Christmas Dreaming

Susie Arioli is back with Christmas Dreaming, a brand new album to be released on November 2. True to her inimitable style, and still accompanied by Jordan Officer on guitar, Susie invents a very personal way of celebrating the Holidays with a Christmas album of bewitching charm. With over 200 000 copies sold worldwide between her five previous albums, Susie Arioli demonstrates once again her exceptional flair for selecting songs. The singer offers a choice of some great classics and some superb lesser known titles that she unveils with obvious pleasure. These infinitely alluring performances give off an irresistible warmth, heightened by the jazz and bluesy colours so characteristic of the Arioli sound. With its flowing rhythms, its hushed atmospheres and its carefully crafted arrangements, Christmas Dreaming evokes the holiday spirit with a formidable authenticity. Right off the bat, Susie Arioli sets the tone with the inescapable “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” popularized by Frank Sinatra, and then transports us to the joys of the snowy season with the sound of “Winter Wonderland.” The personal liner notes that go with each song reveal many a fascinating detail, such as the country origins of the famous “Blue Christmas.” A delightful discovery, “Call Collect on Christmas” turns out to be the perfect introduction to a hearty trio of standards that brings together “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” and “When You Wish Upon A Star.” With “La Peregrinación,” taken from the work of Argentine composer Ariel Ramírez, the singer leaves the beaten path by evoking the folklore of South American Christmases, before reaffirming her passion for the repertoire of Roger Miller on the wonderful “Old Toy Trains.” The festive journey continues in fine fashion with “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” and the outstanding “Christmas Dreaming,” imbued with a gentle melancholy. Resolutely inspired, Susie concludes on a solemn note by affixing her one-of-a-kind sensitivity to Schubert’s famous “Ave Maria.” The holiday period promises to be magical this year! Like a heart-warming smile, Christmas Dreaming is an invitation to dream while wide awake.