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Confessions | Liza Minnelli | Video

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 08:00:00 GMT

"When I was little," says Liza Minnelli, "I would sit under the piano in our home and listen to these wonderful people sing—people like Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Oscar Levant. That’s a side of me I’ll never forget. That’s how I learned."

On her extraordinary new album, Confessions, Minnelli returns to the songs that she has loved her whole life, and delivers the most intimate, revealing recording of her legendary career. A collection of American classics written by the likes of Jerome Kern, Cy Coleman, Irving Berlin, and Sammy Cahn, Confessions features the entertainment icon performing some of her own personal favorite songs in simple, stripped-down arrangements.

One of the world's best-loved performers, Minnelli belongs to an elite group of entertainers who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Tony, and Oscar. Confessions is the follow-up to her wildly acclaimed 2008 return to Broadway, Liza's at the Palace, which won a Tony Award (her fourth) for Best Special Theatrical Event, and was nominated for a Grammy. Perhaps more significant, though, the disc is her first non-cast album studio recording in almost fifteen years.

Though the album will surely stand as a landmark in her celebrated body of work, Minnelli maintains that the origins of Confessions were entirely organic, almost accidental. "Ah the parties!," she says. "People like Tony Bennett—or more surprising, even Janet Jackson—would come by, and we would end up singing around the piano."

Restless while she was stuck at home following a knee injury, she started recording some of her favorite songs with longtime accompanist, pianist Billy Stritch. Once she began recuperating, she remained excited about this new direction and kept going. And unlike so many of the “Songbook” albums that have come out in recent years, full of over-familiar song selections, Minnelli dug deeper into the catalogues of these great writers, balancing beloved numbers like “All the Way” and “At Last” with such hidden gems as “You Fascinate Me So” and “Moments Like This.”

"I've never done anything like this," says Minnelli. "A lot of these songs were completely new for me—I was aware of them, but had never recorded them. They're just songs I love, beautifully written, stuff I felt passionate about. My friends say, 'this is a side of you that we know, but the public doesn’t. It’s like being in your house!'"

The results are unlike anything Minnelli has done in her legendary career, which is now entering its fifth decade. Perhaps the world’s most complete performer, her roles in such films as Cabaret, The Sterile Cuckoo, and Arthur, and her TV and stage shows, including Liza with a Z and Stepping Out, have long established her as a multi-talented, larger-than-life star.

Which, of course, makes the subtlety of her performances on Confessions all the more surprising. Minnelli describes her singing on the album as “intimate and sexy, with a real jazz feel.” And as she continued to work on the project over time, trying more and more songs, some common threads started to emerge. “These songs all said something about relationships and love,” she says. “They’re about the different sensations that love brings out—sensual, but also with some humor.”

Asked which song or performance on the album surprised her the most, Minnelli points to perhaps the best-known composition on the collection—Harry Warren and Mack Gordon’s “At Last,” which took on new resonance last year as the first dance at President Obama’s inauguration dinner. “I was a little reluctant to sing that one,” she says. “It’s been done so beautifully. But I thought I might as well try, and I think it’s cheerful, hopeful, full of good stuff.”

Still, the singer is reluctant to point to any of the songs as particular favorites or of heightened significance to her. “This is really one of those records where everybody has to pick his own favorites. It’s so personal,” she says.

It’s difficult to imagine an artist taking such a creative leap more than forty-five years after starting her career in 1963, in an Off-Broadway revival of the musical “Best Foot Forward,” for which she received the Theatre World Award. What could still represent a challenge for someone who grew up in the spotlight, and has continually explored new avenues for her work as a singer, dancer, and actress (not to mention philanthropist and teacher)

The answer was to return to the most basic configuration of all—a voice, a piano, and some magnificent songs. Though Minnelli states that she didn’t start work on Confessions with any sort of plan, she also says that it didn’t take long before she could see where it was heading.

“It was clear from minute we started, and it became more clear as it took shape,” she says. “When we started to put the songs together and look at a running order for the album, we thought, ‘Yeah, this works.’”

