The Sidewalks of New York: Tin Pan Alley

by Uri Caine, Uri Caine Orchestra

Overview

Pianist Uri Caine's work is always intriguing, but this CD is something very different. Sidewalks of New York comes off like the soundtrack to an as yet unmade documentary about Tin Pan Alley at the turn of the century, complete with sound effects of horses and people on the street, folks celebrating in a rowdy saloon, and so on. "The Sidewalks of New York" serves as a recurring theme, first as a dreamy solo by Caine, later with Ralph Alessi's distant trumpet, and finally in a bar with a determined singer. Other familiar pieces include Eubie Blake's still challenging "Charleston Rag," a low-fidelity "Memphis Blues" that's made to sound as if it's being played on an ancient Victrola, and the timeless "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." There are some hilarious, long forgotten pieces like "Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly?" and Irving Berlin's whimsical "Cohen Owes Me Ninety Seven Dollars"; as well as revivals of once popular but now long forgotten tunes like the tear jerking "After the Ball" and the draggy narrative "Nobody." The talented supporting cast includes clarinetist Don Byron, trumpeter Dave Douglas, and violinist Mark Feldman. As a concept package complete with period photographs, Sidewalks is very successful, but the numerous sound effects make repeated listening a little more difficult. Perhaps Caine should introduce himself to documentary maker Ken Burns and suggest a Tin Pan Alley project. ~ Ken Dryden

Product Details

Release Date:	08/10/1999
Label:	Winter & Winter
UPC:	0025091003822
Rank:	187033

Tracks

1. Overture: The Sidewalks of New York: I Wonder
2. Too Much Mustard
3. Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly?
4. Life's a Very Funny Proposition After All
5. Sidewalk Story: Daisy Bell My Wild Irish Rose
6. Charleston Rag
7. Take Me out to the Ball Game
8. Everybody's Doin' It
9. How'd You Like to Spoon with Me?
10. Cohen Owes Me Ninety Seven Dollars
11. By the Light of the Silvery Moon
12. Nobody
13. Waiting for the Robert E. Lee
14. Interlude: The Sidewalks of New York
15. By the Beautiful Sea
16. In the Good Old Summertime
17. Some of These Days: The Rehearsal
18. Some of These Days: The Show
19. Castle Walk
20. They Didn't Believe Me
21. Memphis Blues
22. After the Ball
23. You're a Grand Old Flag
24. The Bowery
25. When I Leave the World Behind
26. Finale: The Sidewalks of New York
27. Coda: In the Good Old Summertime

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Uri Caine Orchestra   Primary Artist
Uri Caine   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals,Director,Musical Director
Mark Feldman   Guest Artist,Violin
Eddy Davis   Guest Artist,Banjo
Bob Stewart   Guest Artist,Tuba
Dave Douglas   Guest Artist,Trumpet
Don Byron   Guest Artist,Clarinet
Josh Roseman   Trombone
Ralph Alessi   Trumpet
Dominic Cortese   Vocals,Accordion
Nancy Anderson   Vocals
Nancy Opel   Vocals
Sadiq Bey   Vocals
Paul Hernandez   Vocals
Barbara Walker   Vocals
Robert DeBellis   Flute
James Genus   Bass
Stuart Zagnit   Vocals
Ben Perowsky   Drums

Technical Credits

Lewis F. Muir   Composer
Uri Caine   Repertoire,Art Direction
Oscar Hammerstein II   Composer
Edward Laska   Composer
Johannes Wohlleben   Engineer
Guenter Mattei   Design,Artwork
Zeno Wood   Piano Tuner
Helmut Nirk   Engineer
Adrian von Ripka   Editing,Engineer,Mastering
Ed Wedberg   Piano Tuner
Rolf Bauer   Engineer
Mariko Takahashi   Interpretation
Anthony Rutolo   Studio Assistant
George Norton   Composer
Luis Carlos Gago   Interpretation
Louis Wolfe Gilbert   Composer
Joe Ferla   Engineer
W.C. Handy   Composer
Irving Berlin   Composer
Stefan Winter   Producer
Jerome Kern   Composer