The new album from mother-son duo of world-class jazz pianist, Bill Charlap and Grammy Award-nominated vocalist Sandy Stewart features a collection of ballads from some of the most popular songwriters of the twentieth century, such as George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Richard Rodgers and Irving Berlin.
In addition to classic songs by Rodgers & Hart (“Where Or When”), Henry Mancini & Leslie Bricusse (“Two For The Road”) and Irving Berlin (“Isn’t This A Lovely Day”), the album features rarely-heard gems such as “I Was Telling Him About You”with music by Moose Charlap (the composer of Peter Pan starring Mary Martin, also Bill’s father and Sandy’s late husband) and “Stars” by noted songwriter Charles Sweeney.
When the duo previewed the album at a recent engagement at the New York Night Club Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, Will Friedwald raved in the Wall Street Journal, “The Stewart-Charlap combination is, eternally, like a master class in interpretation.The team is so subtle, so understated, so specific in their approach that even a clinking glass might break the spell. Ultimately, by the encore Feinstein's has become nothing less than a serenely reverent church of the Great American Songbook.”
Sandy Stewart is best known for the Grammy-nominated recording “My Coloring Book” (she lost to Ella Fitzgerald’s “Mack The Knife”). She began her performing career at 15 in her native Philadelphia and soon moved to New York for a variety of television gigs with Merv Griffin, Dick Van Dyke, and as a regular with “The Perry Como Show” while also touring with Benny Goodman. After marrying Broadway composer Moose Charlap, she retired to raise a family. Later, she resumed singing in clubs and on recordings and voiceovers. Sandy’s previous CD with Bill, Love Is Here To Stay, was greeted with universal acclaim.
Bill Charlap – one of the world’s premier jazz pianists, has performed and recorded with many leading artists of our time – ranging from jazz masters Phil Woods and Wynton Marsalis to singers Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand. Since 1997, he has led the Bill Charlap Trio with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington, now recognized as one of the leading groups in jazz. Charlap is the artistic director of New York City’s Jazz in July Festival at the 92nd Street Y, and he has produced concerts for Jazz at Lincoln Center, the JVC Jazz Festival and the Hollywood Bowl. A two-time Grammy nominee, Charlap is married to renowned jazz pianist Renee Rosnes. In the Spring of 2010, Charlap and Rosnes released Double Portrait, a duo piano recording on the Blue Note label.