Beantown Swing Orchestra

Jen Hirsh on American Idol

beantownswing — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:18:53 +0000

Vocalist extraordinaire Jen Hirsh has been a great asset to the Beantown Swing Orchestra since its beginnings in 2006, when she played a major role in defining the band’s sound and style. This year, she received nationwide attention as a Top 24 contestant on American Idol, and the band could not be happier that the world gets to see what an amazingly talented singer she is.

Help support Jen by buying her big band songs with the Beantown Swing Orchestra from iTunes or CDs directly from the band.

Here are some videos featuring Jen on American Idol:

Tearing it up on “Georgia On My Mind” – so far the defining moment for Jen on the show:

“Hold On, I’m Comin’” was possibly the best group performance ever on Idol and received a standing ovation from the judges and the performers:

Singing for her life in the wildcard round:

Jen sings Adele in the semifinalist round:

Jen receives the news from the judges that she made the Top 24:

Jen’s group performance of “Sealed With A Kiss” sealed her spot in the Top 42:

Jen’s a cappella rendition of “Up To The Mountain” put her on the Idol map:

Jen’s “Road To Hollywood” interview with American Idol:

Here is a playlist of five videos of Jen performing with the Beantown Swing Orchestra:

Christmas Land

beantownswing — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 06:45:54 +0000

Micha Goolsby wrote the lyrics and sings this original song for the album.

Visit the MUSIC page to listen to an audio sample and to buy the mp3 or the album CD.

CREDITS for the “Christmas Land” studio recording:

Danny Fratina – conductor
Micha Goolsby – vocal
Rick Stone – alto sax
Arthur Felluca – alto sax
Leon Cotter – tenor sax
Tucker Antell – tenor sax
Melanie Howell – bari sax
Don Clough – trumpet
Vivek Patel – trumpet
Alex Lee-Clark – trumpet (solo)
Chris Rymes – trumpet
Ryan Dragon – trombone
Randy Pingrey – trombone
Tim Lienhard – trombone
David Roth – bass trombone
Steve Boudreau – piano
Chris Brown – guitar
Genevieve Rose – bass
Austin McMahon – drums
Fung Chern Hwei – violin
Audrey Wright – violin
Shelby Trevor – violin
Anna Williams – violin
Alina Czekala – violin
Orie Furuta – violin
Enosh Kofler – violin
Qianqian Li – violin
Jing Zhang – violin
Joanna Mattrey – viola
Keith Sanders – viola
Sam Gold – viola
Jeremy Harman – cello
Emily Taubl – cello
Mischa Veselov – cello

Written by Danny Fratina and Micha Goolsby.
Arranged by Danny Fratina.
Big band recorded by Robert Auld and Dave Snyder at Guilford Sound in Guilford, Vermont on August 14, 2011.
Micah Goolsby’s vocals recorded by Matt Hayes at Wellspring Sound in Acton, Massachusetts on September 10, 2011.
Strings recorded by John Weston at Futura Productions in Boston, MA on September 10, 2011.
Mixed by Robert Auld at Auldworks in NYC.
Mastered by Allan Tucker at TuckerSound / Foothill Digital in New Rochelle, NY.

Santa Baby

beantownswing — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 06:43:10 +0000

Visit the MUSIC page to listen to an audio sample and to buy the mp3 or the album CD.

CREDITS for the “Santa Baby” studio recording:

Danny Fratina – conductor
Micha Goolsby – vocal
Rick Stone – alto sax
Arthur Felluca – alto sax
Leon Cotter – tenor sax
Tucker Antell – tenor sax
Melanie Howell – bari sax
Alex Lee-Clark – trumpet
Don Clough – trumpet
Vivek Patel – trumpet
Chris Rymes – trumpet
Ryan Dragon – trombone
Randy Pingrey – trombone
Tim Lienhard – trombone
David Roth – bass trombone
Steve Boudreau – piano
Chris Brown – guitar
Genevieve Rose – bass
Austin McMahon – drums
Fung Chern Hwei – violin
Audrey Wright – violin
Shelby Trevor – violin
Anna Williams – violin
Alina Czekala – violin
Orie Furuta – violin
Enosh Kofler – violin
Qianqian Li – violin
Jing Zhang – violin
Joanna Mattrey – viola
Keith Sanders – viola
Sam Gold – viola
Jeremy Harman – cello
Emily Taubl – cello
Mischa Veselov – cello

Written by Joan Javits, Philip Springer, and Tony Springer.
Arranged by Danny Fratina.
Big band recorded by Robert Auld and Dave Snyder at Guilford Sound in Guilford, Vermont on August 14, 2011.
Micah Goolsby’s vocals recorded by Matt Hayes at Wellspring Sound in Acton, Massachusetts on September 10, 2011.
Strings recorded by John Weston at Futura Productions in Boston, MA on September 10, 2011.
Mixed by Robert Auld at Auldworks in NYC.
Mastered by Allan Tucker at TuckerSound / Foothill Digital in New Rochelle, NY.

