Jeff Harnar
A Collective Cy: Jeff Harnar Sings Cy Coleman
(PS Classics)
September 9, 2023
Reviewed by Bart Greenberg
Cy Coleman was unique among successful Broadway composers with his extensive background in the world of jazz. No one has ever sounded quite like him in his scores for Sweet Charity, Little Me, I Love My Wife, and City of Angels. Even when he went off in unexpected tangents, such as pseudo-operetta (On the Twentieth Century) or pseudo-country (The Will Rogers Follies), his trademark swing and wit were still very much present. Cabaret maestro Jeff Harnar, whose last thrilling album, I Know Things Now: My Life in Sondheim’s Words, celebrated that composer/lyricist in a unique and personal way. On this recording, he may be less self-revealing and far more light-hearted, even in the ballads. That takes nothing away from this celebratory assembly of great numbers. To add to the pleasure, he brought along some of his incredibly talented friends to mix things up.
Of course, Harnar’s 40+-year accompanist, music director and arranger Alex Rybeck is very much a present force on this recording, providing exciting jazzy arrangements while conducting a full orchestra of superb players. Then there are the friends chiming in. On vocals his guests are Ann Hampton Callaway, Liz Callaway, Nicolas King, Danny Bacher, and his instrumentalist guests are Sean Harkness (guitar) and Jay Leonhart (bass). There’s a sense of being at a classy party to which all are welcome. The songs are mostly divided between Coleman’s show tunes and the pop songs he wrote early in his career.
“You Fascinate Me So” (lyric by Carolyn Leigh) is one of Coleman’s intriguing jazz-influence pop songs, and it’s highly seductive. As with all the tracks on this recording, Harnar delights in the lyrics and delivers them with absolute clarity. “My Personal Property” (lyric by Dorothy Fields), a swinging tune from the film version of Sweet Charity, is given a jubilant performance by Harnar with a “funky” arrangement that totally captures the sound of the 1960s. “It Amazes Me” (lyric by Leigh) is one of the team’s numbers that sounds like it should be a heroine’s second act solo, although it was actually not written for the theater. Here it is given the simplest of deliveries with just the singer’s heartfelt voice and the emotional guitar of Sean Harkness.
“I’ve Got Your Number” (lyric by Leigh) is a scintillating duet, a mutual seduction, for Harnar and Ann Hampton Callaway, two equally matched jazz masters, with horns blasting in the background adding to the excitement. (It’s easy to remember that this song was one of the first male stripteases on Broadway.)
“With Every Breath I Take” (lyric by David Zippel) is a sultry selection from City of Angels. It brings out the crooner in Harnar as he delivers the longing and sadness of the song. In complete contrast, “Rhythm of Life” (Sweet Charity; lyric by Fields) is presented as a delightful trio with the challenging rhythms smoothly executed by Harnar and his excellent colleagues Nicolas King and Danny Bacher. It’s sheer fun. “The Best Is Yet to Come” is another Coleman/Leigh pop song, perhaps most identified with Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee, although many others have performed it. This selection begins purposively and builds to a very clever ending. “Doop Doo-De-Oop (A Doodlin’ Song)” (lyric by Leigh) is an incredibly silly song made popular by Blossom Dearie and on television by Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. Here it’s given an amusing performance by the trio of Harnar, Jay Leonhart, and Alex Rybeck. Another purely fun routine. “Some Kind of Music” (lyric by Leigh) is one of Coleman’s own favorite selections that he performed at every occasion. Harnar embraces this beautiful paean to the art form and makes it his own. Here it’s given an almost Dixieland arrangement that celebrates the act of making music. Credit goes to Harnar for discovering this gem.
“So Little Time” (lyric by Michael Stewart) is another rarity that was cut from the circus musical Barnum. It’s a sweet, pensive love song that Harnar makes personal and moving. Another lovely discovery. “Our Private World” (lyric by Betty Comden and Adolph Green) from On the Twentieth Century represents Coleman’s foray into operetta. Harnar reunites with his high school co-star Liz Callaway (clips of them in Kismet can be found on YouTube) in a lovely romantic rendition in which their voices blend beautifully. This highly seductive pop song “Witchcraft” (lyric by Leigh) is given a low-key performance that is simply hypnotic. A medley of “The Rules of the Road,” “Come Summer,” and “I’m Way Ahead” (lyric for the first two by Leigh; the third by Fields) presents an intriguing story created by these three separate songs. Here Harnar creates a full love story—bitter, hopeful, and then finally triumphant—with his skill as a singer and an actor. “If My Friends Could See Me Now” (lyric by Fields) is a surprising version of the standard from Sweet Charity; it’s wistful, reflective, and full of gratitude. It makes a perfect ending to the various moods expressed on this recording.
