The Anderson Brothers
The Anderson Brothers Play Gershwin
Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix, AZ, April 8, 2023
Reviewed by Lynn Timmons Edwards
Not only is the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) a world-class museum, it also boasts a beautiful, intimate performing arts space in which musicians from all over the world take the stage. The Anderson Brothers are 36-year-old identical twins Will and Peter who hail from New York City by way of Bethesda, Maryland. They honed their professional musicianship at Juilliard, graduating in 2011 with master’s degrees in music. They have produced and starred in off-Broadway shows at 59E59 including Le Jazz Hot, The Count Meets the Duke, The Fabulous Dorseys,and The Joy of Sax. They brought the music and story of George Gershwin to the MIM accompanied by the finest show pianist I know, Arizona’s own Nicole Pesce. Jazz vocalist Renee Patrick, drummer Adam Clark, and bassist Christopher Finet rounded out the ensemble that played straight though for 90 minutes before a mostly silver-haired crowd.
This was not a traditional
cabaret by any means, but it was all George Gershwin. Rare footage of
Gershwin’s life was projected in both still photography and video, some
narrated by his brother and frequent lyricist, Ira. It provided a mostly
chronological bio of Gershwin. Still backgrounds were shown for each song.
There were also several delightful Hirschfeld drawings, including one that depicted Gershwin, Stephen Sondheim, and Jerome Kern. There was also a fun video of short outtakes from The Muppets, The Simpsons, a vintage Dean Martin show, and a Woody Allen movie, all making the point that Gershwin’s music is timeless. Later, the multi-media show included clips from Gershwin’s Hollywood era featuring some of his most famous Great American Songs as sung by such stars as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland.
The opening two numbers were all instrumental: “I’ve Got Rhythm” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So.” It was clear we were in the company of superb musicians who were having fun with snappy arrangements and who delighted in glissandos and playful clarinet riffs. Peter held court on tenor sax and flute while Will swung on the alto sax and clarinet. One would never have known the Andersons had been playing with a different piano, bass, and drums just 24 hours ago in Tucson, Arizona. It was as though they were all old friends. Patrick joined for “Love Is Here to Stay,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” and “’S Wonderful.” She is a consummate jazz vocalist, always keeping her phrasing short and pitch perfect, not unlike the notes of the clarinet. She had a very relaxed stage presence, and we always knew the Andersons were the stars of the show. She was also featured on “But Not for Me” and one of her signature songs, “Embraceable You,” where she used more legato phrasing. We also got vocals on my favorite Gershwin tune and the closer, “They Can’t Take That Away from Me.”
My first thought when I saw the billing was, would we hear “Rhapsody in Blue” played on the sax? The answer was a resounding yes. The story behind the piece reminded us of Gershwin’s brilliance; he wrote it under pressure for bandleader Paul Whiteman’s An Experiment in Modern Music on February 12, 1924. The piece was composed in only a few weeks; Gershwin finished some of it at the actual performance. The Anderson brothers traded off the melody with Pesce on this iconic classic, which critics describe as the perfect marriage of classical music, jazz, and Tin Pan Alley.
Pesce constantly showed an expression of delight at the piano. I have written about her many times, but she never ceases to blow me away. My husband coined the phrase “she speaks piano.” She take a solo in the middle and hardest section of “Rhapsody,” and she was also granted the 11-o’clock-spot alone on stage with her own medley of Gershwin tunes that included “The Man I Love” along with excerpts from the score of An American in Paris and a complex interpretation of “Fascinating Rhythm.” I don’t think there was a key on the piano she left untouched. She received the most thunderous applause of the evening, and bravo to the MIM and the Anderson Brothers for making Pesce, Grant, and the other Arizona musicians a part of the show. Percussionist Clark had some nice solo moments, one of them on “Lady Be Good.”
The Andersons each had one solo piece with Pesce. Will took his turn with his brilliant clarinet playing “Summertime.” Peter played flute on “I Loves You Porgy,” this time with the bass and drums joining in to finish the number. Both Andersons are virtuosos. Will served as narrator, but he should get rid of his notes and engage with the audience. More integration between the clips and his storytelling would smooth out the show. It was inspiring to hear Ira’s summary of his brother, who was lost to a brain tumor at the early age of 38. “He lived fast and died young. Not only was he a composer and pianist, but he also excelled at dance, painting, and golf and was a sought-after social companion.” George Gershwin left a legacy, just like his idol Jerome Kern, which is the foundation of the Great American Songbook. Gershwin’s first hit, 1919’s “Swanee” (lyrics by Irving Caesar), is already over 100 years old and we are only at the beginning of a centennial celebration of his catalogue. Thank you MIM and Will and Peter Anderson for keeping his legacy alive.