Auld Lang Syne

beantownswing — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 06:39:30 +0000

Danny Fratina’s arrangement of “Auld Lang Syne” begins with a traditional intro before switching to a hard driving, uptempo swing beat – something not commonly done with this song.

See a video of John Stevens performing it live with the band and a high school string section last year:

Visit the MUSIC page to listen to an audio sample and to buy the mp3 or the album CD.

CREDITS for the “Auld Lang Syne” studio recording by the Beantown Swing Orchestra:

Danny Fratina – conductor
Mark Zaleski – alto sax
Rick Stone – alto sax
Leon Cotter – tenor sax
Tucker Antell – tenor sax
Melanie Howell – bari sax (solo)
Don Clough – trumpet
Yaure Muniz – trumpet
Vivek Patel – trumpet (solo)
Daniel Henderson – trumpet
Ryan Dragon – trombone
Clayton Dewalt – trombone
Randy Pingrey – trombone
David Roth – bass trombone
Takeshi Ohbayashi – piano
Chris Brown – guitar
Genevieve Rose – bass (solo)
Shinya Fukumori – drums (solo)
Zoya Tsvetkova – violin
Clayton Mathews – violin
Stephanie Skor – violin
Olga Patramanskaya – violin
Marissa Licata – violin
Yasmine Azaiez – violin
Mia Friedman – violin
Yaeko Miranda Elmaleh – violin
Asuka Usui – violin
Joanna Mattrey – viola
Keith Sanders – viola
Emily Deans – viola
Ariel Friedman – cello
Jeremy Harman – cello

Written by Robert Burns.
Arranged by Danny Fratina.
Big band and strings recorded by Robert Auld and John Weston at Futura Productions in Boston, MA on February 5, 2011.
Mixed by Robert Auld at Auldworks in NYC.
Mastered by Allan Tucker at TuckerSound / Foothill Digital in New Rochelle, NY.

Winter Wonderland

beantownswing — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 05:51:40 +0000

Danny Fratina’s uptempo swing arrangement of “Winter Wonderland” matches beautifully with vocalist Jen Hirsh’s natural laid-back swing feel. The eight-bar cacophonous interlude before the drum solo and final chorus is an interesting touch that gives this arrangement its unique signature. No vanilla here!

Visit the MUSIC page to listen to an audio sample of the studio recording and to buy the mp3 or the album CD.

CREDITS for the “Winter Wonderland” studio recording by the Beantown Swing Orchestra:

Danny Fratina – conductor
Jen Hirsh – vocal
Mark Zaleski – alto sax
Rick Stone – alto sax
Leon Cotter – tenor sax
Tucker Antell – tenor sax (solo)
Melanie Howell – bari sax
John Replogle – trumpet
Yaure Muniz – trumpet
Vivek Patel – trumpet
Daniel Henderson – trumpet
Ryan Dragon – trombone
Clayton Dewalt – trombone
Scott Flynn – trombone
David Roth – bass trombone
Takeshi Ohbayashi – piano
Chris Brown – guitar
Genevieve Rose – bass
Shinya Fukumori – drums
Fung Chern Hwei – violin
Audrey Wright – violin
Shelby Trevor – violin
Anna Williams – violin
Alina Czekala – violin
Orie Furuta – violin
Enosh Kofler – violin
Qianqian Li – violin
Jing Zhang – violin
Joanna Mattrey – viola
Keith Sanders – viola
Sam Gold – viola
Jeremy Harman – cello
Emily Taubl – cello
Mischa Veselov – cello

Written by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith.
Arranged by Danny Fratina.
Big band recorded by Robert Auld and John Weston at Futura Productions in Boston, MA on Paril 17, 2011.
Jen Hirsh’s vocals recorded by Max Coane at Mid City Sound in Los Angeles, CA on May 28, 2011.
Chris Brown’s guitar recorded by Matt Hayes at Wellspring Sound in Acton, Massachusetts on June 1, 2011.
Strings recorded by John Weston at Futura Productions in Boston, MA on September 10, 2011.
Mixed by Robert Auld at Auldworks in NYC.
Mastered by Allan Tucker at TuckerSound / Foothill Digital in New Rochelle, NY.

