 Swingin' on Broadway
On sale now from:
Dress Circle
Jazz CDs
iTunes
and Amazon.
Click here to download the press release.
SWINGIN’ ON BROADWAY celebrates songs from some of the world’s favourite musicals including Anything Goes, The King & I, Annie, Gypsy, Marry Poppins, and the current Broadway hit shows Wicked and Spamalot.
The standards of the Great American Songbook were born of vaudeville and early musical theatre, and their ubiquitous composers feature heavily on this release, including the Sherman brothers, Sondheim, Rodgers and Hart, Lerner and Loewe, and of course, the Gershwins. Cole Porter’s captured with the theme from ‘Anything Goes’, while Rodgers and Hammerstein are represented with songs from ‘The Sound of Music’ and ‘Oklahoma!’. Clive Dunstall’s lyrical arrangement of ‘The Surrey With The Fringe On Top’, with echoes of Oscar Peterson, is a particular delight. In a nod to his centennial year, it’s great to be reminded of Alec Wilder’s ‘It’s A Fine Day For Walking Country Style’; and ‘All I Need Is The Girl’ with Mike Smith’s drum solo is another standout track.
 Chim Chim Cheree (Sherman/Sherman)† from Mary Poppins
All I Need Is The Girl (Styne/Sondheim) ‡ from Gypsy
This Can’t Be Love (Rodgers/Hart) ◊ from The Boys from Syracuse
Anything Goes (Porter) ‡
from Anything Goes
Street Where You Live (Lerner/Lowe) ‡ from My Fair Lady
Who Will Buy? (Bart) † from Oliver!
You’re Never Fully Dressed (Stouse/Charnin) ‡ from Annie
It’s a Fine Day for Walking Country Style (Wilder) Ω from Miss Chicken Little
On A Clear Day (Jay/Lerner/Lane) ‡ from On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
Favourite Things (Rodgers/Hammerstein II) † from The Sound of Music
Isn't It A Pity (Gershwin/Gershwin) †† from Pardon My English
Surrey With a Fringe on Top † (Rodgers/Hammerstein II) ∆ from Oklahoma
Wonderful (Schwartz) † from Wicked
Save The Last Dance For Me (Pomus/Shuman) † from Dirty Dancing
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life †
from Spamalot
Songs we recorded but decided not to include on this release are:
The Trolley Song (Martin/Blane) ◊ from Meet Me In St Louis
Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead (Arlen/Harburg) ∞ from The Wizard of Oz
Key to Arrangers
† = Clive Dunstall
‡ = Andrew Cottee
◊ = Paul Campbell
Ω = Phil Lee
†† = Richard Rodney Bennett
To view Gary's online photo album - click here.
Photos: Mark Norris
 In
the Lounge with Gary Williams
Following from the success of Alone Together, recorded with
the John Wilson Orchestra, Gary has again chosen the brilliant young
arranger Andrew Cottee and John Wilson to produce a sextet of the country’s
finest jazz musicians.
Click on the following links to hear what Radio 2's DJs are saying
about the new album:
Michael
Parkinson plays 'Sweet Lorraine' and says "I like that... excellent"
Malcolm
Laycock plays 'A Swingin' Affair' and says "...another great
singer, Gary Williams... with songs all beautifully arranged for him
by Andrew Cottee... and the songs are all carefully chosen to fit the
smooth texture of Gary's voice."
David
Jacobs plays 'Music to Watch Girls By' and says, "not only
is he a lovely person, but he's also a fine singer..."
Desmond
Carrington plays 'Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries' and says "his
light touch and deft style are very much his own... I think the 'lounge'
in this venue is one where the spotlight can pick out the star who entertains
when other lights are low."
Russell
Davies plays 'I Thought About You' and describes Gary as "one
of our most reliable singers..."
Gary explains “we aimed for a lilting jazz feel, reminiscent
of George Shearing, so we assemble our rhythm section and added vibes
and guitar. I always loved that sound, especially with the vibes –
it’s so gentle and light, and yet swings like crazy. Recording
in Abbey Road number 3 was the perfect studio; I immediately felt at
ease and we started to lay tracks down within 30 minutes.”
