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Julie Benko, the actress and singer who rocketed to fame after her sensational performance as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl on Broadway, makes her contribution to the holiday jazz canon with her new EP Christmas With You.From Julie's retro-soul original "(I Never Had A) Christmas With You," which she performs as a duet with Grammy nominee and fellow Broadway alum Mykal Kilgore, to more classic holiday fare like "The Man With the Bag," the music is performed with the artistry and flare audiences have come to associate with the Broadway beltress. Jazz pianist Jason Yeager's sophisticated arrangements are on full display with his joyful New Orleans-meets-klezmer version of the Yiddish classic "Tumbalalaika," which Benko recorded in honor of Chanukah. The album closes with a hauntingly intimate version of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," a touching exploration of the bittersweet melancholy that reverberates for many throughout the holiday season.
TRACK LISTING
1. The Man with the Bag by Irving Taylor, Dudley Brooks, and Hal Stanley
2. (I Never Had a) Christmas with You by Julie Benko (Performed with Mykal Kilgore)
3. Tumbalalaika, Traditional Yiddish folk song (English translation by Julie Benko)
4. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane
ARTISTS
JULIE BENKO | VOCALS
MYKAL KILGORE | VOCALS
JASON YEAGER | PIANO, ORGAN
DANNY WELLER | BASS
EVAN HYDE | DRUMS
JUSTIN POINDEXTER |GUITAR, BALALAIKA
KENNY PEXTON | CLARINET, TENOR SAXOPHONE
ANDY WARREN | TRUMPET
RON WILKINS | TROMBONE
ARRANGEMENTS BY JASON YEAGER
PRODUCED BY JULIE BENKO & JASON YEAGER
RECORDED AT BIG ORANGE SHEEP, BROOKLYN
MIXING/MASTERING BY DAVE DARLINGTON, BASS HIT RECORDING
ALBUM ARTWORK BY DAN WANG
PHOTOGRAPH BY JON TAYLOR
SINGLE ARTWORK BY SARA SONCINI
REVIEWS & MORE
HUFFPOST: 'FUNNY GIRL' GONE FESTIVE
PLAYBILL: HOLIDAY CHEER EXCLUSIVE
KVELLER: A SPECIAL HANUKKAH TREAT
"Delightful."
-Variety
"Simply exquisite... I dare you not to cry, and cry, you will. But you will smile, too, because it’s a perfect performance, a perfect recording, and a perfect way to end the holiday EP that you just have to get into your collection."
-BroadwayWorld
"Her best vocal performance yet... Benko's vocals are similar to that of a cup of hot cocoa on a warm winter day."
-Curtain Call Magazine
"It's breathtaking."
-Talkin' Broadway
"A delicious treat from start to finish... decadent splendour... magical."
-My Festive Pop
"A delightful gift bag of tunes... It's a sweet treat for the holiday season."
-The Second Disc