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Modern Day Face Of The "Great American Songbook" To Perform On South Coast For First Time

Michael Feinstein will perform at Ventura Music Festival Sunday night

Some people call him a modern day Frank Sinatra, bringing classics from the “Great American Songbook” to life.

Michael Feinstein has become an ambassador to older and younger generations of early 20th century American Standards by music legends like Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, and Cole Porter, and this weekend, he's performing on the South Coast for the first time.

Feinstein says it’s only natural he loves the music. He grew up in Columbus, Ohio. His family encouraged his interest in music, and at five he was taking piano lessons, lessons he apparently didn’t need. The little boy’s piano teacher would play the music, and then put the music sheets in front of him to play, which he would do almost flawlessly. This went on for months before the teacher changed the routine one day, and put the music in front of Feinstein before playing it. He told her he didn’t know how to read music, and she realized he was playing by ear. That led to the end of the lessons, with Feinstein teaching himself out to play.

Feinstein admits he never thought of music as a career. He says it just sort of happened, getting offers to play at events, and then eventually at nightclubs.

But, when he was in his 20’s, he got what amounted to the opportunity of a lifetime. It was a job working with some legendary “Great American Songbook” music. He was hired to help organize the archives of the late George Gershwin by Gershwin’s brother Ira.

By the 1980’s Feinstein was a regular on the club circuit, and recorded his first albums. He’s been busy ever since, with shows and special on NPR and PBS, and his own nightclubs. He’s principal conductor for the Pasadena Pops.

Even though you don’t hear Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, or others from the “Great American Songbook” on radio very often anymore, Feinstein says younger audiences are still finding it through the internet, movie soundtracks, and sometimes on TV through shows and old movies. He says the construction of the music, and its often poetic lyrics make it timeless.

Feinstein is bringing his music to the 2017 Ventura Music Festival this weekend. The event at 7 p.m. Sunday, at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center is called “Stories and Songs from the Great American Songbook.”

Link To Ventura Music Festival:  venturamusicfestival.org

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral. 
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