Joe Augustine - Swinging on a Star

User Rating:

Not Yet Rated

Track List: Swinging on a Star

Click on or song title to hear an audio clip. Windows Media player is required.

More Joe Augustine CDs and Albums

Album Details: Swinging on a Star

Release Date:: 01/01/1993
Label:: Moulin D'or
UPC:: 728102093125

Pro Reviews: Swinging on a Star

EXPERT RATING:

From AMG Reviews

When a jazzman is as sentimental as Joe Augustine, he runs the risk of not being taken seriously by bop purists. Such purists will tell you that jazz should never be too sentimental -- they insist that the essence of jazz is musicians playing John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" or Sonny Rollins' "Oleo" as fast as they possibly can and trying to impress you with their mastery of chord changes. But sentimental playing does, in fact, have a place in jazz. It had a place in the 1920s and 1930s; it has a place today. An unaccompanied solo piano outing, 1993's Swinging on a Star is unapologetically sentimental. This CD isn't about chops or chord changes -- it's about feeling. And Augustine brings plenty of feeling to well-known standards like "Stardust," "Blues in the Night," and Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child." The acoustic pianist doesn't try to hide his romantic side -- he celebrates it. Think of the most sentimental pianism of Nat King Cole or Dave McKenna, and you will know where Augustine is coming from on this session. Like so many acoustic jazzmen, he makes the mistake of emphasizing standards that jazz listeners have heard countless times. Augustine could have offered more surprises; instead of picking so many war-horses that have been beaten to death, he would have done well to find some gems that have been overlooked in recent decades -- for example, "Mam'selle" and "Candy" (two major pop hits of the 1940s) would have been perfect for this album. But because Augustine plays so beautifully, one is inclined to be forgiving and cut him some slack. Swinging on a Star makes it clear that there is still room for jazzmen who aren't afraid to be romantic.

- Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

Related Artists

Similar Artists

Roots & Influences

Followers

Joe Augustine Biography

Joe Augustine is a contemporary pianist and arranger who has recorded for the Moulin D'Or label in Texas as well as 1201 Music. He's performed over two decades with orchestras and bands and has issued two albums doing instrumental versions of standar...Full Joe Augustine Biography

Compare Used and Refurb Prices: Swinging on a Star

Compare Used and Refurb Prices
Store	Price / Notes
	$4.00	Calculate Total Price Price + Tax + Shipping = Total Price Enter ZIP Code:	Go to Store

compare (1) used prices from $4.00 to $4.00