This Album of contemporary recording and Broadway artists singing 20 of their favorite Yeston songs, was produced by Tommy Krasker for the PS Classics label. Performers include Alice Ripley, Brent Barrett, Sutton Foster, Johnny Rodgers, Betty Buckley, Philip Chaffin, Laura Benanti, Christopher Fitzgerald, Eden Espinosa, Christine Ebersole, Christine Andreas, Robert Cuccioli, Michael Holland, Liz Callaway, Brian D’Arcy James, and Howard McGillin.
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“Yeston seems to have a deep understanding of the human condition, and his innate musicianship allows him to wed music and lyrics to the point where they seem inseparable. In sum, he is one of the most important and distinctive composers that the American musical theater has seen, and The Maury Yeston Songbook should be added to the audio library of everyone who loves this art form.” Matthew Murray, Theatermania
“Coinciding with the Tony-winning Broadway revival of Maury Yeston’s Nine, this collection celebrates one of the theater’s finest composer/lyricists. With 20 varied songs freshly interpreted by 16 of the best voices on Broadway, The program demonstrates the range and distinction of Yeston’s work during the past two decades. Along with songs from his Broadway successes Nine, Grand Hotel and Titanic, the disc showcases material from his Phantom and his artful song cycle, December Songs, as well as three earlier Yeston tunes.
A former music theory professor at Yale, Yeston imbues his songs with intelligence and class sorely needed in today’s musical theater. When appropriate, his work can sound contemporary, yet it never lapses into conventional pop. This more individual profile lends his songs subtlety, unpredictability and dramatic relevance.
Even grappling with complex emotions, his songs remain accessible, buoyed by a gift for pure melody that extends the tradition of Jerome Kern and Richard Rodgers.
The beauty of Yeston’s long-lined, elegantly crafted melodies is amply represented: in Alice Ripley’s vulnerable reading of Please Let’s Not Even Say Hello; in Howard McGillin’s quietly haunting No Moon; and Laura Benanti and Robert Cuccioli’s soaring Home, an enthralling blend of song and performance that raises goosebumps.
No Yeston retrospective would be complete without his chef-d’oeuvre, New Words. Brent Barrett exudes gentle warmth as a parent teaching his young child the meaning of “moon” and “stars” and “love.” The song is a perfect example of the unique artistry that makes Yeston a major talent indispensable to contemporary musical theater.” Everette Evans, Houston Chronicle
