Ward and I have performed together for many years. While I never underestimated his virtuosity at the piano, I had taken for granted his ability to compose arrangements on the spot; on these recordings he is ingenious and inexhaustible, as facile at referencing Bach as Basie. For my vocals, Ward’s accompaniment is as much a cradle as catalyst—a safety net and a slingshot. These are spontaneous and honest performances. We recorded each song several times, and each take had a different flavor. When we finished recording, we simply chose the versions that we thought were most effective. What would add to our pleasure in completing this project would be the knowledge that you enjoy listening as much as we did in recording. -Rosemary Benson
1. | They Say It’s Wonderful (1946) (Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin) | 4:09 |
2. | Love Walked In (1938) (Music by George Gershwin, Lyrics by Ira Gershwin) | 2:15 |
3. | Long Before I Knew You (1956) (Music by Betty Comden, Lyrics by Adolph Green and Jule Styne) | 4:01 |
4. | At Long Last Love (1938) (Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter) | 2:59 |
5. | Isn’t This A Lovely Day (1935) (Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin) | 3:41 |
6. | He Loves, She Loves (1927) / Love Is Here To Stay (1938) (Music by George Gershwin, Lyrics by Ira Gershwin) | 4:28 |
7. | Speak Low (1943) (Music by Kurt Weill, Lyrics by Ogden Nash) | 3:52 |
8. | Two For The Road (1967) (Music by Henry Mancini) | 2:55 |
9. | You Fascinate Me So (1958) (Music by Cy Coleman, Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh) | 2:44 |
10. | I’ve Got A Feeling I’m Falling (1929) (Music by Thomas “Fats” Waller, Lyrics by Harry Link and Billy Rose) | 3:03 |
11. | I Have Dreamed (1951) (Music by Richard Rodgers, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein) / Long Ago and Far Away (1944) (Music by Jerome Kern, Lyrics by Ira Gershwin) | 6:09 |
12. | Who Cares (1927) (Music by George Gershwin, Lyrics by Ira Gershwin) | 2:50 |
13. | The Heather On The Hill (1947) (Music by Alan Jay Lerner, Lyrics by Frederick Loewe) | 4:40 |
14. | The Folks Who Live On The Hill (1937) (Music by Jerome Kern, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein) | 4:29 |
15. | All The Things You Are (1939) (Music by Jerome Kern, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein) | 5:03 |
16. | La Même Histoire (1996) (Music by Elisabeth Anaïs, Lyrics by Christophe Monthieux) | 3:43 |
17. | They All Laughed (1937) (Music by George Gershwin, Lyrics by Ira Gershwin) | 3:26 |