Liza Minnelli believes that the key to entertainment is no mystery. Just like that little girl sitting under the piano, an artist needs to retain her perspective as a listener and a fan, and remember what it is that made you love the sound, the look, the feeling in the first place.

“To be a good performer, you have to be a good audience,” she says. “So when you think, ‘that sounds right, I would enjoy that if I heard it,’ that’s when you start to think, it seems like we’re on the right track. And, of course, you never know—but with this one, I really think we are.”

Tracks
1. Confession
2. You Fascinate Me So
3. I Hadn't Anyone Til You
4. Got Lost In His Arms
5. Close Your Eyes
6. He's A Tramp
7. I Must Have That Man
8. Moments Like This
9. If I Had You
10. At Last

LEGEND… ICON…. IDOL… LIZA MINNELLI RELEASES THE MOST INTIMATE RECORDING OF HER CAREER CONFESSIONS – AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 28TH ON DECCA | Liza Minnelli | News

Danielle — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:59:00 GMT

Celebrating sixty years in show business, the iconic Liza Minnelli is about to release the most intimate and revealing recording of her career, Confesssions, available everywhere on September 28th (Decca). A collection of American classics, Confessions features some of Minnelli’s favorite songs of all time, arranged simply and elegantly, with accompaniment by her long-time pianist Billy Stritch.

Though the album will surely stand as a landmark in her celebrated body of work, Minnelli maintains that the origins of Confessions were entirely organic, almost accidental. "It just sort of happened," she says. "I used to have these evenings at my house, usually on a weekend, and people like Tony Bennett—or more surprising people like Janet Jackson—would come by, and we would end up singing around the piano."

Inspired by the intimacy of those incredible evenings, Liza decided to start recording some of her favorite songs with Stritch, and producer Bruce Roberts. Excited by how effortless the process became, she decided to keep going, giving the listener an up close and personal glimpse into her musical world. Unlike so many of the “Songbook” albums that have come out in recent years full of over-familiar selections, Minnelli dug deeper into the catalogues of great writers, balancing beloved numbers like “All the Way” and “At Last” with such hidden gems as “You Fascinate Me So” and “Moments Like This.” The timeless songs were written by the accomplished likes of Jerome Kern, Cy Coleman, Irving Berlin and Sammy Cahn to name a few.

What could still represent a challenge for someone who grew up in the spotlight, and has continually explored new avenues for her work as a singer, dancer and actress (not to mention philanthropist and teacher)? The answer is a return to the most basic configuration of all – a voice, a piano, and some magnificent songs – all which are the ingredients for the extraordinary Confessions. Significantly, the disc is her first non-cast album studio recording in almost fifteen years.

Liza Minnelli remains one of the world’s most beloved performers, and belongs to an elite group of entertainers who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Oscar Award. Confessions is the follow-up to her wildly acclaimed 2008 return to Broadway, “Liza’s at the Palace…” which was nominated for a Grammy, and also won the Tony Award (her fourth) for Best Special Theatrical Event. As someone who represents the whole package, Liza Minnelli is a one-a-of-kind, multi-talented, larger-than-life superstar the world over.

Liza Minnelli - The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ) | Liza Minnelli | News

Danielle — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 07:55:00 GMT

http://images.burrellesluce.com/image/7880BX/7880BX_3161

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Liza Minnelli - Oakland Tribune | Liza Minnelli | News

Danielle — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:55:00 GMT

http://images.burrellesluce.com/image/7880BX/7880BX_3170

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Liza Minnelli - Asbury Park Sunday Press | Liza Minnelli | News

Danielle — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:54:00 GMT

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The Addams Family - PLAYBILL.COM | Addams Family Original Broadway Cast | News

Danielle — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:18:00 GMT

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/140112-Addams-Family-Cast-Album-Released-June-8

