Books to Music: By Jeeves

"It's just another episode
Of the Wooster moral code"

Here's a rather under appreciated Andrew Lloyd Webber musical based on the Jeeves and Wooster books by P.G. Wodehouse. One of my favorite series of books EVER!   The musical weaves different scenarios from various books to form the story, and the fun thing about the cast recording are the alternate tracks of Jeeves and Wooster talking to each other about what is happening in the plot, which means listening to the recording is like listening to a radio show with music.  Very easy to follow, and humor is interjected with Wooster's reactions to events because he doesn't really remember what happened.  And of course events become increasingly farcical and outrageous.

Although it's hard not to compare this to the BBC series "Jeeves and Wooster" with the perfect Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry, the voices of the actors capture just the right tone of Wodehouse's world and the songs are charming and reminiscent of the period - the 1930s.  It sounds like a simple small jazz band, which means the focus is on the voices and the humor.  P.G. Wodehouse's books are all so gently and cleverly humorous and the music captures that whimsy perfectly.

Song Spotlight: Half a Moment
Two people in love, but kept separate because her father wouldn't approve.  And they sing of their devotion in this lovely romantic ballad.  I love how it begins especially because it can move so easily from spoken ardor to song.  The main conceit, that even half a moment is so full of their love that it is like eternity (time they say is relative) is so gorgeous!  Seriously the lyrics of this song touches me with it's simplicity and beauty and cleverness.  It really echoes Wodehouse's style in that way.