A New Standard

Product Description

Having achieved great success over the course of four decades as a veteran songwriter, producer, and performer, Steve Tyrell steps forward in 1999 with an Atlantic debut that dramatically captures the magic that has instilled memorable musical moments into the hit Father Of The Bride movies. With the tellingly-titled SMILE, the L.A.-based Tyrell expands and enhances familiar classics and makes them his own. Combined with Tyrell's engaging arrangements and marked by his flair for unique phrasings, the resulting tracks are sure to win cheers from both standards enthusiasts and those with an affection for songs that simply say it all. More than the fabric of our shared musical heritage, these stellar songs remain unrivaled in their ability to touch hearts and define the emotions that otherwise elude concise explanation. That said, the multi-talented Tyrell - the author behind such pop hits as the chart-topping "How Do You Talk to an Angel" and producer of Andy Griffith's 1997 Grammy Award-winning gospel album, I Love To Tell the Story - proves inspired in his handling of such timeless tunes as "The Way You Look Tonight," as he performed in 1991's Father of the Bride.

Amazon.com

A New Standard builds on the popularity of Steve Tyrell's appearances in the Father of the Bride movies. In addition to "The Way You Look Tonight" (from the Father of the Bride soundtrack) and "Give Me the Simple Life" and "On the Sunny Side of the Street" (from Father of the Bride, Part II), the album features Tyrell singing 14 more standards in a casual, gravel-throated style. A New Standard includes the final recorded performances of trumpet great Harry "Sweets" Edison, who solos on "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" and "I've Got the World on a String." Other notable guests include Clark Terry, Plas Johnson, Joe Sample, and Toots Thielemans. But the real keys to the album's success are the impeccably crafted arrangements of rhythm guitarist Bob Mann and Tyrell's unpretentious, warm-hearted vocal delivery. In contrast to so many neoswing wannabes, Tyrell approaches these timeless tunes with the R&B-bred soul of a gray-haired baby boomer who's just discovered his parents' record collection. In the jazzbo tradition of Louis Armstrong and Jack Sheldon, he doesn't try to blow anyone away with his chops. He just sings the songs with an infectious enthusiasm and easy swing that's impossible to dislike. --Rick Mitchell

Review

Steve Tyrell working commercially as a songwriter, producer, and performer for more than four decades. His "Atlantic Records" debut, "A New Standard," came about as a result of his standards recordings for the "Father of the Bride" movies. "I've always considered myself a song man," says Tyrell. "And if anything, that's the part of my nature that I poured into making this album." To do justice to the spirit of the classic songs on this album, Tyrell chose his soloists carefully. For "I've Got the World on a String," Tyrell sought out horn player Harry "Sweets" Edison, who passed away shortly after this recording. Because Edison was featured on many of Sinatra's most famous recordings, Tyrell thought he was the only choice for this Sinatra classic.
--- JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc. -- From Jazziz, ISBN13: B00001QEOK ISBN10: B00001QEOK Material Type: audioCD