Michael Feinstein Sings The Burton Lane Songbook, Vol. II

Burton Lane’s extensive song catalogue more than justifies a second volume of his collaboration with Michael Feinstein, who sings to the composer’s piano accompaniment. There are hits like “Everything I Have Is Yours” and “The Lady’s in Love with You,” and interesting obscurities, such as “It’s Time for a Love Song,” from the flop musical, Carmelina, and “Your Head on My Shoulder,” from Kid Millions, one of the dozens of films to which Lane contributed music. And the album concludes with a lengthy medley of songs from On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, including the title song, Lane’s most famous composition (which answers the question of why it was missing from the first volume). Since Lane is unaccountably less renowned than he should be, this collection and its predecessor perform an especially valuable function. – William Ruhlmann