Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios

by Rufus Wainwright

Overview

His second concert livestream to be prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic (after Unfollow the Rules: The Paramour Session), 2021's Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios saw Rufus Wainwright revisit Judy Garland's famed Judy at Carnegie Hall concert. Previously covered by Wainwright with a 36-piece orchestra in 2006 for the following year's Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall, his 2021 take on the 1961 performance featured stripped-down arrangements consisting of only a four-piece jazz ensemble and guest Kristin Chenoweth. The livestream's only in-person audience member was notably Academy Award-winning actress Renee Zellweger, with whom Wainwright interacts after some of the songs. Far from the whole show, the recording of the Capitol Studios concert offers up a 12-track, vinyl-friendly set of highlights from the over-two-hour livestream. It opens with a pair of powerhouse vocal performances on "Come Rain or Come Shine" and "Alone Together" before the contrastingly intimate "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" offers a seductive take on the Fields-McHugh standard. Lively selections like Irving Berlin's "Puttin' on the Ritz" and a zippy version of Jesse Greer and Raymond Klages' "Just You, Just Me" appear beside such languid entries as "How Long Has This Been Going On" and the torch song "The Man That Got Away." Other notable ballads include the Gershwin tune "A Foggy Day" and Garland's signature song, "Over the Rainbow," which closes the album. Before that, however, Chenoweth makes her appearance on "Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy," which finds Wainwright straying from of the original concert set list, just this once. While not an essential Wainwright release due to its truncated nature and predecessors like Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall and the similarly stripped-down Unfollow the Rules: The Paramour Session, it holds its charms thanks to the elegant, virtuosic accompaniment of the instrumentalists, and the singer's adventurous mastery of the material at this point. Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios' release coincides with Garland's birthday centennial (June 10, 2022). ~ Marcy Donelson

Product Details

Release Date:	07/29/2022
Label:	Bmg / Bmg Rights Management
UPC:	4050538778823
Rank:	76652

Tracks

1. Come Rain or Come Shine
2. Alone Together
3. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
4. Puttin' on the Ritz
5. The Man That Got Away
6. A Foggy Day
7. How Long Has This Been Going On?
8. Just You, Just Me
9. You're Nearer
10. Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy
11. Medley: You Made Me Love You/For Me and My Gal/The Trolley Song
12. Over the Rainbow

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Rufus Wainwright   Primary Artist,Vocals
Kristin Chenoweth   Vocals,Featured Artist
Brian Green   Guitar
Jacob Mann   Piano
Christian Euman   Drums
Sam Wilkes   Bass

Technical Credits

Hugh Martin   Composer
Harold Arlen   Composer
Irving Berlin   Composer
Jack Yellen   Composer
Edgar Leslie   Composer
George Gershwin   Composer
Ira Gershwin   Composer
James V. Monaco   Composer
Lorenz Hart   Composer
Johnny Mercer   Composer
Joseph McCarthy   Composer
Howard Dietz   Composer
Jesse Greer   Composer
Raymond Klages   Composer
Milton Ager   Composer
Arthur Schwartz   Composer
George W. Meyer   Composer
Ted Koehler   Composer
Jimmy McHugh   Composer
Colin Romoff   Composer
Dorothy Fields   Composer
E.Y. "Yip" Harburg   Composer,Lyricist
Richard Rodgers   Composer
Rufus Wainwright   Producer
Ralph Blane   Composer
Jack Yeller   Composer
E. Ray Goetz   Composer
Ruairi O'Flaherty   Engineer
Ray Goetz   Composer
Chris Sorem   Engineer
Jeff Fitzpatrick   Engineer