April 23, 2007

Cover Version Cage Match




Jascha Heifetz vs. Cher in "It Ain't Necessarily So." Seems like a bit of an unfair fight, but before you wager: Cher's got harmonica legend Larry Adler in her corner. And a motorcycle.

Your celebrity referee: Paul Whiteman himself, in the over-the-top trippy Rhapsody In Blue sequence from the 1930 film King of Jazz.

2 comments:

Liz said...

How neat...

Well I have that Heifetz VHS tape and it's good, though the earlier recording from the 40s is better.

Allergic to Cher...so stopped it after 3 notes. Motorcycle wasn't an asset in this case.

Heifetz wins for me.

Now I totally want to see the King of Jazz. Lots of fun. Though the tempos are a lot faster than I'm used to. (How do they compare to the Gershiwn four-hand piano rolls?)

Elaine Fine said...

Actually I think that Heifetz is the perfect medicine for that Cher allergy.