New in late-September is The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern from Tony Bennett and jazz pianist Bill Charlap reflecting the huge musical legacy of Jerome David Kern (1885-1945), a composer of more than 700 songs who collaborated with lyricists such as, famously, Oscar Hammerstein II, Dorothy Fields, Johnny Mercer, Ira Gershwin and Otto Harbach... think ‘Ol’ Man River,’ conjure ‘Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.’
Will Friedwald in the liner notes writes: “The idea of a Kern Songbook project was Tony’s, thereby placing Kern on the very short list of canonical composers (Rodgers & Hart, Harold Arlen, Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin, and Cy Coleman) who have been the beneficiaries of an entire album by Bennett. It was also Bennett’s idea to create the album in collaboration with the remarkable Bill Charlap.” Also on the album, issued by Columbia, which is bookended by ‘All The Things You Are’ and ‘Look for the Silver Lining,’ are Charlap’s wife fellow pianist Renee Rosnes on some piano duets, plus bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington, the last two players longstanding members of Charlap’s own piano trio.