The Essential Collection: The Magic of Gershwin & Rodgers

Those of us old enough to remember when the passenger train was still the best way to travel and airlines were a luxury, will enjoy Ralph Sharon's music. It is timeless, but takes me back to when there were "piano bars" and you wore a coat and tie on a date. Ralph Sharon is (or was) the musical director for Tony Bennett, but he stands alone nicely with the trio of bass and drums. This album is classic piano bar and I recommend it highly for today or a trip back in time.

Ralph Sharon is a fine jazz piano player whose inspired improvisations never lose track of the melody. He has no need to show off his technical brilliance. That is a given and his sensitive interpretation of the standard songs would surely have met with the approval of their composers. I recall Ira Gershwin saying that he had not fully realised what great songs he and George had written until he heard them sung by Ella Fitzgerald. I'm sure he would have said the same for this album by Ralph Sharon.

Ralph Sharon is a superb pianist. Ralph alone or with his trio, quartet our full band have provided accompanying music for every album Tony Bennett ever had produced. Well into his 80's Ralph Sharon is still performing.

We love Gershwin's music (and always will) and it makes a person feel "good all over" to listen to this ageless, beautiful music (specially when reproduced on an excellet - quality CD.

Fantasic! Sing along or just listen.

Great piano jazz

Uau!

I thought Mr. Sharon's solo style would be lush and smooth. There are frequent jarring accents in many of the tracks, and there are notes on the piano that have an edge to them which hurts my ears. Getting the second disc out was a puzzle. Turns out all you have to do is lift up the compartment containing the first disc. It lifts up from the left.

Theis double CD sees the reissue of 2 of my favourite composer collections from the polished Ralph Sharon on piano with Jack Parnell on drums and Lennie Bush on bass. You could not put together a better trio for the standards played and each CD is a joy. I can well remember eagerly awaiting the issue of each composer CD originally on the Horatio Nelson label. Now Avid have repackaged these and they are offered at an incredibly fair which has to make them the bargain of the year!

THIS PRODUCT, WAS O V E R S U P L I E D

Thank you