The Twelve Minutes of Christmas is the debut release from the 26 year-old Canadian pop crooner, Matt Forbes. Hailed for his hip, youthful approach to the Great American Songbook, Forbes recorded the album ofholiday favorites at the world-famous Capitol Studios in Hollywood. The Twelve Minutes of Christmas features brand-new arrangements of four timeless classics, performed by a group of world-class, first-call musicians. In reimagining these songs for 2014, Forbes enlisted the talents of acclaimed composer and arranger, Callum Au, whose recent assignments have included arranging for the BBC Big Band, RTE Concert Orchestra, Metropole Orkest and Grammy® nominee, Jamie Cullum. !
The EP kicks off with a hard-swinging (and decidedly-cheeky) rendering of Irving Berlin's 'White Christmas', which then leads into a wistful, contemporary reimagining of Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane's, 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas'. Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn's lesser-known gem, 'The Christmas Waltz' is given a warm, unabashedly nostalgic treatment here while Forbes concludes the EP by paying homage to that grandfather of all Christmas music, Bing Crosby, with R. Alex Anderson’s charming and ever-catchy, 'Mele Kalikimaka'. In a market over-saturated with Christmas releases from would-be pop stars, Forbes has managed to craft an album that cuts through the noise and evokes those classic Christmas albums of yore, all while giving audiences a fresh
contemporary sound that's all his own.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Matt Forbes is the 26 year-old Canadian who's setting a new standard for standards. Originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Matt has drawn considerable acclaim for bringing, hip, youthful interpretations to the Great American Songbook. His authentic approach, rich baritone voice and sly, comedic charm evoke the spirit of a beloved bygone
era. Matt regularly performs at top jazz venues in Los Angeles with his own Big Little Band, including Herb Alpert’s Vibrato, Upstairs at Vitello’s and The Dresden Room.
More recently, Forbes had the pleasure of opening for the Emmy award-winning Seth MacFarlane (creator and star of Family Guy, Ted) at Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood. Matt also regularly fronts the acclaimed 22-piece Influence Jazz Orchestra, led by the Grammy® and Emmy-nominated composer, Ron Jones (Family Guy, American Dad, Star
Trek: The Next Generation). He is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
For the latest music, news and live dates, please visit the Official Matt Forbes Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/MattForbesLive EP available for purchase worldwide via Amazon.com & iTunes
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