It's a shame that songwriter
Harry Warren's name is not as well known as some of his contemporaries like
Cole Porter or
Irving Berlin. For whatever reason, writing dozens of hit songs like "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" and winning three Academy Awards wasn't enough to get the name recognition he deserved. Hoping to change that,
Michael Feinstein pays tribute to the often-ignored composer on
Hopeless Romantics, a collection of
Warren songs performed by
Feinstein and pianist
George Shearing. With both musicians quite familiar with the
Warren catalog,
Feinstein and
Shearing decided to focus their attention specifically on
Warren's more romantic songs. Therefore, popular upbeat hits like "Jeepers Creepers" and "Lullaby of Broadway" were set aside in favor of softer tunes like "At Last" and "I Only Have Eyes for You." Of course, this approach is a perfect fit for
Feinstein, who has crooned thousands of American standards in his subdued cabaret style. The bonus this time around, though, is to have famed jazz pianist
Shearing provide the accompaniment. The pairing works fine, especially when
Shearing gets to riff a little on slightly more midtempo songs like "You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me," but no matter how impeccable and gorgeous
Shearing's work is, the album's low-key approach leaves little room for him to shine. Even one of
Shearing's most famous snappy songs, "September in the Rain," is reduced to a maudlin ballad. It still works, but the magic of this pairing is something that would be more appreciated in a concert setting where each performer has room to move. As it is, working within the romantic theme and the confines of the studio provides little variety in either tone or tempo. But rising above it all are
Warren's songs, and it is beneficial that
Feinstein resurrects beautiful yet forgotten tunes like "Shadow Waltz." Of course,
Feinstein is pitch-perfect and squeezes every ounce of good sentimentality out of each lyric, much in the way he did on his brilliant 2003 disc,
Only One Life: The Songs of Jimmy Webb. This collection, however, is a little too quiet and mannered, but
Feinstein and
Shearing still do a great service by bringing these tunes back to the forefront. After hearing
Hopeless Romantics, the name of
Harry Warren should remain imbedded in the listener's memory. ~ Aaron Latham