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Thursday August 21st, 2003

Michael Feinstein bows album with Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Baldwin artist Michael Feinstein recently released his first album with a symphonic orchestra, the Grammy-nominated Michael Feinstein with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, on the Concord Jazz label. It features arrangements written by Alan Broadbent specifically for Feinstein and the IPO. Broadbent also conducted the orchestra.

"I've had an ambition to work with the Israel Philharmonic for a long time. Zubin Mehta was the one who suggested that I come to Israel and work with the orchestra, and it was an incredible thrill because this is one of the great orchestras of the world," Feinstein enthuses in an exclusive video on his web site. "I've always had an idea to do popular songs with them, and they played Alan Broadbent's arrangements like no one has ever played them. They were fantastic and it was a marvelous experience - I'm thrilled to have worked with them."

The album delivers 12 American classics including "On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)," "Stormy Weather" and "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry." The 110-member Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the world's major symphonic ensembles and has been conducted by many of the major international maestros including Mehta (the Orchestra's Music Director for Life) and Leonard Bernstein. The orchestra is a co-operative owned by its members, and its main venue is the Mann Auditorium in Tel-Aviv.

Feinstein had very definite ideas about the songs he wanted to do for the album. "There's an unspoken theme to the album I did with the Israel Philharmonic, and that is that all the songs I recorded are by American Jewish composers - George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Frank Loesser, Cy Coleman, David Raskin - they were all Jewish," he says. "It's amazing that there is sort of lineage that comes from Jewish folk music that filters its way through to American popular song. I thought it would be nice to create that unspoken connection."

Feinstein plans to tour the United States with the IPO and will perform in many cities, as opposed to the one-night appearance he usually does with an orchestra. "It's going to be very exciting to have the opportunity to work with them and do these arrangements multiple times, because the more that you do something, the more they get under your skin and the more comfortable we will become with each other."

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Baldwin has been "America's Favorite Piano" since 1862, when former music teacher D.H. Baldwin opened his music store in Cincinnati, Ohio. At the turn of the twentieth century, Baldwin pianos won international awards, and by the end of the century Baldwin was the largest American piano maker. Baldwin joined Gibson Guitar Corp. in 2001, and is now headquartered in Nashville. The Baldwin family of brands includes Wurlitzer, Chickering, Ellington and D.H. Baldwin.