Today, 32 years after meeting Gershwin, Feinstein focuses on classic songs. He sings them, collects them, heralds them; that's all part of "American Songbook," his three-part PBS series.
We see Feinstein performing and searching for missing recordings, notes and more. "It's definitely an obsession," he says. "I stay up 'til ... 3 or 4 in the morning."
Much of his material will go to a new cultural center in Carmel, Ind., where he will also be artistic director and create a Great American Songbook Festival.
Michael Feinstein grew up in Columbus, Ohio. He learned the piano at 5 and became passionate about music; his parents sat back and let it unfold.
He played at piano bars and, at 20, moved with his family to Los Angeles. There, he met composer Oscar Levant's widow, who introduced him to Gershwin, who hired him as a secretary.
"Ira was 80 and very isolated," Feinstein says. He would read while Feinstein did paperwork. "I started whistling an obscure Gershwin song. He said, 'Where did you hear that?'"
A six-year friendship began. "He started getting up a little earlier, talking more."
Feinstein sees hope in modern writers and singers. Amber Edwards, the producer of the PBS series, followed him to concert halls and flea markets and to sessions where he taught singers.
It's a positive approach to music and life. It's pure Feinstein.
No comments:
Post a Comment