Throughout a remarkable career that encompasses stellar work in live theatre, television, film, music and concerts, Kristin Chenoweth has established herself as one of the preeminent interpreters of American songcraft. After having covered country, Christian and Christmas music, the iconic artist continues her personal exploration on The Art of Elegance – her first album of American Songbook classics – scheduled for release on September 23, 2016 via Concord Records.
The follow-up to Chenoweth’s Concord debut Coming Home, The Art of Elegance is an ideal showcase for the charismatic artist’s sublime interpretative skills. The 13-song set, produced by veteran producer and vocalist Steve Tyrell, finds Chenoweth tackling timeless, beloved classics by the likes of George Gershwin (“Someone to Watch Over Me”), Harold Arlen (“Let’s Fall in Love”), Rodgers and Hart (“Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered”), Burt Bacharach and Hal David (“A House Is Not a Home”), Hoagy Carmichael (“I Get Along Without You Very Well”) and Johnny Mercer (“Skylark”).
Although The Art of Elegance’s 13 songs represent a diverse assortment of periods and styles, the material, along with Chenoweth’s personally charged performances, share the attitude that provides the album’s title. “Elegance is a quality that I look for, in music and in life,” the artist comments. “It goes back deep within me. I’ve always felt that even a little girl from Oklahoma could still be elegant, not just in her musical tastes, but in the way she treats others, how she dresses. I love all kinds of music, but this repertoire has spoken to me my whole life. I remember learning some of this music as young as twelve, and thinking to myself that one day, I would get to perform it. Now here I am with a record dedicated to the melodies and lyrics of some of our greatest composers.”
Since achieving Broadway stardom with her roles in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Wicked, Kristin Chenoweth has effortlessly transitioned between her parallel careers in stage, television, film and music. After winning a Tony award for You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brownand earning Tony nominations for Wicked and On the Twentieth Century, she won an Emmy award for her role in the ABC TV series Pushing Daisies, and received two Emmy nominations for her work in the Fox series Glee. In addition to numerous other TV, film and stage projects, she was featured in 34 episodes of NBC’s The West Wing, was a guest judge on American Idol and Project Runway, and has recorded four studio albums. In 2014, Chenoweth released Coming Home, a live album, DVD and PBS special recorded at a historic concert in her hometown of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
“It would be impossible for me not to sing,” Chenoweth concludes. “I never feel like I’m not working on my next record, my next concert, the next show… It never occurred to me not to record music that I love. Even if it’s on my own tape recorder. Even if it’s on my iPhone. Music is life for me.”
TRACK LISTING:
1. Someone to Watch Over Me (3:04)
2. I’ve Got a Crush on You featuring Dave Koz (2:54)
3. Let’s Fall In Love (3:12)
4. Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered (5:00)
5. Zing Went the Strings of My Heart (3:21)
6. The Very Thought of You featuring Dave Koz (4:24)
7. They Can’t Take That Away From Me (3:20)
8. A House Is Not a Home (4:08)
9. I Get Along Without You Very Well (4:27)
10. Skylark (4:41)
11. I’m a Fool to Want You (5:38)
12. Smile (3:11)
13. You’re My Saving Grace… (2:51)