» www.playbill.com

The Addams Family | Original Broadway Cast Recording | Video

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Tracks
1. Addams Family Theme
2. Overture
3. When You're An Addams
4. Pulled
5. Where Did We Go Wrong
6. One Normal Night
7. Morticia
8. What If
9. Full Disclosure
10. Waiting
11. Full Disclosure - Part 2
12. Just Around The Corner
13. The Moon And Me
14. Happy/Sad
15. Crazier Than You
16. Let's Not Talk About Anything Else But Love
17. Let's Not Talk About Anything Else But Love (Reprise)
18. In The Arms
19. Live Before We Die
20. Tango De Amor
21. Move Toward The Darkness

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THE ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING FOR THE ADDAMS FAMILY WITH MUSIC AND LYRICS BY TONY AWARD NOMINEE ANDREW LIPPA AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE JUNE 8TH ON DECCA BROADWAY | Addams Family Original Broadway Cast | News

Danielle — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 20:09:00 GMT

Decca Broadway is pleased to announce the release of the Original Cast Recording of The Addams Family, available everywhere on June 8, 2010. Based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, The Addams Family has been an enormous popular success and the highest-grossing new show of the season, consistently placing among Broadway’s top three grossing shows each week.

The cast recording makes a timely debut having recently received a Tony Award® nomination for Best Original Score for composer and lyricist Andrew Lippa. He previously won the Outer Critics Circle Award® and Drama Desk Award® for writing the book, music and lyrics to The Wild Party in 2000.

The Addams Family features a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa. The production is and directed and designed (sets and costumes) by Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch, with creative consultation by Jerry Zaks and choreography by Sergio Trujillo.

Starring two-time Tony Award®-winners Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth as Gomez and Morticia, The Addams Family also stars two-time Tony Award® nominee Terrence Mann as Mal Beineke, two-time Tony Award® nominee Carolee Carmello as Alice Beineke, three Tony Award® nominee Kevin Chamberlin (nominated for his performance as Uncle Fester), Jackie Hoffman as Grandma, Zachary James as Lurch, Adam Riegler as Pugsley, Wesley Taylor as Lucas Beineke and Krysta Rodriguez as Wednesday.

Some of the many highlights from the side-splitting musical include; the rousing introductory number “When You’re An Addams”, the jaunty “Just Around The Corner” by Bebe Neuwirth as Morticia, Gomez Addams’ moving ballad “Happy/Sad, performed by Nathan Lane and the amazing show-stopping full ensemble piece “Full Disclosure”. The upcoming album is sure to be a ‘creepy and kooky’ addition to the musical collections of ‘Addams’ fans, both old and new.

For more information, please visit www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com

Kristina (At Carnegie Hall) | Andersson / Ulvaeus | Video

Tue, 04 May 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Tracks
Disc 1
1. Overture
2. Path Of Leaves And Needles
3. Where You Go I Go With You
4. Stone Kingdom
5. Down To The Sea
6. A Bad Harvest
7. No!
8. He's Our Pilot
9. Never
10. Golden Wheatfields
11. All Who Are Grieving
12. We Open Up The Gateways
13. Peasants At Sea
14. Lice
15. In The Dead Of Darkness
16. A Sunday In Battery Park
17. Home
18. American Man
19. Dreams Of Gold
20. Summer Rose
Disc 2
1. Emperors And Kings
2. Twilight Images Calling
3. Queen Of The Prairie
4. Wild Grass
5. Gold Can Turn To Sand
6. Wildcat Money
7. To The Sea
8. Miracle Of God
9. Down To The Waterside
10. Miscarriage
11. You Have To Be There
12. Here I Am Again
13. With Child Again
14. Rising From Myth And Legend
15. I'll Be Waiting There

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KEITH JARRETT / CHARLIE HADEN | Charlie Haden | News

Danielle — Mon, 03 May 2010 12:24:00 GMT

Click above to watch the video on KEITH JARRETT and CHARLIE HADEN.

