MICHAEL FEINSTEIN, one of the premiere interpreters of American popular song, has been a household name since the success of his 1988 one-man Broadway show, Isn't It Romantic. He is currently celebrating the release of the Livingston And Evans Songbook, the first CD from Feinery, his new subsidiary label with Concord Records. Feinery, in addition to recording favorite current artists, will restore recordings and musical broadcasts from the golden age of popular song, many of which showcase some of the nation's most admired and enduring entertainers.
In May, he released his fourth album on the Concord label, Michael Feinstein With The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, his first recording with a symphony orchestra. Rhino / Elektra Music recently released The Michael Feinstein Anthology, a 2-disc, 43 song compilation drawn from 14 albums spanning the years 1987 to 1996. In addition to "Isn't It Romantic," "Nice Work If You Can Get It" and "My Favorite Year," there are selections from his Nonesuch "Songbook" series and previously unreleased tracks and new renditions of both famous and little known songs.
In 2001, Feinstein received his third Grammy Award nomination for his acclaimed double CD Romance On Film, Romance On Broadway. He enjoys an active performance calendar, including major concert halls, symphony orchestras, intimate jazz clubs and college campuses. More than a mere performer, he is nationally recognized for his commitment to the American popular song, both celebrating its art and preserving its legacy for the next generation.
Michael started playing piano by ear when he was five. As a teenager, he played at weddings and parties in Columbus, Ohio. After graduating from high school, he worked in local piano lounges 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. He became his assistant for six years, granting him access to numerous unpublished Gershwin songs, which he has since performed and recorded.
Gershwin's influence provided a solid base upon which Mr. Feinstein has not only evolved into a captivating performer, composer and arranger of his own original music, but has also become an unparalleled interpreter of music legends such as Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer, Duke Ellington and Harry Warren.
Through his live performances (from Hollywood Bowl to Carnegie Hall), recordings, film and television appearances, and his songwriting (in collaboration with Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Lindy Robbins and Carole Bayer Sager), Feinstein has been an important musical force during the past 15 years. In addition, he scored the original music for the film Get Bruce. His television credits include performances on "Caroline in the City," "Melrose Place," "Coach," and "Sybil."
In 1998 Feinstein became a Concord Records artist where he has 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.
The Library of Congress recently elected Michael to the exclusive "National Sound Recording Advisory Board." He and other industry leaders recently met in Washington D.C. for a forum on safeguarding America's musical heritage. In addition, Michael is producing, writing and narrating a six-volume VHS / DVD set about the history of America's songwriters for Warner Brothers. This entire process will be documented with photographs for a book he has been asked to write on the project, to be published in spring 2003.
His Manhattan nightclub, Feinstein's at the Regency, has presented the top talents of pop and jazz such as Rosemary Clooney, Dame Cleo Laine, Tony Danza, Ann Hampton Callaway and Linda Eder. Michael appears there for sold-out holiday engagements every year.
For more information, please visit www.michaelfeinstein.com.