Customer Rating: 
Summary: A Romantic's Romantic
Comment: Michael Feinstein is a Romantic's Romantic! He's able to capture gut level emotion with his words, voice and piano. His song 'My Favorite Year' is one that will bring an Old Flame right back from the dead and have it blazing before your eyes once more! He's gentle yet powerful and there is a humble quality about his presentation that makes you just want to embrace him. Very easy to listen to, yet provocative.
Customer Rating:
Summary: ISNT'T IT ROMANTIC? Feinstein is Very Fine!
Comment: Michael Feinstein came to my attention in 1988, twenty years ago. Then,
using cassette tapes, I listened to his remarkable renditions of George
Gershwin's wonderful music. Accompanying himself on the piano, Michael
Feinstein has a talent for making each piece of music evoke warm and
heartening feelings in the individual listener or in a group. A dear friend and I had the pleasure of attending one of Mr. Feinstein's performances at the Colonial Theater in Boston. . .standing ovations followed the close of each performance. Mr. Feinstein has a gift, that being the ability to use his voice as its own instrument. . .lively, emotional, sad, humorous.
ISN'T IT ROMANTIC? has been a favorite of mine since college days, eons ago. You will never regret your purchase of this superbly well remastered
CD. Sing on, Michael, sing on!
Customer Rating:
Summary: It sure is romantic.
Comment: This particular Michael Feinstein CD is among my favorites. His voice is as smooth as velvet, and the selections include not only very familiar and much loved standards, but also some new (to me) songs that fit perfectly with the overall theme of romance. A little candlelight and a glass of wine (optional)and you have yourself a beautiful romantic evening. I've sent several people copies for just that purpose. That's how I was introduced to it, too. Enjoy.
Customer Rating:
Summary: "A Labor of Love Album"
Comment: "Creating this album of romantic songs has truly been a labor of love. I have never before experienced such unconditional dedication and commitment from so many different people, all working toward a single goal. Collaborating with Johnny Mandel is a dream come true. He is a genius, a tireless worker, a gentle soul and a lovable man. It has been a privilege to work with him. If you have the feeling that I had a ball doing this album, you're absolutely right!" ~ Michael Feinstein ~
This collaboration between Michael Feinstein and Johnny Mandel is one of the best-ever Feinstein recordings of all-time. Mr. Mandel, who is a brilliant composer/conductor/arranger and has done several film and television musical scores and known as one of the best Sinatra arrangers, did a superb job on the stunning arrangements. The Oscar-winning composer also produced this album and chose the best studio musicians in this project most notably one of my favorite pianists, Alan Broadbent.
Presented in this "labor of love" album is a dozen of songs interpreted in sheer beauty and perfection. Mr. Feinstein has always been very resourceful in compiling songs that he would record and his musical knowledge is simply amazing. All his liner notes have been so informative and give accurate details about the origins of each song. He collected some of the best works from Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein, Larry Hart, Sammy Fain, Harry Warren, Jerome Kern, Burton Lane, and the Bergmans, among others, to offer another remarkable album not only for his fans but also for everyone who enjoys fine music.
My top favorite from this collection is a sentimental gem of a song by Rodgers and Hammerstein, "No Other Love," a song I've been hearing from my parents' collection (versions from Perry Como and Ella Fitzgerald) when I was growing up and so glad to hear a new charming version with fabulous arrangement. I totally embrace and welcome new interpretations of nostalgic songs that now give new significance to life in general. Some of the choice cuts are "Isn't It Romantic," a medley of "I Can Dream, Can't I"/ "I'll Be Seeing You," "A Fine Romance" and "Wasn't It Romantic," a uniquely beautiful version, which showed-off his creative style of singing and his ear-catching vocal artistry.
Mr. Feinstein is so privileged to be the first artist to record a meaningful song by Johnny Mandel/Alan and Marilyn Bergman "Where Do You Start?" It's a song that has the most poignant lyrics from this collection.
"Where do you start?
How do you separate the present from the past?
How do you deal with all the things
you thought would last, that didn't last?
With bits of memories scattered here and there
I look around and don't know where to start . . .
Which books are yours?
Which tapes and dreams belong to you and which are mine?
Our lives are tangled like the branches of a vine that intertwine
So many habits that we'll have to break
And yesterdays we'll have to take apart . . .
One day there'll be a song or something in the air again
To catch me by surprise and you'll be there again
A moment in what might have been
Where do you start?
Do you allow yourself a little time to cry?
Or do you close your eyes and kiss it all goodbye?
I guess you'll try. . .
And though I don't know where and don't know when
I'll find myself in love again
I promise there will always be
A little place no one will see
A tiny part deep in my heart
That stays in love with you."
You'll enjoy this CD. It's truly a labor of love.
Customer Rating:
Summary: TOTAL ROMANCE
Comment: If you want to fully enjoy the grand nature of this CD, pour yourself a glass of VERY GOOD WINE, be sure it is poured into WATERFORD, lower the lights, light the fireplace, then sit down and enjoy!...You will be lost in the magic of this performance.
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