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For the
most part, when people think of Kurt Weill, the thoughts are generally
of serious, dramatic creations. But there's so much more to his work,
something Anne Kerry Ford proves sensationally on her simply titled "Weill".
Kicking off with an irresistible mix of sultriness and coquettish charm
on "I'm a Stranger Here Myself", Ford puts together an hour-plus
program that mixes some of Weill's better-known titles with a healthy
dose of those more rarely heard, and she and arrangers Roger Kellaway
and John Boswell craft outstanding presentations of the works, whether
it's the grand, epic storytelling sweep of "pirate Jenny", which
Ford delivers in a tour-de-force that's a stunner, or the restrained simplicity
and rich tenderness of Ford's vocal backed by Boswell's rich piano. Combining
live recordings with the WDR Big Band at Philharmonic Hall in Cologne,
Germany, with studio creations- and were it not for the applause at the
end of the live selections, one would be hard-pressed to separate them-Ford's
warm voice works wonders with Weill's melodies while her considerable
acting talent conveys the stories and emotions of lyricists Ira Gershwin,
Bertolt Brecht and others. One feels the desperation and anger in "Lonely
House" and regret and resignation in "It Never Was You",
and then there's the playfulness of "Tschaikowsky" and "Tango
Ballad" (with guest Brian Lane Green). But whatever the style of
Weill's music or the story the song tells, Ford shines throughout this
impressive and wonderfully satisfying collection" |