Yehudi Menuhin & Stephane Grappelli - Friends in Music
4CD Limited Edition
This 4 CD set containing all the recordings that the two legendary violinists Yehudi Menuhin and Stephane Grappelli made for EMI is a further release in the EMI Classics ICON series.
The classical violinist Yehudi Menuhin and the jazz musician Stephane Grappelli collaborated on six LPs of semi-improvised jazz duets of popular songs between 1973 and 1983. The albums were called: Jealousy, Fascinatin' Rhythm, Tea for Two, Strictly for the Birds, Top Hat and For All Seasons.
Yehudi Menuhin has been acclaimed as one of the greatest and best-loved classical violinists of the 20th century, as well as an outstanding educator, humanitarian and citizen of the world. Stephane Grappelli has long been an iconic figure in the jazz world, largely through his partnership with the gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt and their participation during the 1930s in the Quintet of the Hot Club of France.
These two very different violinists first came together to appear on a TV show in the UK on Christmas Day 1971. Despite their initial doubts about the collaboration, the partnership blossomed and the two men became close friends as well as musical colleagues.
The 4 CDs contain 86 songs, many by the great American songwriters George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin and Cole Porter, as well as jazz standards like 'Sweet Georgia Brown', 'Lullaby of Birdland' and 'Crazy Rhythm'. There are also 13 items composed by Grappelli himself, several of which were written specially for Menuhin.
The song 'I didn't know what time it was' by Richard Rodgers on CD 2, recorded in Holland in October 1977, is being released here for the first time.
The accompaniments range from solo guitar or piano via trios and small ensembles to full orchestras involving woodwind, strings and brass. Among the skilled jazz musicians accompanying Menuhin and Grappelli are the pianists Alan Clare, Max Harris and Laurie Holloway; guitarists John Etheridge, Martin Taylor and Ike Isaacs; bass players Lennie Bush, Pierre Michelot and Jack Sewing, and drummers Ronnie Verrell and Alan Ganley.
The Arrangements are mostly by Max Harris, but those from the LP called Top Hat are by Nelson Riddle. ( EMI )
CD1
1. Jacob Gade: Jealousy
2. Richard Rodgers: The Blue Moon
3. George Gershwin: A Fine Romance
4. George Gershwin: Love is here to stay
5. Stephane Grappelli: Billy
6. Jerome Kern: Pick yourself up
7. Cole Porter: Night and Day
8. Stephane Grappelli: Aurore
9. Jimmy McHugh: I can't believe that you're in love with me
10. Jack Strachey: These foolish things
11. George Gershwin: Oh, lady, be good!
12. Irving Berlin: Cheek to Cheek
13. Richard Rodgers: The Lady is a Tramp
14. Stephane Grappelli: Errol
15. Stephane Grappelli: Jermyn Street
16. Cole Porter: Just one of those things
17. George Gershwin: Fascinating Rhythm
18. Geroge Gershwin: Liza
19. Geroge Gershwin: I got rhythm
20. Stephane Grappelli: Johnny aime
21. Cole Porter: I get a kick out of you
22. George Gershwin: Soon
23. Geroge Gershwin: 'S Wonderful
CD2
1. George Gershwin: Summertime
2. Stephane Grappelli: Menuet pour Menuhin
3. George Gershwin: Nice work if you can get it
4. George Gershwin: Embraceable you
5. Cole Porter: Looking at you
6. Jerome Kern: Why do I love you?
7. Jerome Kern: All the things you are
8. Joseph Meyer/Roger Wolfe Kahn: Crazy Rhythm
9. Philip Braham: Limehouse Blues
10. Harold Arlen: Between the devil and the deep blue sea
11. Vincent Youmans: Tea for Two
12. Jerome Kern: Yesterdays
13. Richard Rodgers: My Funny Valentine
14. Richard Rodgers: I didn't know what time it was
15. George Gershwin: A foggy Day (in London town)
16. Stephane Grappelli: Highgate Village
17. Stephane Grappelli: Adelaide Eve
18. Max Harris: Viva Vivaldi
19. Max Harris: Air on a shoestring
20. George Gershwin: The Man I Love
21. Richard Rodgers: Thou swell
22. Stephane Grappelli: Coucou
CD3
1. Manning Sherwin: A nightingale sang in Berkley Square
2. George Gershwin: Lullaby of Birdland
3. Harry Woods: When the red, red, robin comes bob, bob, bobbin' along
4. Hoagy Carmichael: Skylark
5. Ray Henderson: Bye, bye blackbird
6. Ted Grouya: Flamingo
7. Harry Akst: Dinah
8. Earl Hines: Rosetta
9. Victor Young: Sweet Sue
10. Frank Loesser: Once in love with Amy
11. David Raksin: Laura
12. Maceo Pinkard/Ben Bernie/Kenneth Casey: Sweet Georgia Brown
13. Stephane Grappelli: La Route du Roi
14. Irving Berlin: Isn't this a lovely day (to be caught in the rain)?
15. Irving Berlin: He loves and she loves
16. Irving Berlin: Funny Face
17. Irving Berlin: They can't take that away from me
18. Irving Berlin: They all laughed
19. Irving Berlin: Puttin' on the Ritz
20. Irving Berlin: Change Partners
21. Irving Berlin: Top hat, white tie and tails
CD4
1. Irving Berlin: The Piccolino
2. Jerome Kern: The way you look tonight
3. Con Conrad: The Continental
4. Vincent Youmans: The Carioca
5. Stephane Grappelli: Alison
6. Stephane Grappelli: Amanda
7. Max Harris: Winter Set
8. Ray Henderson: Button up your overcoat
9. Frank Loesser: Spring will be a little late this year
10. Vernon Duke: April in Paris
11. Vernon Duke: Autumn in New York
12. Jimmy McHugh: On the sunny side of the street
13. Jule Styne: The things we did last summer
14. Joseph Kosma: Autumn Leaves
15. Stephane Grappelli: Giboulees de mars
16. Stephane Grappelli: Automne
17. Irving Berlin: I've got my love to keep me warm
18. Irving Berlin: Heat Wave
19. Gene De Paul: I'll remember April
20. Harry Warren: September in the rain
