New York Rhapsody

by Lang Lang

Overview

This Sony Classical release presents superstar pianist Lang Lang in a new role: that of pop accompanist. The album consists of a set of songs about New York (thankfully, "New York, New York" is omitted), featuring not only likely pop suspects like Madeleine Peyroux, but such novelties as alt-country songwriter Jason Isbell in a creditable reading of "New York Morning." Perhaps the most unlikely item is Lou Reed's "Dirty Blvd.," mashed with "Somewhere" (from West Side Story) and sung by Jeffrey Wright and Lisa Fischer, respectively. It may all make you ask exactly why this needed to be done, and the answer would be that the whole thing is suited to the kind of high-ticket concert evening where the money is in classical music these days. The producer is none other than Larry Klein, ex-husband of Joni Mitchell, and he and arranger Vince Mendoza craft textures that weave everything together reasonably well. Better still is the main attraction, which makes this worth the price of admission: the Gershwin two-piano version of Rhapsody in Blue here actually manages to add something to the voluminous recorded literature of that work. The second piano is played by Herbie Hancock, 76 years old when the album appeared in 2016, and still in fine form. He adds some jazz to his part, in a way that Gershwin would have enjoyed (it's not too far from what Gershwin does in his own Songbook version), and in this selection, the two players come alive in the interplay. If the stars here attract you, by all means proceed, and aficionados of Rhapsody in Blue will find something fresh here as well. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	09/16/2016
Label:	Sony Classical
UPC:	0889853329229

Tracks

1. Our Town~Story of Our Town
2. New York Morning
3. Empire State of Mind
4. Rhapsody in Blue
5. New York Minute
6. Somewhere (Dirty Blvd.)
7. Spider-Man~Theme
8. Tonight [From West Side Story]
9. Moon River
10. In Evening Air

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Lang Lang   Primary Artist,Piano
Jeffrey Wright   Primary Artist,Vocals
Lisa Fischer   Primary Artist,Vocals
Andra Day   Primary Artist,Vocals
Sean Jones   Primary Artist,Vocals
Madeleine Peyroux   Primary Artist,Vocals
Herbie Hancock   Primary Artist,Piano
Lindsey Stirling   Primary Artist,Vocals
Jason Isbell   Primary Artist,Vocals
Kandace Springs   Primary Artist,Vocals
Jerry Douglas   Dobro
London Symphony Orchestra   Orchestra
Vinnie Colaiuta   Drums
Thomas Dybdahl   Keyboards
Amy Keys   Vocals
Larry Klein   Keyboards
John Axelrod   Conductor
Peter Illenyi   Conductor
Dan Lutz   Bass

Technical Credits

Guy Garvey   Composer
Danny Elfman   Composer
Danny Kortchmar   Composer
Henry Mancini   Composer
Stephen Sondheim   Text
Isaiah Abolin   Engineer
Aaron Copland   Composer
Billy Childs   Arranger
Angela Hunte   Composer
Vanessa Parr   Engineer
Tim Palmer   Mixing,Engineer
Bert Keyes   Composer
Shani Gandhi   Engineer
Karl Sveinsson   Assistant Engineer
Emerson Day   Assistant Engineer
Jake Valentine   Engineer
Peter Turner   Composer
Noah Dresner   Engineer
Billy Centenaro   Engineer
Peter Barabas   Assistant Engineer
Jayson Desuzio   Programming
Alicia Keys   Composer
Lang Lang   Liner Notes
Sylvia Robinson   Composer
Bernie Grundman   Mastering
Jai Winding   Composer
Larry Klein   Arranger,Producer,Liner Notes
Ed Tuton   Engineer
Vince Mendoza   Arranger
Don Henley   Composer
George Gershwin   Arranger,Composer
David Lai   Producer
Lou Reed   Text,Composer
Leonard Bernstein   Composer
Sandy Roberton   Management
Johnny Mercer   Text
Jason Wormer   Engineer
Richard Jupp   Composer
Mark Potter   Composer
Craig Potter   Composer
Ivy Skoff   Production Coordination
Alex Hendrickson   Engineer
Shawn Carter   Composer
James Bridges   Engineer
Benjamin Ealovega   Photography
Matthias Spindler   Music Copyist
John D.S. Adams   Engineer
Paolo Fazioli   Instrument Design
Janet Sewell-Ulepic   Composer
George Atkins   Engineer
Isabelle Tulliez   Product Development
Jonathan Allen   Engineer
Boh Cooper   Demo Engineer
Laura Kszan   Product Development
Evan Gaffney   Design,Art Direction
Yann Orhan   Cover Image
Jack Mason   Engineer
Tamas Kurina   Engineer,Orchestra Contractor
Jean Jacques Cesbron   Management
Kathleen Carey   Coordination
Alexander Shuckburgh   Composer
Heather Donavon   Assistant Producer
Travis Kennedy   Mixing Assistant
Mike Stankiewicz   Assistant Engineer
Sean Cahalin   Engineer
Jeff Gartenbaum   Engineer
Howard Willing   Engineer