| Name | Artist | Time | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
The Summer Knows (Theme from "Summer of '42") / Between Yesterday and Tomorrow | Lee Lessack | 4:19 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
|
2 |
I Will Wait for You (From "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg") | Lee Lessack | 3:18 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
|
3 |
The Importance of the Rose (L'important C'est La Rose) | Lee Lessack | 3:32 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
|
4 |
She | Lee Lessack | 2:38 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
|
5 |
The Sound of Your Name | Lee Lessack | 2:23 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
|
6 |
The Windmills of Your Mind / Autumn Leaves | Lee Lessack | 4:18 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
|
7 |
Yesterday When I Was Young | Lee Lessack | 4:35 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
|
8 |
Pieces of Dreams | Lee Lessack | 3:58 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
|
9 |
What Now My Love | Lee Lessack | 3:34 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
|
10 |
Hymne à l'Amour | Lee Lessack | 3:35 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
|
11 |
Song of Bernadette | Lee Lessack | 4:03 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
|
12 |
If We Only Have Love (From "Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris") | Lee Lessack | 4:30 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| Total: 12 Songs |
Album Review
Recognizing the influence of the French chanson on the cabaret scene, Philadelphia performer Lee Lessack's first release since 2005's duets collection In Good Company pays homage to the Gallic songbook with 12 covers of some of its best-loved pieces. Apart from the flamenco guitar on The Thomas Crown Affair's Oscar-winning theme "The Windmills of Your Mind" (one of four tracks featured penned by Michel Legrand), long-term collaborator John Boswell's timeless piano arrangements are the only accompaniment, allowing Lessack's rich baritone vocals to take center stage on renditions of English-language tracks penned by French songwriters (Legrand's "The Summer Knows [Theme from Summer of '42]" and "Pieces of Dreams"), English-language translations of French-recorded numbers (Gilbert Bécaud's "What Now My Love" and "The Importance of the Rose"), and songs associated with French artists (Charles Aznavour's "She," "Yesterday When I Was Young"). Considering his pronunciation of Edith Piaf's "Hymne à l'Amour" appears perfectly acceptable, it's a shame he didn't have the courage to tackle more than one French-sung composition, while the likes of Jennifer Warnes' "Song for Bernadette," the Leonard Cohen-penned ode to the 19th century French saint who claimed she saw the Virgin Mary, and "If We Only Have Love," from the late-'60s off-Broadway musical Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, seem rather tenuous and arbitrary selections. Chanteur is a tastefully arranged tribute to the French greats of yesteryear, but it's probably more captivating as a live cabaret show than a rather perfunctory studio album. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi
Customer Reviews
WONDERFUL!
This album displays both the brilliance of Jacques Brel and the lush, timeless voice of Lee Lessack! A wonderful collection of theatrically insightful ballads and a must have for those who have an appreciation for pure, raw talent! Bravo.
Chanteur
I eagerly awaited this new album since I felt like all of his prior work was magnificent. He introduced me to great new songs and his covers of songs I already knew instantly became one of my favorite versions. The arrangements here are unimaginative and uninspiring. Elevator music, I am afraid. Some great songs picked which I was familiar with but the versions did nothing for me. The songs which were new to me did not resonate. "Song of Bernadette", which is new to me, is the best here but is not really that complete a song. I would stick with his earlier work.
"Chanteur" is simply beautiful
Lee Lessack's "Chanteur" is a carefully chosen and beautifully performed selection of songs. Along with John Boswell's always-gorgeous arranging/accompaniment and the co-production of Lee's good friend Brian Lane Green, the album is a joy to listen to. I expect to play it over and over, as I do all of Lee's previous endeavors.
You'll find some all-time favorites here ("The Summer Knows", "Pieces of Dreams", "The Windmills of Your Mind" are re-imagined gems), but none quite so moving as this particular take on "What Now My Love". I played it three times over, after my first listening. The French theme is perfectly realized throughout, especially with "L'important C'est La Rose"; and the collection ends, as do most all of Lee's shows and CD's, with an anthem to love and hope, "If We Only Have Love".
If you're fortunate enough to know Brian's work (and I certainly do), you'll be able to hear his deft inluence in Lee's performances. It's so easy, with this kind of music, to lean toward stridency, but there's none of that here. The simple, evocative quality of the arrangements and the understatement of Lee's portrayeals leave the landscape of the music and the poetry of the lyrics to deepen the emotions.
Lee Lessack has worked tirelessly over the years as a preservationist of Cabaret as an art form. "Chanteur" plays as a wonderful cornerstone in furthering that pursuit...and I absolutely llve this CD.
Biography
Genre: Pop
Years Active: '90s, '00s
Top Albums and Songs By Lee Lessack
| Name | Album | Time | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
For Good (Duet With Stephen Schwartz) | In Good Company | 4:08 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
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2 |
Never Saw Blue Like That Before (Duet With MaryJo Mundy) | In Good Company | 4:39 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
|
3 |
Open Arms (Duet With Brian Lane Green) | In Good Company | 4:57 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
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4 |
Ten Minutes Ago | Lee Lessack | 3:22 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
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5 |
Corner of the Sky | An Enchanted Evening: The Music of Broadway | 2:47 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
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6 |
If You Go Away (Duet With Maureen McGovern) | In Good Company | 4:55 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
|
7 |
I Know You By Heart | I Know You By Heart (Digital Version) | 3:50 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
|
8 |
The Look of Love (Duet With Susan Egan) | In Good Company | 3:53 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
|
9 |
May I Suggest? (Duet With Michael Feinstein) | In Good Company | 4:35 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
|
10 |
The Rose (Duet With Amanda McBroom) | In Good Company | 3:34 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