O Holy Night

beantownswing — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 05:45:24 +0000

Danny Fratina’s arrangement of “O Holy Night” starts with an intro of flutes, clarinets, muted trumpets, and strings that simulate the sound of church bells during the holiday season, then goes into a traditional-sounding chorus with John Stevens accompanied by those same instruments. However, the second chorus unexpectedly switches to a bluesy, gospel-like feel, which takes the listener by surprise as they probably never heard this song performed in this style before.

See a video of John Stevens performing it live with the band and a high school string section last year:

Visit the MUSIC page to listen to an audio sample of the studio recording and to buy the mp3 or the album CD.

CREDITS for the “O Holy Night” studio recording by the Beantown Swing Orchestra:

Danny Fratina – conductor
John Stevens – vocal
Mark Zaleski – alto sax, flute
Rick Stone – alto sax, flute
Leon Cotter – tenor sax, clarinet
Tucker Antell – tenor sax, clarinet
Melanie Howell – bari sax, alto sax
John Replogle – trumpet
Yaure Muniz – trumpet
Vivek Patel – trumpet (solo)
Daniel Henderson – trumpet
Ryan Dragon – trombone
Clayton Dewalt – trombone
Scott Flynn – trombone
David Roth – bass trombone
Takeshi Ohbayashi – piano
Chris Brown – guitar
Genevieve Rose – bass
Shinya Fukumori – drums
Fung Chern Hwei – violin
Audrey Wright – violin
Shelby Trevor – violin
Anna Williams – violin
Alina Czekala – violin
Orie Furuta – violin
Enosh Kofler – violin
Qianqian Li – violin
Jing Zhang – violin
Joanna Mattrey – viola
Keith Sanders – viola
Sam Gold – viola
Jeremy Harman – cello
Emily Taubl – cello
Mischa Veselov – cello

Written by Adolphe Adam.
Arranged by Danny Fratina.
Big band recorded by Robert Auld and John Weston at Futura Productions in Boston, MA on Paril 17, 2011.
John Stevens’ vocals and Chris Brown’s guitar recorded by Matt Hayes at Wellspring Sound in Acton, Massachusetts on May 31, 2011.
Chris Brown’s guitar recorded by Matt Hayes at Wellspring Sound in Acton, Massachusetts on June 1, 2011.
Strings recorded by John Weston at Futura Productions in Boston, MA on September 10, 2011.
Mixed by Robert Auld at Auldworks in NYC.
Mastered by Allan Tucker at TuckerSound / Foothill Digital in New Rochelle, NY.

Snowflakes

beantownswing — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 05:27:38 +0000

“Snowflakes” is an original Christmas song written and sung by Laura Brunner for this album. The modern jazz sound is a departure from the general style of the band, but it shows the musicians’ versatility and presents an additional dimension to the album.

Visit the MUSIC page to listen to an audio sample and to buy the mp3 or the album CD.

CREDITS for the “Snowflakes” studio recording by the Beantown Swing Orchestra:

Danny Fratina – conductor
Laura Brunner – vocal
Tucker Antell – clarinet
Rick Stone – alto sax
Arthur Felluca – alto sax
Melanie Howell – alto sax
Leon Cotter – tenor sax
Alex Lee-Clark – trumpet
Don Clough – trumpet
Vivek Patel – trumpet (solo)
Chris Rymes – trumpet
Ryan Dragon – trombone
Randy Pingrey – trombone
Tim Lienhard – trombone
David Roth – bass trombone
Steve Boudreau – piano
Genevieve Rose – bass
Austin McMahon – drums
Fung Chern Hwei – violin
Audrey Wright – violin
Shelby Trevor – violin
Anna Williams – violin
Alina Czekala – violin
Orie Furuta – violin
Enosh Kofler – violin
Qianqian Li – violin
Jing Zhang – violin
Joanna Mattrey – viola
Keith Sanders – viola
Sam Gold – viola
Jeremy Harman – cello
Emily Taubl – cello
Mischa Veselov – cello

Written by Laura Brunner.
Arranged by Danny Fratina.
Big band recorded by Robert Auld and Dave Snyder at Guilford Sound in Guilford, Vermont on August 14, 2011.
Laura Brunner’s vocals recorded by Matt Hayes at Wellspring Sound in Acton, Massachusetts on September 10, 2011.
Strings recorded by John Weston at Futura Productions in Boston, MA on September 10, 2011.
Mixed by Robert Auld at Auldworks in NYC.
Mastered by Allan Tucker at TuckerSound / Foothill Digital in New Rochelle, NY.

