Michael Feinstein, one of the top interpreters of the popular American song, has been a household name ever since the success of his one-man Broadway show Isn’t It Romantic in 1988. His fourth Concord release, Michael Feinstein With The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (CCD-4987-2), is a special event for it is the first time that the singer-pianist has recorded with a symphony orchestra.

"I have been friends with Zubin Mehta for some time," remembers Michael, "and he approached me several years ago about performing a special evening of American popular songs with the Israel Philharmonic. We would occasionally run into each other at different places but with his extraordinary schedule and my crazy life, it didn’t happen. Then about a year and a half ago we bumped into each other in a New York hotel lobby and he said ‘This is ridiculous, we have to arrange this.’ So we started serious discussions and I finally came to Israel to work with the orchestra."

The results are lush and inventive treatments to a dozen veteran American standards. The 88-piece orchestra plus the Alan Broadbent Trio perfectly frame Feinstein’s voice, with Broadbent providing most of the arrangements. "Even though Alan Broadbent is known as one of the great jazz pianists," says Michael "he has studied classical music since he was quite young and I felt that he would bring the right sensibility to the project. His orchestral ideas are not only fresh but such that they showcased the orchestra as well as my voice, and his arrangements are each quite different and eclectic. ‘Stormy Weather’ might very well be my favorite arrangement on the collection because it is a very theatrical arrangement, very daring. I love the lushness of ‘The Folks Who Live On The Hill,’ the string writing really evokes the image of Oscar Hammerstein’s lyrics. ‘By Myself’ has a real swagger to it. It was Alan’s personal homage to Nelson Riddle and it is fun to note that the Israel Philharmonic can successfully swing! ‘Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry’ was a bit of a challenge to me because the song is so closely associated with Frank Sinatra and yet I think we were able to present it in a fresh setting. The musicians took every arrangement very seriously and would frequently applaud after the first run through of each chart, which was a great honor for Alan." In addition, Feinstein was particularly pleased to have an orchestration of "Laura" by its composer, 89-year old David Raskin.

As for the singer, Michael Feinstein’s voice has rarely sounded more assured, confident and expressive as it does on these versions of "The Folks Who Live On The Hill," "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year," "Laura," "How Deep Is The Ocean" and "Somewhere" (one of the emotional highpoints of the recording). Alan Broadbent arranged "Somewhere" specifically as an homage to Leonard Bernstein and his wellknown affiliation with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Feinstein, as well as everyone in the orchestra, performed it with a renewed dedication to peace in the Middle East focusing specifically on the children and groups like Seeds of Peace. Clearly inspired by the symphony orchestra and the inventive arrangements (listen to how dramatic "Stormy Weather" is), Feinstein is heard throughout at the peak of his powers.

Michael Feinstein started playing piano by ear when he was five. "I loved the music that my parents listened to rather than what was on the radio at the time. I was very enamored with show music and I listened to a lot of the music that I now perform." Feinstein began performing as a teenager, playing at weddings and parties in Columbus, Ohio.

After graduating from high school, he worked in local piano bars for two years, moving to Los Angeles when he was 20. Through the widow of legendary concert pianist-actor Oscar Levant, he was introduced to Ira Gershwin in July 1977. "Initially I was asked to work for Ira in the capacity of cataloguing his phonograph records. After that I was given carte blanche by Ira’s wife to assist Ira, going through papers, playing the piano for him, being paid to be with a man who I greatly idealized. Eventually I became Ira’s eyes and ears to the outside world as he was no longer able to go out in the world, becoming his musical assistant."

Continuing as a piano bar performer, Michael Feinstein was too talented to be anonymous for long. Liza Minnelli helped sponsor his 1986 New York debut and his Broadway show Isn't It Romantic in 1988 made him famous. Through his live performances (at both huge venues and sophisticated clubs), recordings, film and television appearances, and his songwriting (often in collaboration with Carole Bayer Sager or Arthur Hamilton), Feinstein has been an important musical force during the past 15 years. In addition, he scored the original music for the film Get Bruce and co-owns the most successful nightclub in New York City, Feinstein's at the Regency.

In 1998 Feinstein became a Concord artist where he has thus far recorded Michael and George: Feinstein Sings Gershwin, Big City Rhythms (with the Maynard Ferguson Big Band) and the double-CD Romance On Film, Romance On Broadway, in addition to Michael Feinstein with The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Currently, the singer is working on a variety of different projects for a new Concord subsidiary label that has been created for him called Feinery, including recording favorite current artists plus uncovering undeservedly obscure older sessions.

Michael Feinstein, who is currently at work on a six-part Warner Home Video series for television that depicts the history of the American popular song up to 1960, and who hopes to become involved in writing additional film music in the future, thinks of himself as being "a real word or lyric man. I always want to present songs in a way that best expresses the intentions of the songwriters yet also gives me an opportunity to put a personal stamp on the interpretations. Even though many of the songs I perform are old, they have a timeless quality about them which is why they have survived. I always seek to present the material in a way that is contemporary while touching people’s hearts."

On his memorable collaboration with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Michael Feinstein has once again succeeded in his goal.