Michael Feinstein Serenades a Century of Love Songs

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Parent Category: Film and the Arts

Category: Reviews

Published on Friday, 08 April 2022 14:46

Written by Jack Angstreich

Michael Feinstein at the piano. Photo by Richard Termine.

On the evening of Wednesday, April 6th, I was fortunate to attend the annual Standard Time with Michael Feinstein concert at Zankel Hall—this iteration was titled “A Century of Romance: 100 Years of Love Songs.” He received superb support from his jazz trio: Tedd Firth on piano, David Finck on bass, and Mark McLean on drums.

The program opened charmingly with the classic “At Long Last Love” by Cole Porter from his 1938 show, You Never Know, where it was introduced by the inimitable Clifton Webb. (Peter Bogdanovich borrowed the title for his ill-fated musical comedy film of 1975, a work that has been recently reevaluated.) He followed this with the delightful "It All Depends on You" from 1926, with music by Ray Henderson and lyrics by Buddy G. DeSylva and Lew Brown, a song recorded by Ruth Etting among many others. He then performed a wonderful mash-up of two songs by the great Sammy Fain—author of Doris Day’s transcendent “Secret Love”—from his 1938 musical, Right this Way: the lovely “I Can Dream, Can't I?” and the ever popular “I’ll Be Seeing You.”

The singer then invited an up-and-coming musical theatre student, Sadie Fridley, to the stage, where she delivered a marvelous version of another hit, “A Fine Romance” by Jerome Kern, with lyrics by Dorothy Fields, which was written for the terrific George Stevens film, Swing Time, from 1936, where it was introduced indelibly by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Feinstein returned for another mash-up, here of two songs by the masterful Victor Young: “When I Fall in Love” which was written for the 1952 Tay Garnett film, One Minute to Zero, recorded by many, including, notably, Nat King Cole; and, the perennial, “My Foolish Heart,” composed for 1949 Mark Robson film of the same title—surprisingly a work that was defended—on non-auteurist grounds—by Andrew Sarris.

Feinstein then invited the terrific Catherine Russell to take the stage as his special guest of the evening. Her set began delightfully with “Love is Just Around the Corner,” a lovely song with lyrics by Leo Robin that was written for the 1934 Frank Tuttle film, Here is My Heart, where it was introduced by Bing Crosby. With “What a Difference a Day Makes,” the 1934 Maria Grever song originally written in Spanish, the singer evoked the immortal Dinah Washington, who later made what is now the most famous recording. One of the most beautiful songs of the evening was “My Ideal,” from 1930, by Richard Whiting with lyrics by Leo Robin, which was introduced by Maurice Chevalier in the film, Playboy of Paris. She followed this with the 1946 “Come Rain or Come Shine” by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, written for the musical, St. Louis Woman. Feinstein returned to the stage to sing a duet with Russell, the 1938 “You Go to My Head” by J. Fred Coots.

Feinstein then went on to perform the 1962 “I Wanna Be Around,” co-written by Mercer, and he successfully recalled such artists as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin and Bobby Darrin, all of whom sang it. He dedicated the next song—from the 1978 musical, Ballroom, where it was introduced by Dorothy Loudon—in memory of the recently passed Marilyn Bergman, who wrote the lyrics were husband, Alan. He then sat alone at the piano to sing two requests from the audience: the 1935 “My Romance” by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart, from the musical Jumbo, and Jerry Herman’s 1974 “I Won't Send Roses,” from his musical Mack and Mabel, where it was introduced by Robert Preston. Russell returned to the stage to join Feinstein in another duet: Porter’s 1936 “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” written for the film Born to Dance, where it was introduced by Virginia Bruce. Feinstein closed the show with “For Once in My Life.”