‘Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios’ Review: Making Studio Magic

metroweekly.com:

Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall is an odd pop culture artifact, not least because it pulled off the amazing feat of becoming iconic itself.His tribute to Judy was campy and affectionate all at once, with an appearance by his sister Martha lending the album its own Judy-and-Liza moment.

The performance and the album that came out of it were hits, and several of those songs are still staples in his live performances.Wainwright’s fascination with Judy’s most legendary performance gets a second wind with Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios (★★★★☆), a record that came out of a studio session performed and streamed with little fanfare last year.

On this outing, he brings Carnegie Hall into the recording studio, once again performing numbers from the Great American Songbook, but this time for an audience consisting solely of Renée Zellweger.Following up his own legendary performance was going to be a tall order — the songs are as inviolable as they are well-known.

And on top of that, his distinctive voice has not perceptibly changed in the years since the first recording.Rather than fastidiously replicate the sound of an orchestral accompaniment as he did the first time around with a 36-piece orchestra, on Capitol Studios Wainwright is accompanied by just a four-piece band.Unavoidable as it was at the time, Wainwright’s embrace of the sound of a studio recording this time around is one that pays off.