MICHAEL FEINSTEIN ON PBS AND AT CARNEGIE HALL
Michael Feinstein, one of the premiere interpreters of American popular
song, will perform a new program of classic standards "My Romance:
The Great American Songbook" at CARNEGIE HALL (154 West 57th Street,
NYC - CarnegieCharge 1-212-247-7800 -
http://www.carnegiehall.org/
) on Friday, March 9th at 8:00 pm. He will be joined by an all-star
band including musical director John Oddo on piano, George Rabbai
on trumpet and flugelhorn, Dan Block on reeds, James Chirillo on guitar,
Jay Leonhart on bass and Dave Ratajczak on drums.
The concert will coincide with "The Soundies: A Musical
History," a PBS documentary on the precursor to "music videos,"
which started appearing in the 1940s in restaurants and nightclubs.
The short films featured the musical greats of the day including
Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway. It
will debut on WNET Channel 13 on Thursday, March 8th and air throughout
the month during pledge drive. Michael wrote the theme song and
serves as host.
Michael Feinstein has been a household name since
the success of his 1988 one-man Broadway show, Isn't It Romantic.
He enjoys an active performance calendar, including major concert
halls, symphony orchestras, intimate jazz clubs and college campuses.
More than a mere performer, he is nationally recognized for his
commitment to the American popular song, both celebrating its art
and preserving its legacy for the next generation.
He is currently producing a CD for his friend Liza
Minnelli based on the music of her godmother Kay Thompson, the famed
author, singer and arranger. He is producing a documentary feature
on arts and society icon Kitty Carlisle Hart and has written the
score for a new stage musical The Gold Room, opening soon in London's
West End. His latest CD from Concord Records is Hopeless Romantics,
a songbook of Harry Warren classics recorded with legendary jazz
pianist George Shearing. In 2004, Michael completed a national tour
with songwriting icon Jimmy Webb based on their CD, Only One Life
- The Songs of Jimmy Webb. The disc was named one of "10 Best CDs
of the Year" by USA Today.
In 2003 he received his fourth Grammy Award nomination
for his Concord Records release, Michael Feinstein with the Israel
Philharmonic Orchestra, his first recording with a symphony orchestra.
Recently he hosted and produced The Great American Songbook, a PBS
Special and DVD set from Warner Brothers that traces the history
of popular music in our country and debuted at the Palm Springs
Film Festival. His own record label Feinery, a new Concord subsidiary,
records favorite current artists and restores recordings & musical
broadcasts showcasing the nation's most admired and enduring entertainers.
He recently completed a sold-out two week engagement at the Theatre
Royal Haymarket in London's West End.
Michael started playing piano by ear when he was five
and, as a teenager, he played at weddings and parties in Columbus,
OH. After graduating from high school, he worked in local piano
lounges for two years, moving to Los Angeles when he was 20. Through
the widow of legendary concert pianist-actor Oscar Levant, he was
introduced to Ira Gershwin in July 1977. He became his assistant
for six years, granting him access to numerous unpublished Gershwin
songs, which he has since performed and recorded. Gershwin's influence
provided a solid base upon which Michael has evolved into a captivating
performer, composer and arranger of his own original music, and
an unparalleled interpreter of music legends such as Irving Berlin,
Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer and Duke Ellington.
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