Search - Jule Styne, Aaron Gandy, Kelli O'Hara :: Jule Styne in Hollywood

Possibly the best release from PS Classics ever

William S. Oser | Florida, USA | 08/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Before the Broadway Jule Styne (think Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Bells are Ringing, Gypsy among his most sucessful shows),he toiled in Hollywood for years during the late 30's and 40's. Some of his classic movie songs are well known such as I Don't Want to Walk without You and I'll Walk Alone. Others are not so well known. When I was plowing through the 6 disc Sinatra in Hollywood set, I was amazed at the vitality of the songs Jule Styne wrote for Sinatra. As the Amazon reviewer said, Sinatra and Styne were a match made in heaven. But how is this recording and will you like it? Wonderful and Yes you absolutely will!! Kelli O'Hara leads off with a lovely whistful song called Blame My Absent Minded Heart which is lovely. Unfortunately it is followed by Audra McDonald and an unfamiliar number from West Point Story called 10437 Sheep. Once you have heard it, everything else is forgotten. Teriffic performance of a teriffic song. Other highlights include Sutton Foster singing There's Nothing Rougher than Love, Philip Chaffin singing Come Out, Come Out, Wherever you are (with a sly little wink in his voice--Sinatra sang it in Step Lively but this is at least as good probably better), Klea Blackhurst with That Ain't Hay (That's the U.S.A.), Brent Barrett weighing in with the classic Time After Time and jeff Harnar's Money Burns a Hole in My Pocket. Any of the tracks that I have not mentioned would be standouts if only the tracks mentioned weren't so unbelievably wonderful. This CD should be rated with 8 stars!! One of the best CDs I have purchased in a long time, and I purchase a lot. BUY IT!!"

Slightly disappointed...

broadway309 | 11/19/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As a major Broadway fan, I didn't hesitate to purchase this album mostly because of its excellent vocal talent. With selections featuring some of my favorite Broadway stars such as Sutton Foster, Audra McDonald, and Kelli O'Hara, I expected this to be a powerhouse album just oozing with ear candy.



This wasn't exactly the case. Though the songs are well done and the singers are up to par, it just didn't keep my interest. There are only about 3 songs that I liked overall, and "10,432 Sheep" is the only song I would recommend to others. I personally pay attention to anything Sutton Foster records, therefore I don't consider the purchase a total loss. The numbers themselves just didn't seem to be anything special. For it's price, I expected more.



All in all it is a very good compilation, a worthy addition to any Broadway buff's collection. But unless you just love the music of Jule Styne...it may come off to be a bit boring. Maybe it's meant for a more mature audience who can appreciate it. If you're thinking of getting it for your teenage daughter for Christmas or something, you might want to pass.

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