Reviews
Gershwinicity recording
BBC Music Magazine
Gershwin songs brought to vivid life by piano, clarinet and sax. What's not to love? It's a winning combination and the arrangements are top notch too. This is a recording that is guaranteed to get you moving.
Clarinet and Saxophone Magazine
The Art Deco Trio comprises Peter Sparks (clarinet), Kyle Horch (saxophone), and Iain Farrington (piano/arranger). All three musicians are well-known, top-class performers in their own right. Right from the first piano glissando, the album sparkles with fun, entertainment and colour. If you're looking for some escapism from the trials and tribulations of the pandemic, then this is a disc for you, as Farrington's brilliant arrangements of Gershwin classics transport you back to the halcyon days of the 1930s. The album is a veritable feast of the Gershwin back catalogue, featuring well-known tunes. But Gershwinicity is more than just a trip down memory lane; it includes some very different re-workings of these songs, such as a jazz-funk version of Fascinating Rhythm for alto saxophone recalling the grooves of the 1970s, and a gorgeous, melancholic arrangement of Summertime that left me feeling lonely and cold with its ever-shifting unsettled harmonies.
The trio has deliberately avoided using a rhythm section on this album, instead utilising the piano to carry the rhythmic drive, giving a focus to the rich harmony and counterpoint between the instruments. There's a beautifully live quality to the recording; you can hear the breath, the reed noise and overall it sounds very real and honest. Horch plays soprano and alto saxophones, and I love how his soft, mellow sax sound (used sparingly in Farrington's arrangements) provides a welcome contrast to the brighter colours of clarinet and soprano sax. The textures evolve during the album and several tracks become even more intimate, scored for single-reed instrument and piano, and two songs allow us to hear solo piano. The interplay between the parts is wonderful; a chance to hear three masters of their instruments kicking back and enjoying themselves. Sit down, make yourself a cocktail and you'll be at the American Bar at The Savoy in no time at all. Neil Crossley
Fanfare Magazine
When I first opened the parcel from Fanfare Central that contained this CD entitled Gershwinicity, I honestly wasn’t very excited. Gershwin’s music has been arranged by just about every arranger under the sun, and most of the arrangements leave me wishing I was hearing the original works instead. Then I put this CD into my player, and from the very first notes was won over. Pianist Iain Farrington sure knows what he’s doing in creating catchy versions for clarinet, soprano and alto saxophones, and piano. He has a great ear for harmony, freely adjusting Gershwin’s to create memorable new settings of these chestnuts. The tunes employ different combinations of the four instruments and three players. Of the 15 song settings, six of them utilize all three players (and one alternating between the two members of the sax family), another seven combine one wind with the piano, the final two being for piano solo. This variation helps keep the textures fresh.
Not only are the arrangements superb, but so is the Art Deco Trio’s performance of them. Its members have, collectively and individually, Gershwin’s style really nailed down. More than that, they evidence an ability to adjust their style of playing to the character of the song at hand such that The man I love sounds quite different from, say, Nice work if you can get it. In addition to these two, some of my other favorite Gershwin tunes are treated, including I got rhythm, Summertime, Love is here to stay, and Someone to watch over me, along with a few tunes with which I’m not very familiar, e.g. They all laughed, and But not for me. There are actually more than 15 tunes treated, given that the CD’s final track is a compilation called Gershwinicity that combines five different tunes into a 14-minute suite. Additionally, some of the tunes are set in the midst of original music, an example being Summertime, which has an extended introduction of non-Gershwin (albeit very effective) music. This treatment serves to more than double the length of the song as heard in Porgy and Bess and the tune in this arrangement is hinted at as much as it’s heard in recognizable form. I think it’s a safe bet that any Gershwin aficionado will be as captivated with this disc as I was, and consequently give a hearty two thumbs’ up to anyone who identifies as such. David DeBoor Canfield
Four stars: A delightful reworking for clarinet, saxophones and piano of some of Gershwin’s most popular songs.
The Robert Farnon Society
This is an entertaining release of 19 songs by the foremost ‘cross-over’ composer, the great George Gershwin, arranged for clarinet, saxophone and piano, which (to quote the well-informed booklet notes) “combine jazz influences with the structures and textures of classical music”, and well worth investigating by light music lovers.
