The Sweetest of Nights and the Finest of Days (bonus track)
Cabaret icon Andrea Marcovicci inspires thoughts of long, flowing gowns and classic love songs of the '40s. Her 2000 album Here, There & Everywhere represents a different side, featuring what she calls "pop songs of o... more »ur time"--Billy Joel, the Beatles, James Taylor. Some songs are better suited to her than others--the singing actress may not have the most beautiful instrument and some notes are a little unstable--but the selection is diverse and interesting and Marcovicci never fails to provide excellent taste. (She even has the refreshingly good sense not to follow the usual, often awkward practice of gender-switching pronouns simply because she, not Paul McCartney, is singing "Here, There and Everywhere.") And the songs she does best--the Beatles' "For No One," Jimmy Webb's "If These Walls Could Speak," Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns"--are very fine indeed, while pianist-arranger Shelly Markham (rather than usual accomplice Glenn Mehrbach) provides excellent support as well as an attractive song of his own, "The Sweetest of Nights and the Finest of Days." This certainly wouldn't be anyone's first choice for a Marcovicci album, but fans shouldn't miss it. --David Horiuchi« less
Cabaret icon Andrea Marcovicci inspires thoughts of long, flowing gowns and classic love songs of the '40s. Her 2000 album Here, There & Everywhere represents a different side, featuring what she calls "pop songs of our time"--Billy Joel, the Beatles, James Taylor. Some songs are better suited to her than others--the singing actress may not have the most beautiful instrument and some notes are a little unstable--but the selection is diverse and interesting and Marcovicci never fails to provide excellent taste. (She even has the refreshingly good sense not to follow the usual, often awkward practice of gender-switching pronouns simply because she, not Paul McCartney, is singing "Here, There and Everywhere.") And the songs she does best--the Beatles' "For No One," Jimmy Webb's "If These Walls Could Speak," Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns"--are very fine indeed, while pianist-arranger Shelly Markham (rather than usual accomplice Glenn Mehrbach) provides excellent support as well as an attractive song of his own, "The Sweetest of Nights and the Finest of Days." This certainly wouldn't be anyone's first choice for a Marcovicci album, but fans shouldn't miss it. --David Horiuchi
CD Reviews
A Disappointing Performance from a Great Artist
AH-1Z | Sacramento, CA USA | 03/23/2001
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Let me say first that I'm a big fan of Ms Marcovicci, since her vinyl days. I've also been very fortunate to see her live, performing "classic" as well as contemporary material in both concert and in musicals. It's acknowledgement of her great talent that causes me to rate this CD so low. The problem is not Ms Marcovicci's voice. No, it's not what it was 15 years ago, but everyone changes over time, and it's stull mesmerizing and haunting. It's not any decrease in her formidable talent. It's not that these are "modern" songs as opposed to her usual selections. They are well chosen and appropriate, The problem is that the performances here are lacking and feeling and the arrangements are flat. The Marcovicci magic just isn't here on this CD. All of the songs are "technically correct", but there's little life or feeling in the recording. It's like a formal recitation rather than a sharing. It lacks both spirit and intimacy. Imagine, if you will, a very talented performer preparing for a recording session of material that they had never seen before and had no familiarity with. Yes, I know Ms Marcovicci knows more about these songs than I ever will, but keep that image. There will be a period of learning the words and notes to get them down. Think of a sketch before the colors are added. Once that is accomplished, the artist then stops worrying about the framework and starts infusing the straight song with feeling, style and message until it becomes their own rendition. Imagine now that last "technical" rehearsehal. You know, the one after which the artist says, "OK, I know it. Now, let's really Sing this". Now imagine that instead of the later sessions, the producer recorded that last "technical" run through and for whatever reason released That session for sale. That's what this CD is like. It's correct, but flat. Little feeling comes through. What little bit that does doesn't seem forced as much as cued. For example, for the little "business" at the end of "When I'm 64", you can almost see all the performers slavishly following written instructions, "...blow whistle; wait 2 beats, laugh". This may not be what happened, but that's how it comes across. In short, on this CD Ms. Marcovicci and the other artists give a very 'correct' performance. Of all her body of work, this is the only recording or performance where I do not think I received my money's worthy. You might buy this CD to complete a collection of her work, but this is Not the CD to use to introdcue new people to the joys of Ms. Marcovicci."
An angel voice
Steven Kruger | Atlanta, GA USA | 11/26/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Hearing Marcovicci on disc can never approximate hearing her live. . .especially in a small venue. Even though the voice may not be "the best", the performances often linger. I find myself reaching for her CDs (and I have them all) often without thinking. Treat yourself. You may not be "amazed", but you'll get hooked."
Modern Marcovicci
Joshue Sazon | Iowa City, IA USA | 10/21/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Andrea Marcovicci steps out of her usual repertoire of "classic pop" (Kern, Arlen, Porter &tc) and traverses material of more contemporary composers (Lennon and McCartney, Paul Simon). The results are... interesting. While some of her interpretations will not erase the memories of more famous versions, others really made me listen to these songs with a fresh ear (most notably Lennon and McCartney's "For No One"). Her choice of material makes a compelling case that the works of the more contemporary tunesmiths are as timeless as their Tin Pan Alley counterparts."
Cabaret Recording Artists are Allowed to Grow & Expand.
Joshue Sazon | 05/13/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Geez... Come on guys, give Andrea Marcovicci a tremendous amount of credit for allowing herself to reach beyond her "cabaret roots" and experiment with some of the mild "rock & roll" and "folk" compositions of the 1960's. Granted, I have immediate favorites on her new CD, and I prefer to listen to them. But, everyone is like that, we prefer to listen to our favorite songs by favorite singers or a band. Andrea Marcovicci's choice of songs on this CD is impeccable and I think were the perfect choice for the "30, 40, and 50-something" generation. Being a true artist, vocalist, or "Cabaret Singer" (you pick which one) can sometimes force you to take risks, some large, or some very small, but always to recognize your artistic potential and growth. Though, I do have one suggestion for Andrea Marcovicci, if she should decide to take the "Our Songs" show on tour again and present it in another large auditorium like UCLA's Royce Hall; please hire more musicians for the performance, especially for this particular kind of show. A couple of acoustic guitars, a bass player added along with the talented pianist, Shelly Markum and the percussionist would complete the canvass to your theme.You had me mesmerized at Royce Hall when you sang "Here, There, and Everywhere" by The Beatles. Absolutely, gorgeous, my dear... Good job - Michael Poss - One of your fellow Cabaret-Pop Singer/Songwriters."
Track Listings (17) - Disc #1
