Critical acclaim has followed Mr. Allen in virtually every artistic project he's undertaken since he created The Tonight Show in the early '50s. Included are playwriting, starring in movies, television and the theatre, authoring 48 books, recording 42 albums and writing over 6,000 songs.
Among those 6,000 songs are the 23 he selected for his first PianoDisc recording. As he explained in his liner notes, "I was asked by PianoDisc to present a package consisting entirely of my own compositions. Inasmuch as I had the good fortune to be brainwashed, as a very young fellow, by the best popular music ever written - that of the truly golden age - I tend, to the present moment, to write in that general style, though I am not limited to it... As regards to the style of playing, it's what used to be called "candlelight and wine." Fortunately there will always be a market for romantic melodies, simply played."
Judy Carmichael made her professional debut playing piano at age 16 at UCLA's Royce Hall. The engagement teamed her with Jo Stafford, Paul Weston and Edgar Bergen. Among her early and fervent supporters were Count Basie (he nicknamed her "Stride") and Sarah Vaughan, who encouraged her to record her first album.
Judy Carmichael is considered one of this country's leading interpreters of the early jazz forms of stride, boogie, swing, and New Orleans style. She explores the music deeply, infusing it with a "fresh, dynamic interpretation of her own" (Washington Post). From the first bars of her opening number Judy, to the rousing finale, Honeysuckle Rose, there's no doubt that the critics are right: Judy Carmichael has chops...and then some!
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Floyd Cramer, with a professional career spanning over 40 years, is one of country music's most well respected and honored pianists. One of the most nominated instrumentalists in the history of the Country Music Association Awards, Mr. Cramer is undoubtedly bound for the Country Music Hall of Fame. Born in Huttig, Arkansas, Mr. Cramer's interest in music began at an early age. His parents bought him his first piano at the age of five. Although he had little interest in practice or formal training, he did have an innate gift for playing by ear. His dedication to the piano eventually led to the decision to become a professional musician. With his gospel-derived style, he quickly became a key player in the Nashville session system. Floyd Cramer played on nearly all major record label sessions by such artists as Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Roy Orbison, Don Gibson, The Everly Brothers, Elvis Presley, Brenda Lee, The Browns and many others.
At the age of 12, pianist Richard Glazier has a life-defining moment: he was invited to meet with his idol Ira Gershwin, at the famed lyricist's Beverly Hills home. During the visit, Gershwin showed Glazier his Pulitzer Prize for Of Thee I Sing, talked about his late brother, composer George Gershwin (whose music had brought them together) and bestowed a singular honor on Glazier by inviting him to play on George's personal piano. As Glazier played Embraceable You and Love is Here to Stay, Ira sang along. The experience was unforgettable, and made even more special by Ira's parting words that day: "Some people say that George Gershwin played that piano, and Oscar Levant played tha piano. Someday they'll also say that Richard Glazier played that piano." "With memories like that," Glazier says, "how could I not devote my life to this music llove so well?" PianoDisc owners will find Artist Series: Richard Glazier (PD 2205) memorable in its own right--for its lush and rarely-heard arrangements, some previously unrecorded treasures, and a masterful performance by the brilliant Glazier. It is, simply, a breathtaingly beautiful collection of Gershwin songs.