Lee Ann Womack - The Season for Romance

Cardinal rule number one for introducing new holiday songs amidst a sea of newly arranged classics: Make them compelling! No doubt she hopes that listeners will slow dance to the title track of her first holiday offering, but, despite its sweet sentiment, it's one of the handful of bland tracks amidst many that are far more interesting. The most unique choice Lee Ann Womack makes is moving away from her comfy country roots and doing a traditional jazz/big band-flavored party for the season at hand. Her wry duet of "Baby It's Cold Outside" with Harry Connick, Jr. is fully of sultry cool and sassy personality -- qualities the disc's other ballads could use more of. The medley of "Let It Snow/Winter Wonderland" is rendered in a classic '50s crooner fashion, with rising splashes of horn section complementing her lush vocals. That same tenderness serves her well on a sparse, folksy arrangement of "Silent Night," a mood she balances with sassy swingers like "The Man With the Bag." Even if there's some unevenness here, the disc in general lives up to its title concept. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide

Name Credits Al Schmitt Engineer, Mixing Andrew Eccles Photography Armen Garabedian Orchestra Arturo Velasco Horn Assa Drori Orchestra Bergen White Vocals (Background) Berj Garabedian Orchestra Brad Warnaar Orchestra Brice Martin Orchestra Buddy Jackson Art Direction Carie Higdon Project Coordinator Charles Everett Orchestra Charles Loper Horn Christopher Hanulik Orchestra Chuck Domanico Bass (Upright) Dan Higgins Saxophone Darius Campo Orchestra David Bryant Assistant Engineer Dennis Budimir Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric) Dennis Molchan Orchestra Denyse Buffman Orchestra Dirk Vanoucek Digital Remastering Donald Waldrop Horn Elizabeth Wilson Orchestra Ernest Ehrhardt Orchestra Evan Wilson Orchestra Fred Selden Horn Gayle Levant Orchestra George Bohanon Horn George Graham Horn Greg Droman Engineer, Mixing Hank Williams Mastering Harry Shirinian Orchestra James Ross Orchestra Jennifer Munday Orchestra Joe Meyer Orchestra Joel Derouin Orchestra John Acosta Orchestra John Mitchell J. Horn Jon Clarke Orchestra Jorge Moraga Orchestra Jules Chaikin Contractor Karinne Caulkins Design Katie Gillon Art Direction Larry Corbett Orchestra Leslie Woodbury Orchestra Linda Rose Orchestra Lisa Cochran Vocals (Background) Mally Roncal Make-Up Marabeth Jordan Vocals (Background) Mari Tsumura Orchestra Marilyn Baker Orchestra Mark Wright Producer Melissa Mattey Mixing Assistant Norman Ludwin Orchestra Pamela Goldsmith Orchestra Patricia Johnson Orchestra Pete Christlieb Horn, Saxophone Peter Kent Orchestra Raymond Tischer Orchestra Rick Baptist Horn Rob Mounsey Piano, Associate Producer, String Arrangements, Conductor Robert Findley Horn Seble Maaza Stylist Shari Zippert Orchestra Sheridon Stokes Orchestra Steve Edelman Orchestra Steve Genewick Assistant Engineer, Mixing Assistant Suzie Katayama Orchestra Thomas Boyd Orchestra Todd Gunnerson Assistant Engineer Valarie King Orchestra Vinnie Colaiuta Drums Wayne Bergeron Horn Yvette Devereaux Orchestra