FRED ASTAIRE MOVIE PIANO SELECTIONS

TRACK LIST:

1.FLYING DOWN TO RIO (1933 Youmans) 3.48: Music Makes Me – Carioca – Flying Down to Rio

2.THE GAY DIVORCEE (1934 Porter/ Conrad) 5.43: Night and Day – The Continental – Don’t Let It Bother You – Night and Day

3.ROBERTA (1935 Kern Arr. Denis Wright) 9.26: Let’s Begin – Yesterday – I Won’t Dance – Smoke Gets In Your Eyes – I’ll Be Hard To Handle – Lovely To Look At

4.TOP HAT (1935 Berlin Arr. Fred Bentley Jr) 7.11: No Strings – Isn’t This a Lovely Day – Top Hat, White Tie and Tails – Cheek To Cheek – The Piccolino

5.FOLLOW THE FLEET (1936 Berlin Arr. Frank Denham) 8.02: We Saw The Sea – I’m Putting All My Eggs in One Basket – Let Yourself Go, But Where Are You – Get Thee Behind Me Satan – I’d Rather Lead a Band – Let’s Face the Music and Dance 

6.SWING TIME (1936 Kern Arr. George Holden) 10.11: The Way You Look Tonight – Pick Yourself Up – A Fine Romance – The Waltz in Swing Time – Bojangles of Harlem – Never Gonna Dance – The Waltz in Swing Time

7.SHALL WE DANCE (1937 Gershwin Arr. George L. Zalva) 7.42: Shall We Dance – They All Laughed – Slap That Bass – Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off – (I’ve Got) Beginner’s Luck – They Can’t Take That Away From Me – Shall We Dance

8.A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS (1938 Gershwin Arr. George L. Zalva) 6.58: I Can’t Be Bothered Now – Things Are Looking Up – A Foggy Day – Stiff Upper Lip – The Jolly Tar and the Milk Maid – Nice Work If You Can Get It – A Foggy Day

9.CAREFREE (1938 Berlin Arr. George L. Zalva) 8.44: Change Partners – The Night is Filled With Music – The Yam – I Used To Be Colour Blind – Change Partners

10.THE BAND WAGON (1953 Schwartz Arr. Felton Rapley) 10.17: A Shine On Your Shoes – I Guess I’ll Have To Change My Plan – High and Low – By Myself – You and the Night and the Music – Something To Remember You By – Louisiana Hayride – Dancing in the Dark – That’s Entertainment 

11.FUNNY FACE (1957 Gershwin) 6.18: Funny Face – How Long Has This Been Going On – Clap Yo’ Hands –  He Loves and She Loves – Let’s Kiss and Make Up – S’Wonderful

Following his success with several performances of Gershwin’s music, Alan Durman turns his attention to music made famous by the great star, Fred Astaire.

Astaire was named one of the Greatest Male Stars of Old Hollywood by the American Film Institute. As a dancer, he is best remembered for his sense of rhythm, his legendary perfectionism, and as the dancing partner of Ginger Rogers, with whom he co-starred in ten Hollywood musicals which transformed the genre.

Top composers like Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, George Gershwin and Cole Porter queued up to write songs for him, because of his unique delivery.

Alan has discovered several rare piano selections from some of Astaire’s best movies such as ‘Top Hat’ and ‘Shall We Dance’.