Barbara Cook - Count Your Blessings

Barbara Cook addresses seasonal music in a variety of moods and settings on Count Your Blessings. The Broadway Inspiration Voices, a 12-member, male chorus, joins her on the title song, "O Holy Night," "Silent Night," and the late-'50s McGuire Sisters song "May You Always," adding a reverent tone to the religious songs and a jovial one to the pop tunes. "I Wonder as I Wonder," "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," "O Little Town of Bethlehem," Amy Grant's "Breath of Heaven," and the album-closing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" employ a spare accompaniment of one or two instruments (or are rendered a cappella), giving them an intimate feel. Otherwise, Cook is backed by an orchestra in detailed orchestrations by Larry Blank that support her voice well. It is that easily identifiable voice of hers that is the album's major asset, however. Cook's warmth and sincerity as a singer (as well as her sense of fun) make her an ideal performer of christmas music, be it sacred or secular. She is particularly affecting on the several songs that date from the 1940s and '50s (a golden age of christmas songs), particularly "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," imparting the bittersweet tone of the original (which appeared during the war years). She joins in on a recent trend in holiday collections, incorporating songs that aren't really christmas tunes, but that fit the mood of the season, such as "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," "May You Always," and even "Count Your Blessings" (which, although used in the 1954 film White Christmas, does not refer to the holidays directly). But that doesn't harm the overall impact of the album, which is one of the better christmas discs of the early 21st century. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Name Credits Alan Silverman Mastering Arnold Mischkulnig Audio Engineer, Assistant Engineer Barbara Cook Liner Notes Barry Finclair Violin Belinda Whitney Concert Mistress Billy Porter Group Member, Vocals Bradley Dean Vocals Bruce Bonvissuto Trombone Bruce Bonvisutto Trombone Bruce Wang Cello Clay Ruede Cello Cynthia Daniels Engineer, Mixing Dan O'Leary Production Coordination Darius de Haas Group Member Darius De Hass Vocals David Blinn Viola Dennis Stowe Group Member, Vocals Destin Owens Vocals, Group Member Eliseo Román Vocals, Group Member Erik Charleston Percussion Heath Aiken Audio Engineer, Assistant Engineer Howard Howard French Horn Howard T. Howard French Horn Hugh Fordin Audio Production, Producer Jack Gale Trombone James Pugh Trombone James Saporito Percussion Jary Berliner Guitar Jay Berliner Banjo, Guitar Jim Briggs III Audio Engineer Jim Saporito Percussion Jimmy Briggs Assistant Engineer John Beal Bass (Acoustic) John Parker Vocals Ken Burward-Hoy Viola Kent Monroe Vocals Kristina Musser Violin Lanny Paykin Cello Larry Blank Orchestration Laura Seaton-Finn Violin Lawrence Feldman Flute, Clarinet Lisa Matricardi Violin LuAnn Graffeo Blonkowski Art Direction Mary Rowell Violin Maura Giannini Violin Melanie Feld Oboe, Oboe, Horn (English), Horn (English) Michael McElroy Leader, Group Member Michael Parloff Flute, Flute (Alto) Michael Washington Group Member, Vocals Mineko Yajima Violin Norm Lewis Vocals, Group Member Patrick Woodward Assistant Engineer, Audio Engineer Paul Faulise Trombone Paul Woodiel Violin Rebekah Johnson Violin, Violin Richard Brice Viola Richard Sortomme Violin Robert Fowler Group Member, Vocals Robert Zubricki Violin Roger Wendt French Horn Russ Rizner French Horn Russ Rizner-French French Horn Scott Ballantyne Cello Scott Cady Piano, Piano Seymour "Red" Press Flute, Clarinet, Flute (Alto) Seymour Red Press Clarinet, Flute, Flute (Alto), Contractor Sharon Moe French Horn Susan Jolles Harp Suzanne Ornstein Violin Wally Harper Producer, Arranger, Piano, Audio Production, Liner Notes, Vocal Arrangement, Conductor William Galison Harmonica