Betty BuckleyCountry of origin:U.S. Type of music generally:Broadway/show tunes Status:Most recent release, Hope (live, 2018) See also:Betty Buckley's site Comparisons:Betty has a strong Broadway-style voice similar to Barbra Streisand, Linda Eder, or Sarah Brightman, but unique in subtlety, nuance, and strong dramatic skills. (jjhanson@att.net) Covers/own material:Primarily Broadway showtunes and standards, but an occasional cover of a pop tune by the likes of Mary Chapin Carpenter or Joni Mitchell. Some original tunes appeared on her hard-to-find first release. General comments:Betty Buckley is most well-known for her role as Abby on TV's Eight is Enough, but she is also a Broadway diva, whose unique voice and dramatic skills make her one of Broadway's leading ladies. She has appeared in movies (e.g., Carrie, Frantic), several made-for-TV movies, and Broadway and London plays including Cats, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Carrie, and Sunset Boulevard. Her latest play is Triumph of Love, playing opposite F. Murray Abraham. Comments about live performance:One of the best concerts of the year: Betty Buckley at Gammadge Auditorium, Tempe, AZ. My favorite Broadway singer. Quite a show from the woman with quite a voice. (jjhanson@att.net) Recommended first album:Children Will Listen Recordings:
Betty BuckleyRelease info:1984—Rizzoli Records Availability:Out of print, difficult to find. Ecto priority:Low Comments:Betty's first album recorded live from a series of concerts in New York at St. Bartholomew's Church. Includes original compositions and her first recording of Stephen Schwartz' "Meadowlark," which has become another Buckley standard (info courtesy of the Betty Buckley website). Children Will ListenRelease info:1993—Sterling Records—S1001-2 Availability:Fairly easy to find. Ecto priority:High for those who like show tunes. Group members:Betty Buckley—vocals Guest artists:Kenny Werner—piano and synthesizer Produced by:Kenny Werner and Betty Buckley Comments:Betty's first album with producer/arranger Kenny Werner is a beautiful album and Betty's best studio album to date. The arrangements are primarily simple piano arrangements, accented with gorgeous saxophone and strings. Highlights include "When There's No One", a song from the short-lived Broadway musical Carrie, based on the Stephen King novel, in which Betty played Carrie's mother, and "I Still Believe", from the play Miss Saigon. (jjhanson@att.net) With One LookRelease info:1994—Sterling Records—S1007-2 Availability:Fairly easy to find. Ecto priority:Low Group members:Betty Buckley—vocals Guest artists:Kenny Werner—piano and synthesizer Produced by:Kenny Werner and Betty Buckley Comments:Betty's second studio album with producer/arranger Kenny Werner has some beautiful pieces, but is not as polished as Children Will Listen. As Betty explains in the liner notes, schedules were adjusted and the album was recorded in three days to accommodate Betty's run in the London version of Lloyd Weber's Sunset Boulevard. The result is less creative arrangements and a little less polished album than Children Will Listen. However, this album includes more pop songs, including Joni Mitchell's "River" and "A Case of You" and Mary Chapin Carpenter's "Come On, Come On." It's a good album, and she does have a terrific voice, but I wasn't as taken by it I thought I might be. The covers of the Joni Mitchell songs just don't do much for me—they weren't meant to be show tunes and shouldn't be sung as such. (jjhanson@att.net) Betty Buckley: The London ConcertRelease info:1995—Sterling Records Availability:Fairly easy to find. Ecto priority:Low Group members:Betty Buckley—vocals Guest artists:The BBC Concert Orchestra and the BBC Big Band Produced by:Mort Drosnes, executive producer Comments:For live albums, I'd recommend the better An Evening at Carnegie Hall (jjhanson@att.net) Betty Buckley: An Evening at Carnegie HallRelease info:1996—Sterling Records—S1012-2 Availability:Easy to find. Ecto priority:Medium Group members:Betty Buckley—vocals Guest artists:Kenny Werner—piano Produced by:Thomas Z. Shepard Comments:A recording of Betty's first solo Broadway show, a Benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, that confirmed her place as America's leading Broadway Diva. The variety of music, and her vocal and dramatic command are truly awesome. Playing Rose from Gypsy to Pirate Jenny from Weill's Threepenny Opera, to heartfelt ballads like "Everything Must Change", the range of emotion and voice demand attention. Seventy-five minutes of great music, well worth paying full price for (especially since portions of the proceeds go to a good cause). (jjhanson@att.net) Thanks to Jeffrey Hanson for work on this entry.
|
DISCLAIMER: Comments and reviews in the Ectophiles' Guide are excerpted from the ecto mailing list or volunteered by members of the list. They are the opinions of music enthusiasts, not professional music critics.
Entry last updated 2021-11-12 17:54:58. Please request permission if you wish to reproduce any of the comments in the Ectophiles' Guide in any context. |
The Ectophiles' Guide to Good Music is copyright © 1996-2004 by the editors. Individual comments are copyright © by their authors. Web site design and programming copyright © 1998-2004 usrbin design + programming. All rights reserved. |