With our final 2006 performances of the show last month, my tribute to Tony Bennett is now on hiatus until next year while we go into holiday mode.

Over 1,000 people have seen this show since we premiered it in July - and the critics have raved about it:

"...Lorenson’s tribute is solid gold."
      ~ L. Pierce Carson, Napa Valley Register (read the full review here)

"Lorenson sings these Bennett hits with heart. You can tell that he really is into the music – his soul won’t let him do anything else. I might even go so far as to say that Lorenson is possessed by Bennett’s hits."
      ~ Lee Hartgrave, BeyondChron.org (read the full review here)

"Russ Lorenson has brought the crooner style back to the cabaret scene...reminiscent of those singers that I used to hear when the 52nd Street cabarets were the cat's meow."
      ~ Richard Connema, TalkinBroadway.com (read the full review here)

We are already booked for several engagements in early 2007, including a return to the Napa Valley with a show at COPIA - The American Center for Wine, Food & The Arts in April.

I just received my voting packet from the Grammy organization, containing the Nominating Ballot for this year's Grammy Awards - and both of my CD's made the ballot!

What does this mean? Well, each year the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences accepts submissions from individual members, record labels and qualified media for nomination. This year, they received over 15,000 nominations! Various Screening and Craft Committees review each of the submissions, whittling down the submissions and placing the remaining ones into their appropriate categories. The resulting list of nominees then makes up the Nominating Ballot, which is sent out to all members for voting, which then results in the five final nominees in each category. This Final Ballot is then voted upon, which results in the year's Grammy Award winners.

Both of my CD's were selected for the category of "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album", and my 31 co-nominees in this category include Tony Bennett, Chris Botti, Dr. John, Barry Manilow, Jeff Harnar, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Sarah MacLachlan, Bette Midler, John Pizzarelli and Smokey Robinson. Given the other initial nominees in this category, I'm fairly certain I won't make the Final 5, but it's nice to have gotten this far!

What I Want For Christmas

is the name of my new holiday CD, which was released on September 12 - time to start your holiday shopping!

There's something for everyone on this recording, which ranges from the swinging "My Favorite Time Of Year" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas", to the intimate and romantic "Christmas Waltz" and "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?", to the plain old ragtime fun of "If I Hear Another Song About Christmas." With jazzy arrangements by Kelly Park, which vary from softly sweet to full-out swing, this CD is full of delightful surprises!

The album features my fantastic band - Kelly Park on keyboards, Reid Whatley on bass, Adam Goodhue on drums, and Tony Malfatti on sax and clarinet. Making a guest appearance is guitarist Jeff McNish - plus, I have a special trio joining me on the Irving Berlin classic, "Snow": Alexandra Kaprelian, Kristopher McDowell, and Terese Genecco join me to recreate the roles made famous by Vera-Ellen, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Bing Crosby in the film White Christmas.

The CD is now available at all of the major online retailers (Amazon, Tower Records, Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc.), and you can order autographed copies through my website. You can hear samples of all of the songs on my website, and as a special treat for you faithful newsletter readers, you can still get a free mp3 download of "Snow" by clicking on the link below!

Fall is in the air, but the holidays will be here before you know it! I am so excited that we will be doing a holiday show this year, in conjunction with the release of the new CD.

Entitled What I Want For Christmas (clever, huh?), our first performance of the show will kick off the 4th season of the Central California Cabaret Series on Sunday, November 5th. The show features songs from the CD by such great composers and lyricists as Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer, Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn, Frank Loesser, and yes, even Barry Manilow!

Plus, at this performance I will be joined by special guests Alexandra Kaprelian, Kristopher McDowell, and Amy Louise Cole, who will perform their own holiday songs in addition to joining me in a tribute to Irving Berlin with songs from the movie White Christmas, including a live performance of "Snow"!

The show will be held on Sunday, November 5th at the Merced Multi-Cultural Arts Center. Tickets are $45-$50, include dinner and the show, and are available by calling (209) 388-9665, or online by visiting The Central California Cabaret Series website.

 

The CD Release Party (you'd didn't think we'd miss a reason to party, did you?) will be held at Jazz at Pearl's in San Francisco, one of the top jazz clubs in the world:

Best Jazz Club in San Francisco - 7x7 Magazine
Top 100 Jazz Clubs in The World - DownBeat
Top 30 Hottest Clubs Worldwide - Condé Nast Traveler

I've got several other appearances coming up next month as well:

First up, "Happy Holidays...and All That Jazz!", a star-studded Gala Musical Event and Silent Auction benefiting the Young Actors’ Theatre Camp Scholarship Fund.

My good friends, Shawn Ryan and his partner John Ainsworth are the program directors for the The Young Actors' Theatre Camp, a 6-day, 5-night intensive theatre training congress, specially designed for young actors between the ages of 10-18 years old who are interested in the performing arts. An accomplished group of Instructors and Counselors, remarkable Master Class Teachers, and the brightest, most talented students come together for an unforgettable theatre experience!

Shawn and John are being honored at this event, with all proceeds to benefit the camp's Scholarship Fund.

Produced by Esses Productions (the marvelous team that brought my Tony Bennett tribute to the Dean Lesher Center last month) and hosted by award-winning cabaret & theatre star Samantha Samuels, the line-up includes such guest artists as Shawn Ryan, Terese Genecco, ODC Dance Theatre’s Private Freeman, "The Jesters"' Barrett Lindsay-Steiner, and stage and cabaret star Cynthia Myers.

The show is Saturday, December 2, at the Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, CA. The Silent Auction runs 7pm-8pm, with the performance beginning at 8pm. Tickets are $25 for General Admission, $23 for Seniors & Youth, and $20 for Groups of 10 or more, and are available by calling the Box Office at (925) 943-SHOW (7469).

Additionally, there is a 2-for-1 ticket discount available for friends of the cast (that would be YOU!). Simply call the Box Office and mention the code "Cabaret Special."