A Jazz Man’s Broadway: Reviews

“Jazzman’s Broadway serves to remind listeners of the jazz talents of Cy Coleman and it makes for an enjoyable listen.”
-Scott Yanow

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Jersey Jazz Review by Joe Lan

CY COLEMAN is primarily known as a songwriter, having written the music for several Broadway hits, and several pop standards.  His first taste of success was as a jazz pianist, and A Jazzman’s Broadway (Harbinger – 3401) gives an ample sampling of this aspect of his talent.  In the late 1950s, there was a wave of albums featuring the scores of Broadway shows performed by jazz groups.  Coleman recorded two of these.  His was one of five jazz recordings of Harold Arlen and E.Y. “Yip” Harburg’s Jamaica, a 1957 recording noteworthy for its critical acclaim as well as being the first recording containing examples of Coleman’s charming vocal stylings.  A year later he addressed the score of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song, again, garnering critical praise.  Harbinger, a label that has been instrumental in preserving the heritage of Broadway musicals by reissuing seemingly lost gems like these, is to be commended for their dedication to this music.  To fill out the album, they have included 1949 solo piano radio transcriptions by Coleman of four selections from South Pacific.  This album is the third in a Harbinger series dubbed The Cy Coleman Project,, the other two being Cy Coleman: You Fascinate Me So (Harbinger – 3102) and Barnum Backer’s Audition (Harbinger – 3301) with the next release to feature Coleman playing the scores from two of his Broadway shows, Wildcat and Barnum.  These are must haves for lovers of Broadway music.

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“An eye-opening collection of sleek cabaret gems that captures the best of 1950s jazz.”
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