FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Miller Wright / Dan Fortune at (212) 977-7800
“Paradise. Their two-part harmonies are impeccable, their comedic give-and-take carries a sharp comic bite” – The New York Times
““When it comes to the art of popular song, the veteran singer Barbara Cook is undisputed royalty. Michael Feinstein is the premier vocal interpreter of his generation. Together, they bring polish and heart to classics from Irving Berlin to Stephen Sondheim” – The New Yorker
TONY AWARD WINNING BROADWAY LEGEND
BARBARA COOK
AND FIVE TIME GRAMMY AWARD-NOMINATED ENTERTAINER
MICHAEL FEINSTEIN
RELEASE THEIR FIRST CD TOGETHER
“CHEEK TO CHEEK”
RECORDED AT FEINSTEIN’S AT LOEWS REGENCY
ONLINE AND IN STORES NOW
BARBARA COOK, Broadway’s legendary singing actress, and MICHAEL FEINSTEIN, the platinum-selling vocalist and pianist, will release their first-ever duet CD “Cheek to Cheek,” recorded live during their sold-out engagement at Michael’s nightclub Feinstein’s at Loews Regency last season. John Oddo and Lee Musiker serve as Music Directors and provide the arrangements. The disc, released through DuckHole Records, is currently available on iTunes, Amazon.com and in stores.
"Cheek to Cheek” combines these two show stopping performers on disc for the first time. According to The New York Post, “the pair display both winning personal and musical chemistry. The evening reflects Feinstein’s canny ability to mix pop standards with enough obscure selections to keep things fresh.” Each of these vocalists fill each song with unexpected twists, spirited swing and incomparable musicality.
Their voices blend beautifully on a lighthearted and imaginative duet medley of the two standards “The Very Thought of You” and “Tea or Two.” The old vaudeville chestnut “Shine On Harvest Moon,” which closes the festivities on a warm note, perfectly highlights their musical alchemy.
Michael’s bravura solo performances of “Without A Song” and “You’re Gonna Hear from Me” are called “tours de force of traditional pop belting executed with perfect intonation, enunciation and dynamic control” by The New York Times. Always a champion of newer songwriters in addition to the masters, Feinstein offers a particularly tender reading of “Ever After,” the title song from the upcoming Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich stage musical. Ms. Goldrich accompanies Michael on the piano for this track.
Ms. Cook’s interpretation of “Here’s To Life” was hailed at “the definitive rendition” by The New York Times. “Just when you think Ms. Cook couldn’t go any deeper into song lyrics,” the review continued, “she expresses new levels of empathy and understanding.” According to The New York Post, “her exquisite torch-song-style rendition of ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’ was a revelation.” Lee Musiker created the brilliantly reimagined arrangement for the Cole Porter classic.
“Cheek to Cheek” was produced by Feinstein and Cook, and also features Aaron Heick on reeds, George Rabbai on trumpet, Warren Odze on drums and David Finck on bass.
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MICHAEL FEINSTEIN, the multi-platinum-selling, five-time Grammy-nominated entertainer dubbed “The Ambassador of the Great American Songbook,” is considered one of the premier interpreters of American standards. His 150-plus shows a year have included performances at Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl as well as the White House and Buckingham Palace. Feinstein is nationally recognized for his commitment to celebrating America’s popular song and preserving its legacy for the next generation. He serves on the Library of Congress’ National Recording Preservation Board.
Feinstein’s love of song can be heard in The Sinatra Project, his 2009 Concord Records CD celebrating the music of “Ol’ Blue Eyes,” and in the PBS series Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook, in which he uncovers treasures from the Great American Songbook, which was recently released on DVD.
If that weren’t enough, Feinstein will serve as artistic director of the Palladium Center for the Performing Arts, a $170 million, three-theatre venue in Carmel, Indiana, opening this month. The theater will be home to an annual international Great American Songbook festival, diverse live programming and a museum. Starting in 2010, he also took over as director of Jazz and Popular Song Series at New York’s Lincoln Center.
Feinstein has written the score for the new stage musical The Gold Room, and he is working with MGM to turn The Thomas Crown Affair into a Broadway musical. In 2004, he completed a national tour with songwriting icon Jimmy Webb based on their CD Only One Life – The Songs of Jimmy Webb. The disc was named one of “10 Best CDs of the Year” by USA Today.
His Manhattan nightclub, Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, has presented the top talents of pop and jazz, including Rosemary Clooney, Glen Campbell, Diahann Carroll, Cheyenne Jackson, Jane Krakowski, Lea Michele, Cyndi Lauper, Jason Mraz and Alan Cumming.
The roots of all this work began in Columbus, Ohio, where Feinstein started playing piano by ear as a 5-year-old. After graduating from high school, he worked in local piano lounges for two years, moving to Los Angeles when he was 20. The widow of legendary concert pianist-actor Oscar Levant introduced him to Ira Gershwin in July 1977. Feinstein became Gershwin’s assistant for six years, which earned him access to numerous unpublished Gershwin songs, many of which he has since performed and recorded. For more information, please visit www.michaelfeinstein.com.
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BARBARA COOK – considered “Broadway’s favorite ingénue” during the heyday of the Broadway musical – launched a second career as a concert and recording artist soaring from one professional peak to another. Her silvery soprano, purity of tone, and warm presence have delighted audiences around the world for more than 50 years.
Whether on the stages of major international venues throughout the world or in the intimate setting of a New York nightclub Barbara Cook’s popularity continues to thrive – as evidenced the celebration of her 80th birthday in the Fall of 2007 with three sold out concerts with the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall, her solo concert debut at the Metropolitan Opera (which made her the first female pop singer to be presented by the Met in the company's long history), and a succession of six triumphant returns to Carnegie Hall where she made a legendary solo concert debut in 1975. Miss Cook's ever-growing mantle of honors including the Tony, Grammy, Drama Desk and New York Drama Critics Circle Awards, as well as her citation as a Living New York Landmark, her induction into the Theatre Hall of Fame and Musical America's 2007 Vocalist of the Year award.
A leading star during the Broadway musical's "golden age" of the 50's and 60's, her many Broadway credits include the creation of three classic roles in the American musical theatre: Cunegonde in Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, Marian the Librarian in Meredith Willson’s The Music Man (Tony Award) and Amalia in Bock and Harnick’s She Loves Me (Drama Desk Award). Last season she returned to Broadway for the first time in 23 years and received a Tony Award nomination for her performance in Sondheim On Sondheim. For more information, please visit www.barbaracook.com.
