,Drums
Don Sebesky   Conductor
Stan Freeman   Piano
Bill Elliot   Conductor
Chuck Berghofer   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Gene Merlino   Vocals
Endre Granat   Orchestra
Larry Blank   Conductor
Rob Fisher   Conductor
Armen Guzelimian   Piano
Don Shelton   Vocals
Melissa MacKay   Vocals
Mort Lindsey   Conductor
Armen Guzelimain   Piano
Med Flory   Vocals
Sue Raney   Vocals
Tom Ranier   Piano

Technical Credits

Hank Cicalo   Producer,Mixing,Engineer,Recording,Recording Producer
David Nottingham   Second Engineer,Assistant Engineer,Engineer
Don Sebesky   Arranger,String Arrangements
Rick Winquest   Engineer,Second Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Stan Freeman   Arranger
Bill Elliot   Arranger
David Ross   Arranger
George Gershwin   Composer
Ira Gershwin   Composer
Wally Traugott   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Michael Feinstein   Arranger
Endre Granat   Orchestration
Al Schmitt   Engineer,Recording
Christopher Palmer   Reconstruction
Paul Wertheimer   Engineer,Second Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Russell Warner   Arranger
Jeff Atmajian   Reconstruction
Harvey Cohen   Arranger
Charlie Paakkari   Engineer,Second Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Mort Lindsey   Arranger
Leslie Ann Jones   Engineer,Recording,Second Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Peter Doell   Engineer,Recording,Second Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Dann Thompson   Engineer,Second Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Buddy DeSylva   Composer
Robert Russell Bennett   Arranger
Gus Kahn   Composer