Phillip Officer: You Fascinate Me So - Phillip Officer Salutes Mabel Mercer [MP3]
For his first album in over 20 years, acclaimed vocalist Phillip Officer reinterprets the repertoire of influential song stylist Mabel Mercer through a contemporary lens, offering new versions of both cherished standards and captivating rarities. The album is produced by Mark Hartman, Phillip Officer, and Robbie Rozelle, and features arrangements by Mark Hartman, Mark Hummel, and Tex Arnold.
No understanding of the American popular song is complete without the knowledge of the legendary Mabel Mercer (1900-1984) and her influence on lyric interpretation. Her perfect diction and honest approach to lyrics attracted many of America’s iconic singers to emulate her style: Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Tony Bennett, Bobby Short, Peggy Lee, and Nat King Cole. What they learned from Mercer transformed American culture. Tin Pan Alley was expanding its trunk of tunesmiths to include Broadway’s brightest composing stars: Cole Porter, George & Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein, Cy Coleman & Carolyn Leigh. The chic supper clubs and smokey saloons were a perfect playground for the intimate art of cabaret, which both Mabel Mercer and Phillip Officer perfectly exemplify to their respective generations.
When the show You Fascinate Me So: Phillip Officer Salutes Mabel Mercer debuted at New York’s legendary club Birdland earlier this year, it was greeted with rave reviews. In The New York Sun, Will Friedwald hailed it as “both an exciting and respectful tribute; for all the reverence in which Mercer held the Great American Songbook, there was always a sense of adventure and fun in her interpretations, which few contemporary acolytes understand as well as Mr. Officer.” Nitelife Exchange called it “a fascinating celebration of some of the finest of mid-20th century songs. Each was delivered with an emphasis on the lyrics, capturing the style of the great lady without any attempt at imitation.” According to BroadwayWorld: “Even with a beautiful voice, a storyteller must interpret the lyrics. That is exactly what Phillip Officer did. He painted pictures with his voice and interpretive skills, and impressively. Mabel Mercer’s wide range of musical material, showcases Officer’s dexterity in styles.”
The album features co-producer and co-arranger Mark Hartman on piano, in addition to Saadi Zain on bass, Mollie Rose on violin, Kevin Kuhn on guitar, and Ray Marchica on drums.
A Center Stage Records Release
Digital Release Date: October 24, 2025