The title track is a fantasy based on five Gershwin songs, first heard in 2018 at the BBC Proms. Other tracks include I got rhythm, They all laughed, Nice work if you can get it, They can’t take that away from me, Fidgety feet, I’ll build a stairway to Paradise, Do it again (does anyone remember Marilyn Monroe’s erotic rendering?), But not for me and a couple of numbers from ‘Porgy and Bess’. All are first recordings and our friends at Somm are to be congratulated on making them available. I enjoyed this album from start to finish, reminding me somewhat of similar discs by André Previn and friends back in the day. So unreservedly recommended, and I reckon it would meet with Gershwin’s own approval. Peter Burt
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That George Gershwin was arguably one of the greatest Popular Music composers of the 20s and 30s is completely beyond dispute. Moreover, he was almost certainly the first to become a 'crossover composer', effortlessly straddling the divide between the popular and light-classical genres, with more than just a bit of jazz 'thrown-in' for good measure. In this respect he paved the way for André Previn, Leonard Bernstein and others – including, I would suggest, Robert Farnon. Many of Gershwin's works have been the subject of numerous arrangements, both vocal and instrumental, over the years. However, this is the first time that they have been recorded employing this particular – not to say unusual – line-up, viz. piano, clarinet and soprano/alto saxophones.
Of the fifteen tracks, six are performed by all three instrumentalists. I was particularly struck by the way in which the clarinet and saxophone blended so beautifully together, e.g. in I Got Rhythm and They All Laughed. A couple of titles are performed solo by Iain Farrington, the Trio's pianist, arranger and – I suspect – 'prime mover' of the enterprise. The remaining seven are performed by either clarinet or saxophone – of either variety – accompanied by the piano. I would like to single-out for comment Farrington's 'take' on Summertime – a song which is a special favourite of mine. This is a really stunning arrangement and for me is one of the highlights of the whole programme. I totally concur with Peter Burt's comments above, and I’m delighted to give this new CD my unequivocal recommendation. Tony Clayden
Gershwinicity recording
BBC Music Magazine
Gershwin songs brought to vivid life by piano, clarinet and sax. What's not to love? It's a winning combination and the arrangements are top notch too. This is a recording that is guaranteed to get you moving.
Clarinet and Saxophone Magazine
The Art Deco Trio comprises Peter Sparks (clarinet), Kyle Horch (saxophone), and Iain Farrington (piano/arranger). All three musicians are well-known, top-class performers in their own right. Right from the first piano glissando, the album sparkles with fun, entertainment and colour. If you're looking for some escapism from the trials and tribulations of the pandemic, then this is a disc for you, as Farrington's brilliant arrangements of Gershwin classics transport you back to the halcyon days of the 1930s. The album is a veritable feast of the Gershwin back catalogue, featuring well-known tunes. But Gershwinicity is more than just a trip down memory lane; it includes some very different re-workings of these songs, such as a jazz-funk version of Fascinating Rhythm for alto saxophone recalling the grooves of the 1970s, and a gorgeous, melancholic arrangement of Summertime that left me feeling lonely and cold with its ever-shifting unsettled harmonies.
The trio has deliberately avoided using a rhythm section on this album, instead utilising the piano to carry the rhythmic drive, giving a focus to the rich harmony and counterpoint between the instruments. There's a beautifully live quality to the recording; you can hear the breath, the reed noise and overall it sounds very real and honest. Horch plays soprano and alto saxophones, and I love how his soft, mellow sax sound (used sparingly in Farrington's arrangements) provides a welcome contrast to the brighter colours of clarinet and soprano sax. The textures evolve during the album and several tracks become even more intimate, scored for single-reed instrument and piano, and two songs allow us to hear solo piano. The interplay between the parts is wonderful; a chance to hear three masters of their instruments kicking back and enjoying themselves. Sit down, make yourself a cocktail and you'll be at the American Bar at The Savoy in no time at all. Neil Crossley
Fanfare Magazine
When I first opened the parcel from Fanfare Central that contained this CD entitled Gershwinicity, I honestly wasn’t very excited. Gershwin’s music has been arranged by just about every arranger under the sun, and most of the arrangements leave me wishing I was hearing the original works instead. Then I put this CD into my player, and from the very first notes was won over. Pianist Iain Farrington sure knows what he’s doing in creating catchy versions for clarinet, soprano and alto saxophones, and piano. He has a great ear for harmony, freely adjusting Gershwin’s to create memorable new settings of these chestnuts. The tunes employ different combinations of the four instruments and three players. Of the 15 song settings, six of them utilize all three players (and one alternating between the two members of the sax family), another seven combine one wind with the piano, the final two being for piano solo. This variation helps keep the textures fresh.
