What Makes Burt So Great?

[steveo_1965]

What Makes Burt so special as a performer? Well, I would say mostly
it's his "feel"....
He always turns in a "Sensitive" piano solo on his records...and takes
great care with his "tempos".....
A great musician named Lou Halmy who worked for Burt and others doing printed sheet music versions once told me "There is no such thing as "feel"
it's all in the notation"....(well I mentioned a "feel" in music, and he got technical on me...)
Well, perhaps he is technically correct in that the elongnatin or shortness of notes is all it is...or a rubato interpetation, or accents etc..
but to me that constitues a "feel", and without it there is no performance...
so really our conversation was superfluous....
So, aside from the brilliance of Burt's composition and arranging...his "feel" is what makes him so great..he really tries (and succeeds) at putting passion("passion personified" as Herb Alpert said about him) into his music. Is there other music that utilizes the same feel
or concepts...yes. Listen to Carl Stalling - the Merrie Melodies 1940's cartoon titles performance with the WB orch. They play that theme with much "gusto!"...

Steveo