Record of the day: André Previn, “Plays Songs by Vernon Duke”

André Previn
“Plays Songs by Vernon Duke” (Cd Contemporary 1769-2)

For several decades André Previn has been one of the most famous conductors in the world, at the head of the major symphony ensembles, composer of operas, and a highly sought-after pianist in the field of chamber music.
Parallel to this brilliant career as a classical musician, Previn (who was born in Berlin and fled to Europe with his parents due to Nazi persecution) was an excellent jazz pianist in his youth who created for the Contemporary record company, the cornerstone of West Coast Jazz , a large series of albums with different instrumental lineups, often together with famous colleagues such as double bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Shelly Manne.

The album I recommend to you today is one of his first solo exploits for the label and is entirely dedicated to the famous songwriter Vernon Duke (whose real name was Vladimir Dukelsky, originally from Belarus). One of the most beloved composers on the Broadway scene since his debut, Duke has left us with the gift of pages that have made
history of jazz, among which the most famous are certainly “Autumn in New York”, “I Can’t Get Started” and “April in Paris” (but many of his songs have been revisited by numerous jazz musicians); the composer himself signs the album’s liner notes, underlining the excellence with which Previn tackles the pages he created.

Previn, naturally, uses these famous standards but favors in the rest of the album pages that are much less known, but no less valuable. “Taking a Chance on Love”, “Ages Ago”, “Cabin in the Sky” and “Round About” are very beautiful compositions that have nothing to envy of their more famous sisters in terms of melodic workmanship and writing quality.
Sparkling technique, harmonic clarity, virtuosity of great effect but never unnecessarily exhibited, use without banality of all registers of the keyboard, conciseness of ideas in improvisational developments (where the classical studies addressed by Previn often appear), swing in profusion are only some of the elements with which the pianist presents himself.

Many of these recordings were made only once, as Previn’s skill allowed him to record one perfect take after another with no apparent effort; ideas gush from the keyboard naturally, making listening a true joy.

Carlo Boccadoro, composer and conductor, was born in Macerata in 1963. He lives and works in Milan. He collaborates with soloists and orchestras in different parts of the world. He is the author of numerous books on musical topics.

This text is taken from “Lunario della musica: A record for every day of the year” published by Einaudi, courtesy of the author and the publisher.