Search - Percy Faith :: Night With Jerome Kern & Sigmund Romberg

Percy Faith - The Accompanist; Earl Wrightson Resurrected

Enda Bracken | BRIGHTON, QLD Australia | 11/03/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In this stereo CD of two 1959 albums "A Night With Jerome Kern" and a "Night With Sigmund Romberg" we have albums of songs which showcase Earl Wrightson's outstandingly virile voice and that of his wife Lois Hunt eventhough the CD is headlined by Percy Faith.Whilst Percy Faith was first and foremost an orchestra leader who presented melodies unadorned by voices and who could sell concerts and records under his own name, not enough has been made of his abilty to arrange and conduct an orchestra in support of solo singers. My favourite examples were Johnny Mathis' first Christmas album in the mid 60's (stereo) and an album of duets by Shirley Jones and her husband Jack Cassidy in the mid 50's (mono).How ever this double album CD now takes their place as my favourite example of Percy Faith the accompanist. Mr Faith worships a good melody and he loves translating the emotional content of the lyrics into musical language.As in all such Percy Faith efforts, the orchestra is one of the soloists. The orchestrations 'tag' the emotional tenor of the song by setting beautiful introductions particularly in the Kern melodies and then underpinning the vocal quality and style of the singers and then providing a bridge between the verses.
I cannot think of a single conductor who can use tempi to convey emotional pain, longing and joy with such conviction.
The arrangements and the orchestrations are exquisite. Whilst Mr Faith was known as a 'strings' exponent, his use of the woodwinds, percussion and subdued brass are heart-wrenchingly lush despite some of the harshness of the recording technique of the early stereo. It is joy to hear the orchestra behind the two singers.Earl Wrightson is a superb, rich baritone who can deliver every song beautifully by singing it straight and producing emotion through his phrasing, modulation and projection. In a world which worships tenors who 'yelp', it is instructive to hear how spine-tingling and nuanced a performance, a powerhouse baritone can produce through technique and artistry.
His standouts are 'The Song Is You', 'They Didn't Believe Me'; 'Look For The Silver Lining' (absolutely transformed out of mawkishness by Mr Wrightson's straightforward interpretation) and 'Can I Forget You'
. His version of "Old Man River" is shattering showing that he has both bass notes and thrilling high notes - it is an incomparable rendering.
All singers know that Kern melodies, with their murderous key changes and bridges, can be a potential graveyard of any inspiring singer. Mr Wrightson negotitates them with style.Mr Wrightson's wife, Lois Hunt is equally as assured and as vocally dynamic. The recording technique of the time treats her a little harshly (whilst it seems to suit the Wrighson voice) but she delivers both melody and lyric superbly.The Sigmund Romberg tunes are handled beautifully by all three artists and this recording is a superb celebration of what was then the dying genre of the operetta. Interestingly the "Desert Song" , originally a duet is sung as a Wrightson solo whilst the Student Prince "Serenade" usually sung as a male solo with male chorus is sung as a duet. Wrightson produces with Percy Faith stirring versions of the "march" items - "The Riff Song" and "Stout Hearted Men" - without the prerequisite male chorus. The song lyrics tend to tie the songs to their original contexts and thus to some extent, the Romberg songs do not have the deathless universality of the Kern songs.Earl Wrightson - A spine-tingling American baritone - has been missing from the catalogues too long."

"Wrightson, Hunt & Percy Faith ~ days of long ago"

J. Lovins | Missouri-USA | 07/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A collection of probably some of the most remembered and favorite melodies of our time "A Night with Jerome Kern/A Night with Sigmund Romberg", featuring Earl Wrightson and Lois Hunt with Percy Faith and his Orchestra. Class, quality and outstanding performances overflow with arrangements by the "Percy Faith Touch", that always came from the baton of Maestro Faith.Entire CD has stand outs with many highlights ~ "MAKE BELIEVE", "LONG AGO (AND FAR AWAY)", "WHY DO I LOVE YOU" and "OL' MAN RIVER" lyric interpretation letter perfect with Earl Wrightson hitting notes coming from the bottom of his toes, one of the best I've ever heard. Less we not forget "THE DESERT SONG", "STOUT HEARTED MEN", "SERENADE", "ONE ALONE", "THE RIFF SONG" and "WHEN I GROW TOO OLD TO DREAM" takes me back to the days of open air theater at the St. Louis Muny Opera in Forest Park, those days of live entertainment ~ and the Muny is still going strong today.If you want to relive those days of long ago, then this has your name on it. Percy Faith's arrangements are as always, captivating with enchantment ~ and this is as it should be with Kern & Romberg tunes ~ gotta love it!Total Time: 76:32 on 24 Tracks ~ Collectables 6640 ~ (1/16/2001)"