Can't Help Singing: A New Look at Jerome Kern Classics

Personnel: Kathy Theil, Margery Daley, Michele A. Eaton (soprano); David Lyndon Huff, Neil Farrell, Archie Worley, James Gandre, Martin Doner (tenor); Walter Richardson, Gregory Purnhagen, Joel Frederiksen, Peter Stewart (bass voice); Rena Isbin, Todd Phillips (violin); Ahling Neu (viola); Rozlyne Clarke (cello); Diane Lesser (oboe).
Liner Note Author: Miles Kreuger.
Recording information: Church of the Ascension, New York, NY (04/15/1997-06/23/1997).
Editor: Ramiro Belgardt.
Photographer: Christian Steiner .
Arrangers: James Bassi ; Donald Fraser ; Dennis Keene.
Dennis Keene & the Voices of Ascension make a giant leap from the chant and Renaissance music for which they are best known in this series of choral settings of the theater and film songs of Jerome Kern. As it turns out, however, their "new look" consists mainly of drawing Kern back to their familiar style rather than making a change in their approach. The "unique choral arrangements" (as a sleeve note puts it) of Keene, James Bassi and Donald Fraser frequently render the Kern songs unrecognizable. There are exceptions: Bassi's arrangement of "I Won't Dance" conveys some of the playfulness of the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers original and the title song, written for the rangy talents of Deanna Durbin, works well for the chorus. But for the most part, at least in these arrangements and performances, Kern's music proves unsuited to such a staid choral approach, and this is one classical/pop hybrid attempt that doesn't work. Theater music expert Miles Kreuger's extensive annotations on the songs are irrelevant to the music contained on the disc, but at least serve to remind us of what these songs are supposed to be about. ~ William Ruhlmann