Not only are the arrangements superb, but so is the Art Deco Trio’s performance of them. Its members have, collectively and individually, Gershwin’s style really nailed down. More than that, they evidence an ability to adjust their style of playing to the character of the song at hand such that The man I love sounds quite different from, say, Nice work if you can get it. In addition to these two, some of my other favorite Gershwin tunes are treated, including I got rhythm, Summertime, Love is here to stay, and Someone to watch over me, along with a few tunes with which I’m not very familiar, e.g. They all laughed, and But not for me. There are actually more than 15 tunes treated, given that the CD’s final track is a compilation called Gershwinicity that combines five different tunes into a 14-minute suite. Additionally, some of the tunes are set in the midst of original music, an example being Summertime, which has an extended introduction of non-Gershwin (albeit very effective) music. This treatment serves to more than double the length of the song as heard in Porgy and Bess and the tune in this arrangement is hinted at as much as it’s heard in recognizable form. I think it’s a safe bet that any Gershwin aficionado will be as captivated with this disc as I was, and consequently give a hearty two thumbs’ up to anyone who identifies as such. David DeBoor Canfield
Four stars: A delightful reworking for clarinet, saxophones and piano of some of Gershwin’s most popular songs.
The Robert Farnon Society
This is an entertaining release of 19 songs by the foremost ‘cross-over’ composer, the great George Gershwin, arranged for clarinet, saxophone and piano, which (to quote the well-informed booklet notes) “combine jazz influences with the structures and textures of classical music”, and well worth investigating by light music lovers.
The title track is a fantasy based on five Gershwin songs, first heard in 2018 at the BBC Proms. Other tracks include I got rhythm, They all laughed, Nice work if you can get it, They can’t take that away from me, Fidgety feet, I’ll build a stairway to Paradise, Do it again (does anyone remember Marilyn Monroe’s erotic rendering?), But not for me and a couple of numbers from ‘Porgy and Bess’. All are first recordings and our friends at Somm are to be congratulated on making them available. I enjoyed this album from start to finish, reminding me somewhat of similar discs by André Previn and friends back in the day. So unreservedly recommended, and I reckon it would meet with Gershwin’s own approval. Peter Burt
-----
That George Gershwin was arguably one of the greatest Popular Music composers of the 20s and 30s is completely beyond dispute. Moreover, he was almost certainly the first to become a 'crossover composer', effortlessly straddling the divide between the popular and light-classical genres, with more than just a bit of jazz 'thrown-in' for good measure. In this respect he paved the way for André Previn, Leonard Bernstein and others – including, I would suggest, Robert Farnon. Many of Gershwin's works have been the subject of numerous arrangements, both vocal and instrumental, over the years. However, this is the first time that they have been recorded employing this particular – not to say unusual – line-up, viz. piano, clarinet and soprano/alto saxophones.
Of the fifteen tracks, six are performed by all three instrumentalists. I was particularly struck by the way in which the clarinet and saxophone blended so beautifully together, e.g. in I Got Rhythm and They All Laughed. A couple of titles are performed solo by Iain Farrington, the Trio's pianist, arranger and – I suspect – 'prime mover' of the enterprise. The remaining seven are performed by either clarinet or saxophone – of either variety – accompanied by the piano. I would like to single-out for comment Farrington's 'take' on Summertime – a song which is a special favourite of mine. This is a really stunning arrangement and for me is one of the highlights of the whole programme. I totally concur with Peter Burt's comments above, and I’m delighted to give this new CD my unequivocal recommendation. Tony Clayden