Frosty The Snowman

beantownswing — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 05:14:10 +0000

At 300 beats per minute, this is by far the fastest arrangement the band has ever performed, Christmas or not. The song is finished in just over a minute, though the form is similar to many of the other songs on this album!

Visit the MUSIC page to listen to an audio sample of the studio recording and to buy the mp3 or the album CD.

CREDITS for the “Frosty The Snowman” studio recording:

Written by Jack Rollins and Steven Nelson.
Arranged by Danny Fratina.
Big band recorded by Robert Auld and Dave Snyder at Guilford Sound in Guilford, Vermont on August 14, 2011.
John Stevens’ vocals and Chris Brown’s guitar recorded by Matt Hayes at Wellspring Sound in Acton, Massachusetts on September 15, 2011.
Mixed by Robert Auld at Auldworks in NYC.
Mastered by Allan Tucker at TuckerSound / Foothill Digital in New Rochelle, NY.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

beantownswing — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 05:04:47 +0000

See a video of John Stevens performing “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” live with the band and a high school string section last year:

Visit the MUSIC page to listen to an audio sample of the studio recording and to buy the mp3 or the album CD.

CREDITS for the “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” studio recording:

Danny Fratina – conductor
John Stevens – vocal
Rick Stone – alto sax
Arthur Felluca – alto sax
Leon Cotter – tenor sax
Tucker Antell – tenor sax (solo)
Melanie Howell – bari sax
Yaure Muniz – trumpet
Alex Lee-Clark – trumpet
Vivek Patel – trumpet (solo)
Chris Rymes – trumpet
Ryan Dragon – trombone
Randy Pingrey – trombone
Tim Lienhard – trombone
David Roth – bass trombone
Steve Boudreau – piano (solo)
Chris Brown – guitar
Genevieve Rose – bass
Austin McMahon – drums (solo)
Fung Chern Hwei – violin
Audrey Wright – violin
Shelby Trevor – violin
Anna Williams – violin
Alina Czekala – violin
Orie Furuta – violin
Enosh Kofler – violin
Qianqian Li – violin
Jing Zhang – violin
Joanna Mattrey – viola
Keith Sanders – viola
Sam Gold – viola
Jeremy Harman – cello
Emily Taubl – cello
Mischa Veselov – cello

Written by John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie.
Arranged by Danny Fratina.
Big band recorded by Robert Auld and Dave Snyder at Guilford Sound in Guilford, Vermont on August 14, 2011.
John Stevens’ vocals and Chris Brown’s guitar recorded by Matt Hayes at Wellspring Sound in Acton, Massachusetts on September 15, 2011.
Strings recorded by John Weston at Futura Productions in Boston, MA on September 10, 2011.
Mixed by Robert Auld at Auldworks in NYC.
Mastered by Allan Tucker at TuckerSound / Foothill Digital in New Rochelle, NY.

Let It Snow

beantownswing — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 04:46:32 +0000

Visit the MUSIC page to listen to an audio sample and to buy the mp3 or the album CD.

CREDITS for the “Let It Snow” studio recording:

Danny Fratina – conductor
John Stevens – vocal
Rick Stone – alto sax (solo)
Arthur Felluca – alto sax
Leon Cotter – tenor sax
Tucker Antell – tenor sax
Melanie Howell – bari sax
Yaure Muniz – trumpet
Don Clough – trumpet
Vivek Patel – trumpet
Chris Rymes – trumpet
Ryan Dragon – trombone
Randy Pingrey – trombone
Tim Lienhard – trombone
David Roth – bass trombone
Steve Boudreau – piano
Chris Brown – guitar
Genevieve Rose – bass
Austin McMahon – drums
Fung Chern Hwei – violin
Audrey Wright – violin
Shelby Trevor – violin
Anna Williams – violin
Alina Czekala – violin
Orie Furuta – violin
Enosh Kofler – violin
Qianqian Li – violin
Jing Zhang – violin
Joanna Mattrey – viola
Keith Sanders – viola
Sam Gold – viola
Jeremy Harman – cello
Emily Taubl – cello
Mischa Veselov – cello

Written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne.
Arranged by Danny Fratina.
Big band recorded by Robert Auld and Dave Snyder at Guilford Sound in Guilford, Vermont on August 14, 2011.
John Stevens’ vocals and Chris Brown’s guitar recorded by Matt Hayes at Wellspring Sound in Acton, Massachusetts on September 15, 2011.
Strings recorded by John Weston at Futura Productions in Boston, MA on September 10, 2011.
Mixed by Robert Auld at Auldworks in NYC.
Mastered by Allan Tucker at TuckerSound / Foothill Digital in New Rochelle, NY.