Imagine this: it’s the night of your cousin’s big wedding. After walking down the aisle and saying their “I do’s,” it’s time for the reception. After everyone get’s their glass of champagne or other various mixed drink, the DJ comes on stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he announces, “it’s time to announce the wedding party.”
He goes through the whole list of people, stopping just after the bride and groom are announced.
“And now the new bride and groom would like to do a special dance!”
It’s time for the first dance; something they have been waiting for their whole lives. As the song starts to play, you start to recognize the bass and piano, and then suddenly as the singer starts, you instantly realize what it is. It is “Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones, one of the most popular first dance songs of all time. It’s these feelings and images of life and love that continue throughout Norah Jones’ debut album.
Whether in front of a fire in the winter or at a Sunday brunch with the family, Come Away With Me is an album that would be perfect for many occasions. With its somewhat melancholic tone to its romantic and nostalgic lyrics, you get a sense of elegance without any of the schmaltz
Norah Jones’ album Come Away With Me is a breakthrough album for not only her, but for jazz music alike. Evoking a combination of folk, blues, pop, and of course jazz, this album is an amazing feat of vocals and instrumentation. Norah Jones assured phrasing and timing are things often found in singers of the past, combining the likes of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone, while still sounding uniquely her own. With her soft and serene sound, you still get the sense that she is not messing around. She has that bite that lets us know she is a singer to be re...
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...s the best, hence the name Gershwin Plays Gershwin.
One track on the album stands out in a way different from the others. It is the unusual 1933 piece, for it is a two-piano rendition of “An American in Paris” that lasts over 16 minutes that was not arranged by Gershwin, but rather by Frank Milne. Gershwin’s original composition was an orchestral arrangement that used the typical orchestral instruments as well as a saxophone, a celesta, and automobile horns. However, the version on this album is one of the only versions for piano, and what a good version it is.
Overall, Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Scrolls is a wonderful album full of unique and obscure recordings of George Gershwin. These songs are brilliant works of jazz piano that evoke the spirit of the time and showcase exactly what George Gershwin does best. This is definitely an album worth exploring.