Bill Charlap and Sandy Stewart

[GA Russell]

I didn't notice many new recordings come from Blue Note last year, but one piqued my interest when I read about it on Doug Ramsey's Rifftides blog. This is an album called Love is Here to Stay by Bill Charlap and Sandy Stewart.

CD Universe says that its release date was September 27, and already BMG/Your Music has it. Here's the Your Music link:

http://www.yourmusic.com/browse/album/Bill...=SEARCH_ARTISTS

Sandy Stewart is a singer (an alto) who was nominated for a Grammy in 1962 for an album called My Coloring Book. She soon after retired from show business to raise four children, one of whom grew up to be...Bill Charlap. When her husband, Broadway composer Moose Charlap, died in 1974, she returned to the business singing on demo sessions and advertising jingles. She returned to the spotlight in 1990.

This 57 minute album is simply voice and piano, with no other instruments. It is cabaret, not jazz. There is no improvisation. All eleven songs are ballads of the Broadway/Great American Songbook type, by people like the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Rodgers & Hart and Irving Berlin. Every song is extremely quiet.

Stewart has trouble holding a sustained note, as you would expect from a woman of her age. In that regard, she reminds me of Lee Wiley. Charlap is the accompanyist all the way, never coming to the fore. He does a great job.

I'll be listening to this one on Sunday afternoons, when I like my music peaceful and quiet. If you like Lee Wiley or other cabaret singers, you might go for this too. It's a little early to think about a Mother's Day present, but this would fit the bill for that, too.

[paul secor]

Bill Charlap used to live in the town where I work. I ran into him several times, and once I mentioned that I'd just seen Go, Johnny Go, a 1950's rock 'n roll movie which featured Sandy Stewart, his mother. He seemed happy that someone had seen her in the movie and knew that he was her son. It's kind of cool that the two of them have the opportunity to record together - hope the CD is a good one.

[Stereojack]

I thought Bill's playing on this disc was more interesting than Sandy's singing, which was unexceptional. I agree that she may be a bit part her prime by now, but a listen to her 1960's recordings will reveal that she never was among the greats, imo.

[GA Russell]

Bill Charlap used to live in the town where I work. I ran into him several times, and once I mentioned that I'd just seen Go, Johnny Go, a 1950's rock 'n roll movie which featured Sandy Stewart, his mother. He seemed happy that someone had seen her in the movie and knew that he was her son...

Great story, Paul! I had never heard of her before.

[Lazaro Vega]

We had a listener in Mansfield, Ohio, call the station to say he thought Sandy Stewart sounded like Polly Bergen, actress in "The Winds of War."

[Bluerein]

terrible cd imo.......Blue Note unworthy

[mike casinghino]

while the vocals were sort of blah, i would not call them terrible. terrible,in my opinion, would be the two so called vocals on robert glasper's new recording,canvas.talk about terrible, nothing like wrecking a very nice debut recording by mr. glasper.

[GA Russell]

We had a listener in Mansfield, Ohio, call the station to say he thought Sandy Stewart sounded like Polly Bergen, actress in "The Winds of War."

Lazaro, I met Polly Bergen in 1975! I had a part time job in the wine and cheese section of a department store in suburban Wasington, and she was making the rounds of the store because she was introducing something she was connected with (I think perfume).

When I was little, my older sister had an album of hers called Bergen Sings Morgan - all Helen Morgan songs.

She was nice when I met her. I didn't have anything to say to her, but she would have engaged in a conversation with me if I had.

[Lazaro Vega]

Bergan is a lot more theatrical than Sandy Stewart, more over the top. What did you think of that comparison?

[GA Russell]

I was a pre-schooler when my sister had the Polly Bergen record, so I couldn't say really.

I do seem to recall that she put some emotion into some of the songs. This Sandy Stewart record is quiet, as I mention above, and not at all theatrical, so I suppose just about anyone would be more theatrical!

I haven't gone back to Charlap Stewart CD, so I suppose that means it didn't impress me all that much. I'm sure I'll play it in the future.

edit for typo

Edited February 7, 2006 by GA Russell