More about upcoming release - Jasmine:

Music is an amazing thing. It doesn't exist as a stationary object. It moves in real time and can be uplifting both to the player and the listener. The melting, trans-figurative moment, that feeling of everything being there, just for an instant, that surrender that overcomes us as players (if we're good enough) and leads us on to the next pregnant second, patient in the knowledge that there always is, waiting in the wings, the next chance to feel this fullness and celebrate it (as it is only in the nature of art to produce it this way); to this we dedicate our lives. But it is not for us alone; it is also made for you, the listener, to feel these same feelings along with us, to participate and to also be uplifted by it. Art is dying in this world, and so is listening, as the world becomes more full of toys and special effects. With this death will come the undoing of many possible feelings: beautiful, tender, deep, trusting, true, sad, full of internal meaning and color. Closeness won't have to necessarily be physical. Intimacy will be hard to find. Communication will be lost. Here is some music for you. Take it and it's yours. Charlie and I are obsessed with beauty. An ecstatic moment in music is worth the lifetime of mastery that goes into it, because it can be shared.

This recording was done in my small studio. It has very dry sound and we didn't want to have the recording sound like anything but exactly what we were hearing while we played. So it is direct and straightforward. I chose to use the American Steinway that really isn't at all in the best of shape, yet I have this strange connection with it, and it is better for a kind of informality and slight funkiness that was going to work with the music. With a choice of songs this good, it was hard not to become engaged right away. We did not rehearse per se, but went over chords when necessary. This was really a session that came as a result of doing an interview for a film about Charlie, after which we played a couple tunes. We had not played in over thirty years, but something magical happened and I then invited Charlie and his wife to the house to do some playing for a few days with no assurance that we'd have anything (including sound) that we'd want to release. Over close to three years we lived with these tapes, talked a lot about them, disputed over choices, but eventually I found Charlie to be the most remarkable and sensitive helper in getting this finally assembled. I wanted only the distilled essence of what we had, and it took some time to wean ourselves from going for hip solos or unevenly played tunes (even though they had wonderful things inside them). Some were too long; others were somehow out of character. Charlie and I listened to this many many times (mostly late at night) and became aware that there were some that just had more magic, more moments of surrender to the mood while retaining their essential integrity. This is what I was looking for; and then I had the unenviable job of finding the right order. After I thought I found it, Charlie called me and said, "How did you figure that out?" I think I said that none of the rational ideas of how to order things made sense, so I went into "not thinking" mode and came up with (dare I say it?) the only perfect order of these great versions.

I hope many of you can hear this on a good system. There are nuances abounding and the details make the music what it is. Jasmine is a night-blooming flower with a beautiful fragrance and I hope you can hear what went into this, as there is no way to do anything as touching as this by rehearsing it until it dies. This is spontaneous music made on the spot without any preparation save our dedication throughout our lives that we won't accept a substitute: it's either the real thing or it's nothing. It's either real life or it's a cartoon.

Call your wife or husband or lover in late at night and sit down and listen. These are great love songs played by players who are trying, mostly, to keep the message intact. I hope you can hear it the way we did.

» kineticmedianyc.com

Addams Family - ABC NEWS | Addams Family Original Broadway Cast | News

Danielle — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 09:04:00 GMT

CLICK ABOVE TO READ THE ARTICLE ON ABC NEWS.

» abcnews.go.com

DECCA BROADWAY SET TO RELEASE THE ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING THE ADDAMS FAMILY | Addams Family Original Broadway Cast | News

StephanieShim — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:00:00 GMT

DECCA BROADWAY SET TO RELEASE THE ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING THE ADDAMS FAMILY

A NEW MUSICAL

CD AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE JUNE 2010

SHOW OPENS APRIL 8, 2010 AT BROADWAY’S LUNT-FONATNNE THEATRE; IN PREVIEWS NOW

March 11, 2010 – (New York, NY) – Decca Broadway is proud to announce the official release of the forthcoming Original Cast Recording from The Addams Family. The new musical is based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, and will open Thursday, April 8, 2010 at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, with previews underway now. The disc will be available everywhere in June 2010.

