Christmas in New York

by Renée Fleming

Overview

As a genre, holiday music has an entirely different alignment than most, being song- and theme-driven, and any approach, from pop, rock, country, blues, and jazz to new age and classical, will work. And since it is also seasonal, and therefore shared by all, it's the ultimate crossover genre, a kind of jointly shared catalog of songs full of ready-made motifs and themes, and in the case of Christmas music, a unified hope for joy and peace on earth. What soprano Renée Fleming has done with the David Frost-produced Christmas in New York, her first holiday album, is add place to the mix. Conjuring moments of a wintery carriage ride through Central Park, twinkling lights, and bright fallen snow on 5th Avenue, Rockefeller Center aglow, and chestnuts roasting on every corner, Fleming's first Christmas album, although tracked in the studio, flows and unfolds like a limited-run seasonal Broadway stage tribute to the city, complete with a host of guests like Kelli O'Hara, Rufus Wainwright, Gregory Porter, Brad Mehldau, and Wynton Marsalis. There's a gentle, jazzy, folky crossover pop feel to things, with Fleming's beautiful voice showing endless little stylistic variations from track to track, from the opening "Winter Wonderland," which features Marsalis-led horns, through the country-folk-tinged "Silver Bells" (a duet with O'Hara), and then closing things out in a nice story arc with the Christmas lullaby "Still, Still, Still," a duet with Kurt Elling. The curveball here, and one of the best tracks, is a gorgeous and hushed version of Sandy Denny's "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" (featuring Mehldau), which shows just how versatile this timeless song (which one would not, at first, think of as a Christmas song) is, and in Fleming's hands, it sums up the rush and glow, hurry and flow and emotional pull of a Christmas season in New York City. Look for this set to become a seasonal favorite.

Product Details

Release Date:	10/14/2014
Label:	Decca
UPC:	0028947867708
catalogNumber:	002110402

Tracks

1. Winter Wonderland
2. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
3. Silver Bells
4. Merry Christmas Darling
5. The Christmas Waltz
6. Who Knows Where the Time Goes
7. Sleigh Ride
8. Snowbound
9. In the Bleak Midwinter
10. Central Park Serenade
11. The Man With the Bag
12. Love and Hard Times
13. Still, Still, Still

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Renée Fleming   Primary Artist,Soprano (Vocal)
Rob Mounsey   Keyboards
Carl Allen   Drums
Peter Bernstein   Guitar
Chris Botti   Flugelhorn
Stephanie Cummins   Cello
Clint DeGanon   Drums
David Finck   Bass
Joyce Hammann   Violin
Lou Marini   Alto Flute
Wynton Marsalis   Trumpet
Christian McBride   Bass
Brad Mehldau   Piano
Lee Musiker   Synthesizer,Piano
Dave Ratajczak   Drums
Kurt Elling   Vocals
Shelly Berg   Piano
Walter Blanding   Tenor Saxophone
Grant Stewart   Saxophone
David Blinn   Viola
Rufus Wainwright   Vocals
Grace Paradise   Harp
Freddie Bryant   Guitar
Carlos Henríquez   Bass
Peter Donovan   Acoustic Bass
Lisa Matricardi   Violin
David Lai   Synthesizer,Conductor
David Creswell   Viola
Rob Moose   Guitar,Violin,Concert Master
Mairi Dorman Phaneuf   Cello
Dan Nimmer   Piano
Saul Rubin   Guitar
Svetlana Tsovena   Violin
Susan Perelman   Violin
Kelli O'Hara   Vocals
Gregory Porter   Vocals
Mike Truesdell   Vibes
Ulysses Owens   Drums
Anthony Scherr   Acoustic Bass

Technical Credits

Leroy Anderson   Composer
Paul Simon   Composer
Rob Mounsey   Arranger,Programming
Renee Rosnes   Arranger
Richard Carpenter   Composer
Felix Bernard   Composer
Dudley Brooks   Composer
Sammy Cahn   Songwriter
Ray Evans   Composer
Renée Fleming   Liner Notes
Jay Livingston   Composer
Wynton Marsalis   Arranger
Hugh Martin   Composer
Brad Mehldau   Arranger
Lee Musiker   Arranger
Mitchell Parish   Songwriter
Allen Sides   Engineering
Jule Styne   Composer
Diane Warren   Composer
Shelly Berg   Arranger
David Frost   Producer
Carol Bobolts   Art Direction
Ralph Blane   Composer
Christina Rossetti   Text
Irving Taylor   Composer
Harold Darke   Composer
Alexandra Denny   Composer
Frank Pooler   Songwriter
David Lai   Executive Producer,Management
Isaiah Abolin   Engineering
Russell Faith   Composer
Clarence Kehner   Composer
Rob Moose   Arranger,String Arrangements
Richard B. Smith   Songwriter
Christmas Traditional   Composer
Harold Stanley   Composer
Romana Jaroff   Management

Editorial Reviews

American soprano Renee Fleming’s first-ever holiday album celebrates the beloved and iconic Christmas season in New York City. From the holiday windows lining 5th Avenue to the red and green-lit spire of the Empire State Building, the essence of the city at the most wonderful time of year is captured on Christmas in New York. Pop, Broadway and jazz greats Chris Botti, Kurt Elling, Wynton Marsalis, Brad Mehldau, Kelli O’Hara, Gregory Porter and Rufus Wainwright join Renée as she lends her sublime voice to hits like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Silver Bells” and other gems, including “Central Park Serenade,” a brand new duet by songwriting legend Diane Warren. In total, Fleming and her guests have won 16 Grammy awards across multiple categories.

Fleming’s lush vocals, elegant persona, and intimate delivery of holiday classics make this album the perfect soundtrack for holiday parties, and a gift that will delight anyone who loves music.

An exclusive recording artist with Decca since 1995, Fleming is known around the globe as a classical singer with “a voice as warm and rich as a fine single malt,” (The Times, London), and a career that has ranged from the stages of world’s greatest opera houses to concerts and recordings of jazz, the American songbook, movie soundtracks and indie rock. In February 2014, Fleming became the first classical singer in history to perform the National Anthem at the Super Bowl, which was enjoyed by more than 111.5 million viewers in the US.

From the Publisher