Search - Susannah Mccorkle :: Someone to Watch Over Me: Songs of George Gershwin

"I'm doing better than ever now"

ahlfors@citycabaret.com | NY, NY | 07/07/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"You've got to agree with her. Susannah McCorkle's many fans won't be disappointed with her latest release, "Someone To Watch Over Me." The title song is so heartfelt, its long lines held so precisely, it does just what a great song should do, makes the listener stop and pay attention. McCorkle delivers her unmistakable take on George Gershwin, her smoky voice often hinting of quiet regrets from a past only she knows. She is in her element with ballads. She sinks into them and draws out all the drama without a guise of artificial theatricality. Just listen to, "How Long Has This Been Going On," particularly suited for McCorkle's built-in salty tears, and with the voice is her understanding of the lyrics, delivered with intelligence. While "I Love You, Porgy" is intimate and smoldering, "Summertime" has the simplicity of a lullaby, but McCorkle isn't a simple singer. She plays around with the melody, lazy like the sounds of a summer afternoon, although there is very little teasing and coyness in her renditions. She seems to be having the most fun with, "I Was Doing All Right," her jazz pals joining into the swing of things. Allen Farnham, as usual, accompanies McCorkle on piano, doing most of the arrangements. As in her top-notch Concord recordings, she is backed by some of the best sidemen around. The recording closes with two jewels, "Will You Remember Me?" and "Drifting Along With the Tide." They have a sound of the post World War 1 era, a sweet nostalgia and McCorkle presents them elegantly, ending her contribution to this Gershwin centennial with touching simplicity and beauty. -Elizabeth Ahlfors"

Gone too soon...

Emmett Miller | AUSTIN, TX USA | 05/21/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Dang, too often it takes tragedy in the entertainment field to uncover a lesser-known, diamond-in-the-rough type singer. I've become even more acquainted with Susannah's voice since her death just days ago (5/18/01). Oh, the dozens of Concord compilations which feature her voice never caught my attention (and are surely worth another listen), but this Gershwin disc sure did. Very sedating and relaxing songs with exceptional backing are represented here. I'll definitely plan to broaden my reviews once I've had a chance to garner future discs by Susannah. Surely she's enjoying her stay with Sarah, Carmen, and Ella!!"

Another masterpiece from Susannah

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 05/31/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"George Gershwin co-wrote many classic songs, often with his brother Ira but also with others. Susannah was renowned as a great interpreter of old songs, so it was no surprise that she recorded an album of Gershwin songs. Nor was it any surprise that she included some obscure songs as well as some standards.Several famous songs did find their way on to this album, including They'll never take that away from me, Someone to watch over me, It ain't necessarily so, I got rhythm, S'wonderful and (perhaps most famous of all) Summertime. By contrast, Will you remember me remained unpublished for many years, though the quality of this song makes one wonder why somebody didn't record it. It was written for a show but dropped during rehearsals. The oldest song here, Drifting with the tide, is not among the more famous songs, but it is really lovely.Susannah recorded many excellent albums, but this is as good as any of them. The number of famous songs makes it one of the easiest Susannah albums to appreciate, although there are enough obscure songs to maintain interest in the album after repeated listening."