Offering the widest popular appeal, most of the songs on the album
will be familiar to even the most casual listener, but this presented
a challenge of its own, as Gary explained: “Precisely because
many of the songs are very well known, we needed exciting new arrangements,
otherwise, what’s the point? Andrew Cottee, the ace young arranger,
came up with the goods. He’s given ‘Music to Watch Girls
By’ a brooding allure, while Dean Martin’s ‘I Can’t
Give You Anything But Love’ has a more relaxed, playful mood.
‘As Long As I’m Singing’, written by Bobby Darin,
keeps the original’s great zest and fun whilst adding a few original
touches. ‘I Thought About You’, the one contribution by
Richard Rodney Bennett, is equally original, without loosing any of
the charm that made it such a popular standard.
 The
liner notes are written by Alexander
McCall Smith, author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency where
he describes the album as "This is a wonderful collection by a
versatile,
talented, and likeable singer." Gary explained the choice, "The
idea to invite Mr McCall Smith to write the liner notes was inspired
by the sentiments of many of the songs on the album, which seemed similar
to those expressed by his heroine, Mma Ramotswe. Songs like Life Is
Just A Bowl of Cherries and I've Got The Sun In The Morning which remind
us that it's the simple things that matter: our health, our friends
and our families. As De Sylva, Brown and Henderson said, "the sweet
things in life to you were just loaned, so how can you lose what you've
never owned. Life is just a bowl of cherries, so live and laugh at it
all."
Complimented by and an A list of jazz musicians, including Matt Skelton
at the drums and Graham Harvey at the piano, IN THE LOUNGE WITH GARY
WILLIAMS is seventeen terrific tracks. Well worth the wait!
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To download a PRESS PACK with photos and press
releases, click here.
Graham Harvey - piano
Dave Chamberlain - bass
Matt Skelton - drums
Luke Annesley - horns
Martin Kershaw - guitar
Andrew Cottee - vibes
Producer - John Wilson
Mike Dutton - Executive Producer
Chris Bolster - Engineer
Assistant Engineer - Scrap Marshall
Arrangements - Andrew Cottee and Richard Rodney Bennett
Recorded at EMI, Abbey Road, Studio 3: 6th, 7th, 8th, 20th February
2006.
Here are the songs. Click on any of them to hear a short MP3 clip:
 Music
to Watch Girls By
Sweet
Lorraine
I
Thought About You
A
Swinging Affair
I
Can’t Give You Anything But Love
I’ve
Got the Sun in the Morning
Lover
Come Back to Me
Fly
Me to the Moon
I’m
Glad There Is You
Baubles,
Bangles and Beads
Call
Me
All
That Jazz
Change
Partners
Let’s
Get Lost
Let
There Be Love
Life
is Just a Bowl of Cherries
As
Long As I’m Singing
 Alone Together
Buy online from the following stores
(click to visit their web sites):
HMV
Woolworths
Dress
Circle
What have Radio 2's DJs been saying about Gary's new CD? Click on
the presenter's name to listen:
David
Jacobs
Michael
Parkinson
Russell
Davis
Malcolm
Laycock
Click
here to download a Press Pack with full sized photos of the session
and pictures used for the album artwork.
"A must for anyone interested in the art
of vocal expression" - Clive Fuller 'In Tune' Magazine.
To see the full review visit the reviews
page.
Produced
by Mike Dutton at Abbey
Road, studio number 2
Orchestral
arrangements by Andrew Cottee
Conducted
by John Wilson
Sleeve
notes by Russell Davies
It features beautiful ballads and gentle swing standards.
Just
In Time Listen
to MP3 clip
Where
or When Listen
to MP3 clip
Why
Shouldn't I Listen
to MP3 clip
Just
One of Those Things Listen
to MP3 clip
I
Remember You Listen
to MP3 clip
I
Get Along Without You Very Well
If
I Had You
More
Than You Know
You're
Sensational
My
Buddy
l'll
Be Around
Time
After Time
End
of A Love Affair
They
Can't Take That Away from Me
Alone
Together
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