We Got Rhythm - Will Shaw & Keith Evans at the GW4 Theatre Organ

Enjoy jazz standards, Hollywood and Disney musical tunes, and theatre organ favourites, all carefully arranged and played on the Allen, George Wright Signature Series Digital Theatre Organ. The featured Allen GW4 is installed in the music room of the residence of Keith and Katherine Evans. Please consider subscribing to the channel.
Should you wish, donations towards the NHS can be made by following this link - uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Clap...
Track List:
0:00 Intro
1. 0:13 Just One of Those Things - Will Shaw
2. 3:03 Tea for Two - Will Shaw
3. 8:18 My Kind of Town/Chicago/Cheek to Cheek - Keith Evans
4. 12:27 Here’s That Rainy Day - Keith Evans
5. 17:15 Be Our Guest - Will Shaw
6. 19:43 When You Wish Upon A Star - Will Shaw
7. 26:00 That’s Entertainment - Keith Evans
8. 29:03 If You Were the Only Girl In the World - Keith Evans
9. 34:44 Cherokee - Keith Evans
10. 38:24 You Are The Sunshine of My Life - Will Shaw
11. 41:51 Shall We Dance - Will Shaw
12. 43:56 Thou Swell - Keith Evans
13. 47:23 Night and Day - Will Shaw
14. 51:54 On a Wonderful Day Like Today - Keith Evans
15. 56:30 There’s A Small Hotel - Will Shaw
16. 59:48 Lady of Spain - Keith Evans
17. 1:02:54 My Foolish Heart - Keith Evans
18. 1:09:23 I Got Rhythm - Will Shaw
1:13:41 Organ Specification
Our special thanks to our Technical Director Phil Leader & Mastering Engineer Neil Cowlan, (www.ruggedaudiomedia.com) for all of their expert work in the making of this project, both highly skilled professionals of the industry.
©Mostyn Theatre Organ Productions 2020
Foreword by Ian Wolstenholme -
When Will Shaw and Keith Evans asked me to listen to their collaboration on the Allen GW4, I was more than delighted. Will took the 2019 UK Young Theatre Organist of the Year senior title and it was clear to me that here was a young man destined to inject a new lease of life into the (some might say) ailing genre. I’ve known Keith since the early ‘80s from his vast experience overseeing the former Technics Music Academy, which spawned diverse musical talent throughout the UK and beyond.
This is musicianship at its best! Whether you like the rip-roaring styles of Cole Porter’s JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS or Gershwin’s I GOT RHYTHM (including an unexpected snatch of Widor), or the lush tibias, “Rodwellian” harmonies and melodic construction of HERE’S THAT RAINY DAY, IF YOU WERE THE ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD and MY FOOLISH HEART, you will not be disappointed. Trust me, I feel unswervingly certain that this is how Messrs Van Heusen, Ayer and Young meant for their ballads to be interpreted and presented. Dismiss any previous incarnations you may have come across, these are simply breathtaking arrangements which you’ll want to hear over and over. In the case of THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT, close your eyes and you’re on an MGM backlot; in Ray Noble’s CHEROKEE, the Allen thunders along, dodging the proverbial arrows and you really do feel ‘the roar of the greasepaint and the smell of the crowd’ with the 1965 hit, ON A WONDERFUL DAY LIKE TODAY.
It is impossible for me to choose a particular favourite from this eclectic array of musical masterpieces - whether a two-minute whirl around the floor to SHALL WE DANCE, a couple of contrasting Disney favourites WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR and BE OUR GUEST, the syrupy-flow of YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE to the multi-rhythmical NIGHT AND DAY and much more. The album was recorded at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020. Lest you are feeling under the weather in any way, I commend this musical tonic to you. It certainly brightened my day. Better yet, what a generous gesture by Keith and Will in sharing their talents without commercial gain - do consider supporting the charities that are linked.
The GW4 confidently takes in its stride the extensive demands of both artistes. Additionally, the post-production expertise of Technical Director Phil Leader and Mastering Engineer Neil Cowlan are the icing on the cake and the finished result sounds superb. I absolutely know that my radio programme listeners will clamour for more!
Ian Wolstenholme,
Producer/Presenter “Community Keyboards”
Oldham Community Radio 99.7FM / anchor.fm/commuitykeyboards
Be Our Guest - Ashman/ Menken, 1991
Cheek to Cheek - Berlin, 1935
Cherokee - Noble, 1938
Chicago - Fisher, 1922
Here’s That Rainy Day - Van Heusen, 1953
I Got Rhythm - Gershwin, 1930
If You Were the Only Girl In the World - Ayer, 1916
Just One of Those Things - Porter, 1935
Lady of Spain - Evans, 1931
My Kind of Town - Van Heusen 1964
My Foolish Heart - Young, 1949
Night and Day - Porter, 1932
On a Wonderful Day Like Today - Bricusse/ Newley, 1964
Shall We Dance - Rodgers, 1951
Tea for Two - Youmans, 1924
That’s Entertainment - Schwartz, 1952
Thou Swell - Rodgers, 1927
There’s A Small Hotel - Rodgers, 1935
When You Wish Upon A Star - Harline/ Washington, 1940
You Are The Sunshine of My Life - Wonder, 1972
We do not own the rights to the original works

