Negative Positive
Title: Elegant Simplicity Provides Perfection
Review: With the opening phrase of "Steppin' Out with My Baby" I was stunned by the quality of this recording... and remained stunned through the final bars of "Cheek to Cheek." Though recorded more than 50 years ago, the recording is clean and full... sublime.Though his voice is often considered a weakness, Astaire's singing is the perfect match for these classics from The Great American Songbook, allowing the songs themselves to become the center of attention throughout his performances. And the precise, elegant, and intelligent piano playing of Oscar Peterson -- and the work of the other sidemen as well -- perfectly matches Astaire's stylish performances.Though I expected -- and would have accepted -- recording quality well below today's standards, I was amazed that these recordings could not only stand alongside most of today's recordings but, in many ways, rises above them.
Is the review positive or negative? 