Starring two-time Tony Award-winners Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth as Gomez and Morticia, The Addams Family also stars two-time Tony Award nominee Terrence Mann as Mal Beineke, two-time Tony Award nominee Carolee Carmello as Alcie Beineke, two-time Tony Award nominee Kevin Chamberlin as Uncle Fester, Jackie Hoffman as Grandmama, Zachary James as Lurch, Adam Riegler as Pugsley, Wesley Taylor as Lucas Beineke and Krysta Rodriguez as Wednesday.

The Addams Family features a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice (librettists of the 2006 Tony Award-winning Best Musical, Jersey Boys), and music and lyrics by Drama Desk Award-winner Andrew Lippa (The Wild Party). Lippa will also be producing the cast album, scheduled to be recorded in New York City following the show’s opening in April.

The Addams Family marks the launch of Decca Theatricals – this being its first major venture as a Broadway producer. Its recording division, Decca Broadway, is the world’s largest producer of Broadway cast albums. The unsurpassed catalogue includes everything from the original Oklahoma! (1943) and Carousel (1945), to such recent releases as the Grammy-Award winning Wicked and Mamma Mia! (cast album and film soundtrack), as well additional Grammy-Award winners Spring Awakening and Monty Python’s Spamalot. Of the venture, Chairman of Decca Label Group Christopher Roberts comments, “Our new division, Decca Theatricals, is an exciting expansion of our operations. It now affords us the opportunity to become financial supporters and full time participants in theater, and extend our creative expertise beyond just cast recordings.”

NPR - Phantom Sequel Argues That 'Love Never Dies' | Andrew Lloyd Webber | News

Danielle — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:37:00 GMT

Click above to read the article on NPR.com and listen to the story.

» www.npr.org

Love Never Dies (Cast Recording) | Andrew Lloyd Webber | Video

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Tracks
Disc 1
1. Prologue [Love Never Dies]
2. The Coney Island Waltz
3. That's the place that you ruined, you fool!
4. Heaven By The Sea
5. Only For Him / Only For You
6. The Ayrie
7. Till I Hear You Sing
8. Giry Confronts The Phantom / 'Til I Hear You Sing (Reprise)
9. Christine Disembarks
10. Arrival Of The Trio / Are You Ready To Begin?
11. What A Dreadful Town!...
12. Look With Your Heart
13. Beneath A Moonless Sky
14. Once Upon Another Time
15. "Mother Please, I'm Scared!"
16. Dear Old Friend
17. Beautiful
18. The Beauty Underneath
19. The Phantom Confronts Christine
Disc 2
1. Entr'acte [Love Never Dies]
2. Why Does She Love Me?
3. Devil Take The Hindmost
4. Heaven By The Sea (Reprise)
5. Ladies...Gents! / The Coney Island Waltz (Reprise)
6. Bathing Beauty
7. "Mother, Did You Watch?"
8. Before The Performance
9. Devil Take The Hindmost [Quartet]
10. Love Never Dies
11. "Ah, Christine!..."
12. "Gustave! Gustave!..."
13. "Please Miss Giry, I want to go back..."

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Story Of A Heart | Benny Andersson | Video

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Tracks
1. Glasgow Boogie
2. Trolska
3. Story Of A Heart
4. Bed Of Roses
5. You Are My Man
6. Cirkus Finemang
7. Fait Accompli
8. Song From The Second Floor
9. Birthday Waltz For Mona
10. (If This Is) Our Last Dance
11. Jehu
12. Tyrolean Schottische
13. The Stars
14. P.S.

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Nikki Yanofsky | Nikki Yanofsky | Photo

Danielle — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:55:00 GMT

Nikki Yanofsky | Nikki Yanofsky | Photo

StephanieShim — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:50:00 GMT

DECCA BROADWAY SET TO RELEASE THE ANTICIPATED ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING FROM ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S LONG-AWAITED NEW PRODUCTION, LOVE NEVER DIES | Andrew Lloyd Webber | News

Danielle — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:25:00 GMT

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