Chestnut Roasting on an Open Fire - The Christmas Song

[DPDAN]

Hi everyone,
I just noticed that this song is no longer listed on the 2005 Garritan Christmas CD since I had only a certain number of CD's licensed. For the old timers here,... you have already heard it, but this post is for folks who were not around here back in 2005.

I recently had a GPO user email me with some questions about JABB so I decided to post this. Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.

It uses GPO, GOS strings and JABB brass, drums and bass.
Vocalist is Eric Dalbey.

Merry Christmas Y'all!
Dan

[Bryan H]

Hi dan,

For the hell of it is there any chance you could take it up a semitone, and then up another at the end of the solo?
Please repost if you can, really like the changes,
cheers
Bryan

Well just realized it's not you, pity, my comment still stands

cheers
Bryan (again)

Hi everyone,
I just noticed that this song is no longer listed on the 2005 Garritan Christmas CD since I had only a certain number of CD's licensed. For the old timers here,... you have already heard it, but this post is for folks who were not around here back in 2005.

I recently had a GPO user email me with some questions about JABB so I decided to post this. Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.

It uses GPO, GOS strings and JABB brass, drums and bass.
Vocalist is Eric Dalbey.


Merry Christmas Y'all!
Dan

[DPDAN]

Hi Bryan, I basically stole this arrangement from David Foster's Christmas CD so it is like it is on that CD.

Dan

[Frank D]

Hi Dan,

Hey ... glad you posted this 'chestnut' here in the listening room as I have enjoyed it at your site many times.

This may very well be my favorite recreation you have mastered ... and I don't mean that in the audio engineering sense! No, I'm talking about the life and pulse you have lovingly breathed into this gorgeous orchestral arrangement. Just brilliant work ... nice vocal by Eric and a really nice mix too .

Johnny Mandel is one of my all-time arranging idols and this arrangement is arguably his most recorded Christmas one ... I have at least three different artists using it on their Christmas CD's. It's certainely one of his finest. You really nailed his trademark sluring solo flute parts and the steely, ultra-high violin line on the break.

That high violin line is precisely why it would be wonderful to have strings some day without all the schmaltzy vibrato that's built into so many string samples. All you have to do is listen to a Mandel or Bernard Herrmann recording to realize strings don't always have to have vibrato to sound beautiful.

Anyway, this was wonderful to revisit ... thanks for sharing!

Regards,

Frank

[trentpmcd]

I know I've heard this before but it still sounds great.

[DPDAN]

wait a minute - wait a minute
double dipping kudos is not allowed

HE HE HE

I mean HO HO HO!

[sd cisco]

Nice work Dan!
I love your Bass sound! Smooth, mellow vocal and overall sound and treatment are excellent!

Thanks for posting!

Best regards,
sd cisco

[DPDAN]

thank you SD

[etLux]

I've heard this "chesnut" before, of course, but it
certainly doesn't diminish my enjoyment upon hearing
it again... several times, in fact, as it loops in the
background.

Just gorgeous work on this -- and no doubt why
everyone calls you "Smooth Dan"... lol.

Merry Christmas, my friend!

Always my best,



David
-----
David Sosnowski
www.DavidSosnowski.com

[Larry G. Alexander]

Great job, Mister Dan!

That is such a fine old tune with clever, meaningful lyrics and you really did it justice with your skillful rendering.

Thanks for this. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

My best to you.