Allyson Briggs Sings Burt Bacharach On New Album 'PROMISES, PRAYERS, AND RAINDROPS'

Algos Music has announced the release of the new album by vintage vocalist extraordinaire Allyson Briggs – Promises, Prayers, and Raindrops: Allyson Briggs Sings Burt Bacharach – on CD and in digital and streaming platforms. Prayers, and Raindrops features 20 tracks that created the soundtrack of American life in the 1960s, combining household-name Bacharach and David classics that have been making people smile for generations, with several catalog deep cuts that will thrill music aficionados. Briggs, serving as bandleader and star vocalist, is expertly supported by music director Andy Warren on trumpet, James Navan and Jason Yeager on piano, Michael O'Brien on bass, Shareef Taher and Peter Traunmueller on drums, and Broadway luminary Julie Benko (Funny Girl, Harmony) as guest vocalist. Purchase the album at www.fleurseule.com.

Promises, Prayers, and Raindrops features Briggs's subtle yet sophisticated interpretations which reinvigorate beloved hits “I'll Never Fall in Love Again,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” “Walk on By,” and more. At the same time, the album digs deeper into the Bacharach oeuvre, including two songs associated with the iconic Peggy Lee. “My Rock and Foundation” was written by Bacharach and David specifically for Lee to sing on her 1971 album Where Did They Go. Briggs's version is the only other known recording after Lee debuted it over 50 years ago. “Uninvited Dream,” which Bacharach composed with early collaborator Sammy Gallop, was introduced by Peggy on the 1957 album The Man I Love, conducted by no less than Frank Sinatra.

Briggs remembers: “These are gems that I stumbled upon after paying tribute to Ms. Lee in a concert at Carnegie Hall with Michael Feinstein. As you may know, Michael is an encyclopedia of long-lost musical treasures, and he inspired me to find a connection from Peggy to Burt. In my search, I discovered the uncharacteristically jazz standard-styled ‘Uninvited Dream.' As I continued to hunt for Bacharach/Lee collaborations, I was intrigued by the unknown title ‘My Rock and Foundation.' I even had to transcribe the lyrics myself because as of 2022, they were nowhere to be found online.”

As someone who sings in seven languages, Briggs puts her German to good use in the dramatic “Wenn Ich Mir Was Wünschen Dürfte,” the Friedrich Holländer song which Bacharach arranged for Marlene Dietrich when he was her touring music director. “As I learned more about Burt's early days in the music business,” Briggs says, “I read about his strong friendship with Dietrich. He worked as her music director in Europe, and truly adored her, so he worked to enhance her classic arrangements for more contemporary audiences. Marlene was one of the first people in the industry to believe in Burt and his unique style, so to honor their connection, we were inspired to record this.”

A buoyant version of the instrumental “Casino Royale” – the theme song to the 1967 James Bond parody that was a notable hit for Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass – adds another dimension to Briggs's exploration of the Bacharach canon. A distinct highlight of the album is “Trop'ns Fin Regen Oif Mein Kop,” a Yiddish version of “Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head,” the Oscar-winning theme to the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The album's lilting version is a duet with celebrated Broadway star Julie Benko, with her husband Jason Yeager on the piano. Briggs comments, “This number made its way into the Bacharach concert after I heard the Barry Sisters' rendition of the B.J. Thomas hit. This song always catches an audience by surprise!”

“I've never met a person who could sit still listening to Burt Bacharach,” comments Briggs. “It's such engaging music. Whether you are a professional musician in awe of his unusual meter or a casual listener enjoying the classics over a glass of wine, it is simply quality music that makes you feel good. With lyrics most often penned by Hal David, you're in for a roller coaster of emotions that somehow leaves you feeling uplifted, even after the most heart-wrenching ballads. I dove into Burt's catalogue during the pandemic and I appreciate the opportunity to immerse myself in this music. Artists cannot force inspiration, so it percolated until I created the tribute concert in 2022, which debuted at Feinstein's at Hotel Carmichael, in Carmel, IN.”

“I wanted to maintain the integrity of the original songs,” she concludes. “I hope to bring this amazing body of work to a new audience, but let those who were there the first time around enjoy those memories in a new way. Burt Bacharach is where jazz became pop: He was very heavily jazz-influenced, and it shows when we dig into these arrangements. We are playing this album as a jazz quintet, because my band, Fleur Seule, is a jazz band. I wanted to pare it down to an intimate level, to highlight the intricacies of the arrangements, the depth of Hal David's lyrics, and to show how these songs can be enjoyed whether it's a studio orchestra or small combo.”

Allyson Briggs has created an eclectic cocktail of high-class music, topped with the glamour of a bygone era. From Carnegie Hall and Jazz at Lincoln Center to the Rainbow Room and Birdland Jazz Club, she has brought her incredible voice to lead Fleur Seule to delight audiences around the world. Fleur Seule is a retro jazz band with seven languages of repertoire and many classic styles of music, that transports audiences to their favorite musical memories. The Fleur Seule experience is a mixture of the most beloved music, with sounds of soothing Karen Carpenter and vibrant Ella Fitzgerald, to the infectious Peggy Lee and diverse Linda Ronstadt. Their range is unmatched and the joy they bring is contagious. See who Michael Feinstein calls “One of the most incredible talents out there today” and experience Fleur Seule for yourself. Allyson is fondly known by her fans as “The Glamour Girl of Jazz” and by her Latin fans as “La Rubia de la Salsa,” a nickname given to her at their debut salsa performance at La Marqueta in el barrio in Spanish Harlem.

Allyson embodies the music and culture she represents, and being in a bilingual household, is thrilled to share the music of all of her family with the world. She seamlessly transitions from jazz standards to French chanson to classic salsa to keep the crowd on its feet. Fleur Seule has been the house band of Tavern on the Green for 10 years, bringing Old Hollywood glamour to a modern-day audience. With over 300 performances per year, she is one of New York's most in-demand vocalists, and has shared the stage with Lionel Richie, Michael Feinstein, Ciara Renée, Catherine Russell, Jeremy Jordan, and Luba Mason.

Her previous albums include Vaya Con Dios (2021), Standards and Sweet Things (2019), Christmas Around the World (2018), Swing Around the World (2017), Christmas Classics (2016), and The Return of Glamour (2015). Last month, Allyson and Fleur Seule performed at the opening night party to the new Jazz Age Broadway musical adaptation of The Great Gatsby.

“Promises, Prayers, and Raindrops: Allyson Briggs Sings Burt Bacharach” – Track List

(all songs have music by Burt Bacharach and lyrics by Hal David, unless noted)

1) Do You Know the Way to San Jose?

2) I'll Never Fall in Love Again

3) Trop'ns Fin Regen Oif Mein Kop (Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head)

4) What the World Needs Now Is Love

5) One Less Bell to Answer

6) Anyone Who Had a Heart

7) Uninvited Dream (Burt Bacharach / Sammy Gallop)

8) My Rock and Foundation

9) (There's) Always Something There to Remind Me

10) Wenn Ich Mir Was Wünschen Dürfte (Friedrich Holländer, arranged by Burt Bacharach)

11) Casino Royale (Instrumental)

12) This Girl's in Love with You

13) Promises, Promises

14) Walk on By

15) Alfie

16) (They Long to Be) Close to You

17) I Say a Little Prayer

18) The Look of Love

19) Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) (Christopher Cross / Burt Bacharach / Carole Bayer Sager / Peter Allen)

20) That's What Friends Are For (Burt Bacharach / Carole Bayer Sager)