Live At Steinway Hall

For both jazz and classical artists, New York's Steinway Hall is the ultimate piano showroom. Pianists might fade into the background in Manhattan's numerous clubs, bars, and restaurants, but at Steinway Hall, attentive audiences are the rule. So Steinway was a perfect venue for John Eaton when, in January 2000, the swing pianist gave a concert devoted to two of the 20th century's greatest pop composers: George Gershwin and Harold Arlen. Except for "Can't We Be Friends?" and "Willow Weep for Me," everything that the unaccompanied Eaton performs is from the Gershwin or Arlen songbooks. Most of the songs are well-known standards, although Eaton unearths a few rarities as well. "For You, for Me, Forever More" isn't one of George & Ira Gershwin's better-known compositions; nor is "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise" a song that has been done to death over the years. Most of the performances are instrumental; Eaton's only vocal is on Arlen's "One for My Baby," a gem that was defined by Frank Sinatra. Eaton didn't have a great voice in 2000 — he's much better as a pianist than as a singer. Nonetheless, his sparkling pianism makes "One for My Baby" well worth hearing. All things considered, Live at Steinway Hall is one of Eaton's most memorable and rewarding CDs.