‘Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook’—

New Three-Part Series By Amber Edwards Explores

The History Of American Popular Music Through A Passionate Preservationist

By Shannon Hicks

Premiering Wednesday, October 6, on PBS, the three-part series Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook, produced and directed by Newtown’s Amber Edwards of Hudson West Productions, embarks on a dynamic road trip through the glorious history of American song by the acclaimed musician and five-time Grammy-nominated vocalist.

Viewers accompany Mr Feinstein on-stage and backstage, hear him interpret great standards, listen in on personal stories about the songwriters and entertainers he has known and worked with over three decades, and join him on his quest to find and preserve rare treasures of classic American music.

“When I first moved to Los Angeles,” Mr Feinstein says in the show, “I discovered that movie studios would throw away archives, music publishers would get rid of old arrangements, manuscripts would be discarded, and complete orchestrations for shows would be tossed out. Our musical heritage was literally disappearing because people didn’t understand it was valuable to save it.”

Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook chronicles Mr Feinstein’s lifelong mission to keep the Great American Songbook alive, as he preserves and passes along the lyrics and melodies of songwriters like George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and Rodgers and Hart, all while performing more than 150 shows a year across the country. 

“When I talk about ‘The Great American Songbook’ I’m talking about songs that were performed in Broadway shows and Hollywood movies and there were big bands and there were top vocalists that made these songs popular,” Mr Feinstein says in the opening minutes of the first program of the three-part series. “But unless it is heard and performed and brought back to the public’s attention, it will die. And that is the key: letting people hear it.”

“That’s kind of the crux of the whole three-part series,” Ms Edwards, who began working on this project in September 2008, said this week. 

“I am extremely happy with it. I am very proud of it,” Ms Edwards admitted. That’s high praise indeed from someone who has, literally, a display case filled with industry honors.

Ms Edwards’s numerous awards include 12 regional Emmy Awards, including a 2007 New York Emmy for Magazine Program, eight CINE Golden Eagles, two Chris statuettes from the Columbus International Film Festival, two CEN Programming awards, two Gold Remi Awards from WorldFest Houston, a NETA award, a Silver Plaque from the Chicago International Film Festival, the Silver Screen Award from the US International Film & Video Festival, and two Silver Apples from the National Educational Media Network.

The PBS series follows the meticulous musician as he rummages though cluttered basements and dusty attics, sifts through piles in packed storage lockers, and unearths obscure items in flea markets.

Simultaneously, Mr Feinstein digs deep into the artistry of performers like Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Nat King Cole, Ethel Waters, and Margaret Whiting, illuminating what makes them iconic and timeless. The series reveals that Mr Feinstein is a historical sleuth, obsessively seeking out and saving priceless musical rarities from destruction.

“How better to understand 20th Century American history and culture than through its popular music?” says producer/director Edwards. “Music that stands the test of time over generations, whether love songs, soundtracks, show tunes, or dance numbers. The songs Americans have loved for decades provide a musical snapshot of our shared culture — a ‘soundscape’ that reveals our hopes, fears, and dreams.”

“Michael has been called the Indiana Jones of popular music — he’s been collecting since he was 5 years old,” she added. “But for him it’s not about amassing and hoarding objects; it’s all part of his mission to keep this music alive for future generations.”

“This is the project I was born to do,” the Newtown resident, who is herself a performer, told The Newtown Bee this week. “I know this music, I sing this music, I perform it… I share Michael’ s vision to keep it alive and try to introduce it to a new generation.

“The approach we try to take is to try something fresh. A lot of people have described this as a reality show, which kind of gets my dander up. It’s not a reality show, but I suppose you could call it a reality show that’s real. It’s really about something.

“We wanted to give people a look at what it’s like to be a performer who does 150 shows across the country every year. And if that life wasn’t enough, there are all these collecting expeditions. Everywhere we went, there were always people who knew Michael, who had collections, or flea markets where he found new collections. As a filmmakers, that’s a pretty terrific story to hang on to because you have this character who really wants something,” said Ms Edwards.

In addition to footage that documents Mr Feinstein’s fabulous but exhausting life on the road, Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook uses prized archival audio and film footage to tell its story. The clips, narrated and contextualized by Mr Feinstein, reveal the social and historical forces behind the music, which helped to shape the style, attitude and self-image of America for more than a century.

Filled with generous portions of live performance past and present — including special appearances from some of today’s leading entertainers such as Cheyenne Jackson (currently on NBC’s 30 Rock), music icon Marvin Hamlisch, and Broadway and TV star David Hyde Pierce — the series offers both an intimate portrait of a unique entertainer and a history of 20th Century popular culture.

Episode Synopses

Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook will airing on PBS on Wednesdays, October 6, 13, and 20 (check local listings).

*Episode One, “Putting on the Tailfins,” focuses on the 1950s and 1960s, when the Great American Songbook competed with new forms like rock ‘n’ roll, and rhythm & blues.

As Mr Feinstein crisscrosses the country performing with big bands, symphony orchestras, and jazz combos, viewers learn how iconic singers such as Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Rosemary Clooney kept the Songbook alive by reinventing pop standards of the 1930s and 1940s.

*Episode Two, “Best Band in the Land,” examines how popular songs provided emotional solace and patriotic inspiration during World War II. While preparing an original patriotic song, Mr Feinstein weaves in the history of 1940s big bands, USO shows, V-disks, war bond rallies, and the powerful role popular music played in boosting morale.

*Episode Three, “A New Step Every Day,” explores the fast and furious 1920s and 1930s, when jazz was hot, credit was loose, and illegal booze flowed freely in underground speakeasies. Between performances, Mr Feinstein illustrates the impact of talking pictures, the dawn of radio, and the fledgling recording industry.

The third episode also introduces viewers to other collectors and musicians who keep the spirit of the Jazz Age alive today.

With husband Justin Scott sitting beside her Tuesday afternoon, laughter was heard when Ms Edwards was asked about her routine when her documentaries debut.

“Usually, I have to be highly sedated. My wish is to be able to reach into the screen and make one last correction on something,” the producer said. “What I should do is be sedated and tied to the chair, where I cannot adjust the contrast or sound or anything,” she laughed.

“But no, I will watch it. There is something quite magical about watching something you’ve made, and knowing that hundreds of thousands of people will be watching it at that same time,” she continued.

The subject of the series may not be among those glued to the TV when the programs air, however.

“Michael cannot stand to watch himself anymore,” said Ms Edwards. “He has been performing and watching and critiquing for so long that he cannot watch himself.

“The appealing thing about this project is he wasn’t playing to the camera. We made a big effort to not draw attention to ourselves, even with all the time we spent with the cameras on him. But no, he probably is not even going to watch it.

 “This really is the biggest deal I’ve ever done,” she said. “I’m very proud. It was certainly one of the big adventures of my life. This project was given a really a prime piece of real estate in the PBS lineup. I have great hope for it.”