At last, I think I’ve found a disc to help me sleep now that my
Environments tape of the seashore wore out! Pillow, meet Jack
Jezzro.
In one sense, my attribution of
Disney’s Instrumental Impressions to guitarist Jezzro is
incorrect; Jezzro is backed by an orchestra throughout this
album. But these 14 selections of interpretations of some of
Disney’s best-loved film music is sleepily beautiful, almost like I
was listening to the Muzak station in my own home. It’s pretty, but
you gotta admit, it’s fluff.
Jezzro and the orchestra lovingly take on such classic numbers
as “When You Wish Upon A Star,” “Bella Notte” and “Lavender Blue,”
and are able to keep the songs’ original spirits while adding a
touch of modern style to them. In fact, the performance of “When
You Wish Upon A Star” sounded like something I’ve heard before
reviewing this album.
Some questions arise when Jezzro and the strings tackle more
modern numbers like “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” (which will
never sound right without Elton John), “If I Never Knew You” (a
track from
Pocahontas) and “Beauty And The Beast”. Oh, it’s not that
the versions have anything wrong with them; it’s just that they’re
still babies in the Disney catalog, and as such, the generation
that remembers the originals won’t want to hear them tampered with
in any way.
The biggest complaint I could register about
Disney’s Instrumental Impressions is it’s so laid back, I
found myself ready to doze off several times during its time in the
ol’ CD player in the Pierce Archives. Fans of lighter pop will love
this album to death, while the rest of us… well, let’s just say
you shouldn’t listen to this one in your car, especially if you
experience “highway hypnosis”.
In general, the selection of these songs is well-chosen, and
presents a nice balance of old and new that should put a spark in a
romantic evening before the fireplace (or, at least this summer, in
front of the air conditioner). However, I can’t see this being a
“make-out” CD; somehow I think hearing “Some Day My Prince Will
Come” as one is about to make his move would kill the moment. (Then
again, I used Beethoven my first time… and lived to tell about
it.)
Disney’s Instrumental Impressions has enough value for the
young listener to get some enjoyment out of it, while the older
listener might appreciate the more gentle touch taken to the songs.
Still, if it weren’t so sleepy, it would have been that much better
of an album.
