Young At Heart Ferryistas,
Last night I was at George Michael's London Symphonica concert and I must say it was spectacular in every regard. He sung his way through a heavily jazz influenced set list including great versions of "My Baby Just Cares For Me", "Brother Can You Spare A Dime" and a peerless jazzed version of "Roxanne".
The set and visuals were sumptuous and the boy was well suited and booted.
All and all it was terrific and although GM is obviously a great artist in his own right, I can't help but wonder how much he was influenced by ATGB and the associated tour.
Personally, I think Ferry's influence in this "Jazz" trend is huge and personally I find it mighty refreshing.
Prospects for a new "Jazz Age" look good and maybe this double dip recession will give us a thirst for some swing?
Regards,
Windswept

"I can't help but wonder how much he was influenced by ATGB and the associated tour."

Here's my take. Rod Stewart ripped off Bryan's idea when he put out ATGB and tour. I have no doubt about it, because Rod The Broad had the same suit, and band layout as Bryan. Who's album did better? Thief in the night.

I'll add another post later about this thievery.

I'm sure the show you saw was influenced by Bryan. He's the master innovator. Watch Rod & others closely if they do the same. Who woulda thunk to do an album like this except Bryan?

(with GM's reputation, hope you didn't go to the loo alone!)

Can't swing? slow-slow-quick-quick

I too wonder if GM was influenced by Bryan. It is possible he was influenced by Rod stewart, but also maybe by Robbie Williams, who recorded a 'swing' album, also after Bryan's ATGB.

As for sales Rod blows ATGB out of the water. I think volume I of the 'Great American song Book', sold 4 million copies, vol 2, more than 2 million in US alone, Vol 3 made number one in America, selling more than 200,000 copies in the first week - and earning Stewart his first Grammy award. There was even a fourth volume!!! And just when you thought we might have a break from Rod bastardising old classics he is releasing a Christmas album this November.

it sickens me too for Rodness to steal Bryan's idea & make alotta money on it, plus he had some of the same songs to rub it in B's face. Scum bag. he was always kinda sleazy anyway.

A friend of mine saw him up close here in Montreal, and said he was quite ugly.

Anyhoot, I just called a DJ friend of mine for Montreal's biggest rock station just now & he hasn't heard about this album. Hopefully, he'll play something by RM or B on the "Drive at 5" & make mention of the album. Sent him SC link for DSTD, stay tuned...

Rod even hired Lucy Wilkins on that tour !

Lucy Wilkins the Set Designer?

a clue to Rod's shenanigans: "Or steal my daddy's cue."

Hipsters,

My intention was not to provoke a hail of anti Rod mails albeit, I can understand why arbitrors of good taste may like to pore scorn on the poor boy.

The objective was rather to discuss modern singers exploring the '30s & '40s jazz age and Ferry's clear influence on the trend.

Personally, I'm getting into this music more and more and when I think about my influences it's gone something like this:

'73 & '74 - Ferry broadens my horizons with spectacular interpretations of "These Foolish Things" & "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes".

'85 - Robert Palmer dips his toe in the water and records a very cool version of the Walter Donalson/Gus Kahn song "Riptide". I loved it.

'88 & '90 - Palmer follows through by cutting some great classics on
"Heavy Nova" and "Don't Explain" albums. He mixed Jazz up with his rock and new world music and it got me thinking.

'93 - Palmer becomes the first rock singer to devote a whole album to the idiom when he releases the very creditable "Riding' High". Unfortunately the fans weren't ready for it and the fabulous Royal Albert Hall Concert was deemed to be a bit of a commercial failure.
That said, I got completely intoxicated.

'99 - Ferry revisits the '30s & '40s with the incomparable ATGB and knocks one right out of the park by touring with the best band he has ever assembled. By now I'm completely hooked on Jazz and some aspects of rock are starting to pale for me.

'99 - George Michael releases "Songs From The Last Century" covering mainly old jazz standards. A great album, somewhat underrated at the time that is probably selling like hot cakes after his "Symphonica" tour triumph.

'03 & '08 - Boz Scaggs turns his hand to the '30s/'40s Jazz scene with two very creditable renditions: "But Beautiful" & "Speak Low". With these two albums I think Boz digs more into Jazz to great effect and it gets me listening to Miles Davis, Stanley Turrentine and all that good stuff.

'12 - Ferry gives us "The Jazz Age"

Of course, in-between theres been an avalanche of also rans ("Rod The Mod" et all) but for me, these are the one's that really mattered.

Regards,
Windswept

I think George Michael is more likely to have been influenced by Robbie Williams' more recent swing efforts (although I'm not familiar enough with GM's work to have known about his 1999 album), as they attract a younger demographic who buy/download more albums... I doubt he'd want to think of himself as attracting fans in the same age bracket as BF or Rod Stewart!

As for Rod the (former) Mod, he's still a great live show (saw him in Hyde Park about 18 months ago). I think he's pretty much given up the crooning now, although it's been a tidy little earner, while giving his voice time to recover between tours. Just a pity he hasn't done anything about a Faces reunion, which would now be further delayed by Woody's Stones commitments...

Very interesting points from Windswept & Smudge.

The Palmer albums you mention & the Michael one are in my collection and I had never really thought about the Ferry influence. Actually, the RP ones I only have on vinyl so have not listened in a long time but after reading your posts some of the tunes came instantly back into my head.

I don't think George would have been influenced too much by Robbie. I recall the MTV unplugged show back in 96/97 where he looked so at home in front of the band, I imagine the Symphonica Tour has been something he has had in his head for a long time. His "Songs from the Last Century" had an interesting mix of tracks, not just jazz:-

1. Brother Can You Spare A Dime
2. Roxanne
3. You've Changed
4. My Baby Just Cares For Me
5. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
6. Miss Sarajevo
7. I Remember You
8. Secret Love
9. Wild Is The Wind
10. Where Or When

I too have seen Rod Stewart live in the past and he is a good rock singer. I just didn't think the Great American Songbook suited his style of vocals. With five volumes he certainly milked it for all it was worth

"Do The Strand" was one of George Michaels' choices when he appeared on Desert Island Discs and Robert Palmer died on Bryan Ferry's birthday in 2003.

Dear Roxy,
I agree with you. I don't think for a minute that George Michael would be influenced by Robbie Williams but Ferry, very definitely and it showed in his Symphonica set.
As BF did with ATGB, he mixed it up and put a Jazz spin on some contemporary numbers also, the set visuals were incredible.
I loved the visuals on BF's recent tours (solo & Roxy) but who ever did GM's blew Isaac away (doubtless he'll rise to the challenge and I thought the techniques used to highlight soloists were just phenomenal.
As for Rod, each to his own but if he'd stopped after "The Faces", that would have been fine with me.
Regards,
Windswept