Swingin’ in the Snow
Available on CD/Digitally
With special guests Mindi Abair, David Benoit, Dave Koz, Jeffrey Osborne, Kirk Whalum, Peter White, and others.
Nearly twenty years into his solo career, Rick Braun’s done just about everything, from backing the likes of Rod Stewart and Sade to stepping out into the spotlight as a vocalist and a first-class master of the trumpet and flugelhorn. This year, Rick’s getting into the swing of the holiday season with his first-ever Christmas album, Swingin’ In The Snow.
Right from the brassy, big band opening of “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm” to the final muted chord of “Silent Night,” Rick serves up a heaping helping of holiday cheer that’s as warm as a yuletide fire and as cool as the season’s first snow.
Of course, he’s not doing this all by himself. Rick’s enlisted some of the brightest stars on the pop scene to join in, from Mindi Abair to Peter White, and a whole lot more. On Swingin’ In The Snow, Braun’s repertoire runs the gamut from Great American Songbook composers such as Irving Berlin and Mel Tormé to time-honored classics including “Oh Tannenbaum” and “Silent Night.”
And while these songs have all been performed and recorded hundreds – if not thousands – of times in the past, Braun imbues them with a freshness that’s as bracing as a winter breeze. Want proof? Check out his neo-bossa take on Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride,” teaming up with guitarist Peter White for a Brazilian groove. Or check out his sultry, sassy duet with vocalist Mindi Abair on Frank Loesser’s “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” And nobody could resist Braun’s soulful solo on “Silent Night,” opening out into a gospel chorus led by Jeffrey Osborne, Bridgette Bryant, and Swoop Brown.
Track List:
- I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm [02:59]
- It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year [03:38]
- Oh Tannenbaum [04:30]
- Baby It’s Cold Outside [04:28]
- The Christmas Song [04:15]
- Sleigh Ride [02:54]
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas [04:57}
- No Place Like Home for the Holidays [03:40]
- I’ll Be Home for Christmas [03:40]
- White Christmas [03:38]
- Silent Night [04:20]
Credits:
Track 1: Philippe Saisse (Contributing Artist), Brandon Fields (Contributing Artist), Nick Lane (Contributing Artist), Joseph LaBarbera (Contributing Artist), David Finck (Contributing Artist), Irving Berlin (Composer)
Track 2: Mitch Forman (Contributing Artist), Brandon Fields (Contributing Artist), Nick Lane (Contributing Artist), Kathleen Robertson (Contributing Artist), Cameron Patrick (Contributing Artist), Darrin McCann (Contributing Artist), Peggy Baldwin (Contributing Artist), Joseph LaBarbera (Contributing Artist), David Finck (Contributing Artist), Edward Pola (Composer), George Wyle (Composer)
Track 3: David Benoit (Contributing Artist), Joseph LaBarbera (Contributing Artist), David Finck (Contributing Artist), Public Domain (Composer)
Track 4: Philippe Saisse (Contributing Artist), Mindi Abair (Contributing Artist), Brandon Fields (Contributing Artist), Nick Lane (Contributing Artist), Joseph LaBarbera (Contributing Artist), David Finck (Contributing Artist), Frank Loesser (Composer)
Track 5: Philippe Saisse (Contributing Artist), Kathleen Robertson (Contributing Artist), Cameron Patrick (Contributing Artist), Darrin McCann (Contributing Artist), Peggy Baldwin (Contributing Artist), Joseph LaBarbera (Contributing Artist), David Finck (Contributing Artist), Bob Wells (Composer), Mel Torme (Composer)
Track 6: Peter White (Contributing Artist), Joseph LaBarbera (Contributing Artist), David Finck (Contributing Artist), Leroy Anderson (Composer)
Track 7: Dave Koz (Contributing Artist), Gregg Karukas (Contributing Artist), Kathleen Brennan (Contributing Artist), Cameron Patrick (Contributing Artist), Darrin McCann (Contributing Artist), Peggy Baldwin (Contributing Artist), Joseph LaBarbera (Contributing Artist), David Finck (Contributing Artist), Ralph Blane (Composer), Hugh Martin (Composer)
Track 8: Philippe Saisse (Contributing Artist), Brandon Fields (Contributing Artist), Joseph LaBarbera (Contributing Artist), David Finck (Contributing Artist), Russ Braun (Contributing Artist), Al Stillman (Composer), Robert Allen (Composer)
Track 9: Philippe Saisse (Contributing Artist), Kathleen Robertson (Contributing Artist), Cameron Patrick (Contributing Artist), Darrin McCann (Contributing Artist), Peggy Baldwin (Contributing Artist), Joseph LaBarbera (Contributing Artist), David Finck (Contributing Artist), Kim Gannon (Composer), Buck Ram (Composer), Walter Kent (Composer)
Track 10: Manny Ripperson (Contributing Artist), Steve Kujala (Contributing Artist), Craig Sharmat (Contributing Artist), Joseph LaBarbera (Contributing Artist), David Finck (Contributing Artist), Irving Berlin (Composer)
Track 11: Philippe Saisse (Contributing Artist), Kirk Whalum (Contributing Artist), Jeffrey Osborne (Contributing Artist), Bridgette Bryant (Contributing Artist), Swoop Brown (Contributing Artist), Joseph LaBarbera (Contributing Artist), David Finck (Contributing Artist), Franz Gruber (Composer), Joseph Mohr (Composer), Marius de Vries (Composer)