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The Painted Desert

  1. Riders In The Sky
  2. Home on The Range
  3. High Noon
  4. Mirage
  5. Wagon Wheels
  6. New World
  7. Yellow Rose Of Texas
  8. Shenandoam
  9. Red River Valley
  10. Tumbling Tumbleweeds
  11. I'm An Old Cowhand From The Rio Grande
  12. On The Trail
Ferrante & Teicher: The Painted Desert  (United Artists)
About this album: 

Lp released in 1968

Produced by George Butler
Arrangements by Ferrante & Teicher
Orchestra Conducted by Nick Perito

Engineer: Frank Laico

Ferrante & Teicher play Baldwin Pianos

Availability: 

Lp (mono): United Artists UAL-3636
Lp (stereo): United Artists UAS-6636

Liner notes: 

Duo-piano playing demands the inter-dependence of two partners: team work of the highest order; the delicate coalition of personal sympathy and technical equality that permits the partners to work out and to carry out their own interpretations with mutual artistic satisfaction.

Such a combination is that of FERRANTE AND TEICHER to which this album will attest.

The Western tunes within this album are burned indelibly into the minds of everyone and are therefore immediately recognizable. FERRANTE AND TEICHER’s treatment of them achieves a fascinating synthesis, demonstrating that they can handle the simple melodies as well as the more complex ones and still accomplish musical interest.

The salient feature of this album – independent of the fact that FERRANTE AND TEICHER display superbly their command of the piano keyboard – is that it illustrates unequivocally the fresh, collective approach that display an uncanny degree of shared understanding as to their musical objectives.

The rhythmic infectiousness of “GHOST RIDERS IN THE SKY,” the poetic rendition of “HOME ON THE RANGE,” the Bolera-type treatment of “HIGH NOON,” the beautiful and lyrical “MIRAGE,” the swing version of “WAGON WHEELS,” the classical approach of “GOIN’ HOME,” the march-militaire effect of “YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS,” et al makes this album replete with variety for the listener.

FERRANTE AND TEICHER orchestrally and pianistically explore the shapes and patterns of each tune within this album with the genuine artistic curiosity of one looking upon something for the first time. The results demonstrate their status as orchestrators and pianists per excellence and their ability to probe below the surface of the chord sequence when the mod takes them.

The remarkable coordination and fine musicianship of FERRANTE AND TEICHER, coupled with brilliant harmonic colors afforded by ingenious orchestrations, effectuate a prodigious album.