JOHN EATON "Richard Rodgers: One Man and His Lyricists" Wolf Trap
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PROBABLY ANYONE WHO has ever attended one of pianist John Eaton's shows and heard him astutely explore the work of a great pop composer won't be surprised to find that this taped-for-broadcast concert recording is both wonderfully entertaining and enlightening. But it actually surpasses expectations by a wide mark, thanks to the welcome presence of jazz bassist Jay Leonhart, who not only shares Eaton's enthusiasm for the music of Richard Rodgers but has a similarly sharp wit.
Given their different approaches to songcraft, how was Rodgers able to so fully accommodate lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II? Eaton poses that question early on, noting that although Hart would freely exchange ideas with Rodgers, Hammerstein was more apt to present Rodgers with daunting challenges, asking him to elegantly frame a lyric as immutable as, say, "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning," "Some Enchanted Evening" or "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top." Some gig!
The show's premise makes for a lively discussion, and Leonhart, a prolific songwriter, provides listeners with a nuts-and-bolts perspective. At one point Eaton and Leonhart even cast themselves as Rodgers and Hammerstein at work, an illustrative bit of role playing. Of course, the songs performed by Eaton and Leonhart as Eaton and Leonhart, including such gems as "My Romance," "Manhattan" and "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," offer a big incentive to stay tuned, too.
-- Mike Joyce
Appearing Saturday at Wolf Trap.