[@garymahon1955]

I would guess it takes a genius to remember which keys to use and play that organ. I would not know where to begin. Beautiful organ and sound!

[@smarko1100]

Marvelous. Steve Markowitz, President, Allen Organ Company

[@davidlowe7519]

A very well produced and enjoyable album. Keep safe everyone.

[@davecalendine8575]

Great job with this! Wonderful music. I look forward to hearing more in the future!

[@johnferguson4089]

What beautiful sounds from a fabulous instrument along with great arrangements plus masterly playing.

[@mikebracchi]

15 minutes in .... magnificent, absolutely superb, thoroughly enjoying it :)

[@davidreed7957]

Delightful and most enjoyable. A pleasure to listen to. Thanks for sharing.

[@ianwolstenholme3059]

A superbly-produced and executed recording - just what's needed in this unusual times!

[@garymcwithey980]

Very well done! Probably one of the best-regulated GW4s I've ever heard. Stay healthy. And make more music!

[@tibia603]

a wunderfull sounding 4/36 allen one of the best gw i have heard

[@andyg1957]

Sounds absolutely superb and the arrangements are great - love those Rodwellian harmonies. I will shamelessly pinch them! :)

[@simonhill5348]

Wonderful; a really enjoyable listen, appealing and creative arrangements, executed with real flair and musical precision, and superb sound quality.

[@jimr.5580]

A fantastic instrument fantastically played. This video is a great advertisement for the Allen Organ Company!

[@mostyntheatreorganproducti6679]

Thank you Jim! Best wishes from all the team.

[@bradmaier4804]

Absolutely Unbelievable !!! What fantastic musicians playing one super organ!!! Allen Organs are so amazing! I remember the days when people would have an organ in the house. Now you can't even find any home organs. What a shame kids do not have the oportunity to learn this wonderful instrument. My mom started on a Hammond spinette and worked up to a Conn Artist. We still have it in my house but parts ans service are so scarce, time to retire it.q
Brad Maier
Babylon, NY

[@mostyntheatreorganproducti6679]

Thank you for your wonderful comment Brad, we’re really glad you enjoyed it. Quite right about the organ. The decline of music in general has been sad to see over the years and while the organ has certainly fallen out of favour more than most instruments, it’s great to see some interest from young people again. I think our mission must be to try an get these instruments back into the public eye. They’ll never be popular again as such, but, I’m sure there’s many people out there who’d be interested!
All the best to you and yours from all the team!

[@markspeight5409]

Organ looks and sounds great. Arrangements and playing are great. Sound quality is great. The dog is very cute as well. I enjoyed this video very much. Thanks to all concerned for the making and sharing of it.

[@johnconreen9069]

Its a yes from me

[@mainaccount131]

Great

[@cjp240573]

What software is being used? Hauptwerk? if so what organ pack?

[@mostyntheatreorganproducti6679]

No software pack is used on this recording. The sounds you hear are just of the Allen organ samples. Thanks for watching!

[@johnnyjames7139]

Some of the samples for the GW 3 and 4 manual models were of George's Hollywood Philharmonic home installation pipe organ.