Fiona Apple, Patty Griffin lead tribute to Broadway composer

July 2, 2009 by Alan Pedder in Blog

All-female line-up cover Cy Coleman’s showtunes on new compilation

Our hearts were set all aflutter a couple of months back when a new Fiona Apple recording surfaced on YouTube – classy, jazzy and rich as treacle, it turned out not to be a new direction for the long-absent singer but a cover of theatre giant Cy Coleman’s ballad ‘Why Try To Change Me Now’, originally recorded by Frank Sinatra in 1952. Fiona’s cover, we were told, was to feature on an upcoming tribute album to the late composer, and we finally have the full details of that. Even better, it turns out that Fiona has recorded two tracks for the album, also contributing a cover of ‘I Walk A Little Faster’, famously recorded by the dearly departed Blossom Dearie. Not only that, but the entire cast for the album are people Wears The Trousers loves!

A 3-track digital taster of the album, which goes by the name of Witchcraft: The Songs Of Cy Coleman, will be available exclusively from iTunes from July 14th, featuring Fiona’s ‘Why Try To Change Me Now’, Patty Griffin’s cover of ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’, and a Missy Higgins version of ‘I’m In Love Again’, a track co-written by Coleman and Peggy Lee. The full album will be released in CD, double vinyl and download formats on September 15th via New West Records (in the US at least), with additional contributions from the likes of Jill Sobule, Madeleine Peyroux, Shivaree’s Ambrosia Parsley, Julianna Raye, Sam Phillips, Sarabeth Tucek and Nikka Costa. Hear clips of all 11 tracks here.

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Witchcraft: The Songs Of Cy Coleman
01 Patty Griffin, ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’
02 Nikka Costa, ‘The Rules Of The Road’
03 Fiona Apple, ‘Why Try To Change Me Now’
04 Madeleine Peyroux, ‘I Live My Love’
05 Sam Phillips, ‘You Fascinate Me So’
06 Ambrosia Parsley, ‘Then Was Then & Now Is Now’
07 Jill Sobule, ‘I’ve Got Your Number’
08 Julianna Raye, ‘I’m Gonna Laugh You Right Out Of My Life’
09 Fiona Apple, ‘I Walk A Little Faster’
10 Sarabeth Tucek, ‘Where Am I Going?’
11 Missy Higgins, ‘I’m In Love Again’

According to one source, two other tracks were scheduled to appear on the disc – Perla Batalla’s ‘Hey Look Me Over’ and a version of ’Too Many Tomorrows’ by Nickel Creek’s Sara Watkins. Perhaps they’ll turn up as bonus tracks.

Alan Pedder

Fiona Apple, ‘Why Try To Change Me Now?’