Andre Previn - 4 to Go!, The Light Fantastic (1999) 320 kbps

22 Jun, 07:37
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Artist: Andre Previn
Title Of Album: 4 to Go!, The Light Fantastic
Year Of Release: (1963)1999
Label: Collectables COL-5892
Genre: Cool Jazz, Easy Listening
Quality: MP3
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Total Time: 76:27
Total Size: 176 MB
WebSite:

Tracklist:

4 to Go! (1963) {feat. Shelly Manne, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis}

01. No Moon at All (Evans-Mann) - 7:20
02. Bye Bye Blackbird (Dixon-Henderson) - 3:35
03. Life Is a Ball (Ellis) - 5:31
04. It's Easy to Remember (Hart-Rodgers) - 4:10
05. You're Impossible (Langdon-Arlen) - 2:43
06. Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' (Hammerstein-Rodgers) - 2:42
07. I Know You Oh So Well (Brown) - 2:58
08. Intersection (Manne) - 4:09
09. Don't Sing Along (Previn) - 4:26

The Light Fantastic (1963) {A Tribute to Fred Astaire}

10. Nice Work if You Can Get It (Gershwin-Gershwin) - 3:45
11. Isn't This a Lovely Day (Berlin) - 4:08
12. I Used to Be Color Blind (Berlin) - 3:22
13. A Foggy Day (Gershwin-Gershwin) - 3:45
14. Not My Girl (Astaire-Phillips-Carter) - 3:56
15. Light Fantastic (Previn) - 2:59
16. A Fine Romance (Fields-Kern) - 3:35
17. So Near and Yet So Far (Porter) - 4:35
18. Puttin' on the Ritz (Berlin) - 4:29

4 to Go was recorded in Hollywood on 18th December 1962 this is a sparkling session with Previn showing once again that he is a great Jazz pianist. With the backing of Shelly Mann on drums and Ray Brown on Bass and Herb Ellis on Guitar you really couldn't ask for a better quartet.
My favourite track is a marvellous version of Bye Bye Blackbird. After a lyrical introduction by Previn, Herb Ellis plays an inspired reading of the tune. Following a short Ray Brown bass solo, Previn finishes the piece with a solo Piano outro. Short beautiful and not a wasted note! However to pick one track is unfair as most of the tracks maintain a very high standard, as well swinging like all good Jazz should. Check out You're Impossible (track 5) as a good example.
The Light Fantastic was recorded a year later and is a tribute to Fred Astaire with Red Mitchell on Bass and Frank Capp on Drums. Perhaps not quite as good as "4 to Go" simply because the instrumental variety that Herb Ellis adds to that is missing. Nevertheless a fine album.