THE VOICE's Chris Mann Announces Album Release, 10/30
By: Kelsey Denette Oct. 02, 2012
October 30th will see the release of ROADS, the highly anticipated debut album from classical crossover artist Chris Mann. ROADS arrives via Faircraft/Universal Republic, a new imprint headed up by multi-platinum producer and veteran A&R executive Ron Fair (Mary J. Blige, The Black Eyed Peas, Fergie, The Pussycat Dolls, Il Volo, Christina Aguilera), who also served as the album's executive producer.
About "The Blower's Daughter" and singing with Chris, Aguilera says, "It's a beautiful song and I really respect the way he's expressing himself on the album. Everything from his tone, to his richness, to his soulfulness comes through loud and clear."
The album's musical journey begins with its beautiful lead single, "Roads," which was given to Mann by Keith Thomas (Charlotte Church, Luther Vandross, Vanessa Williams), who also produced the track. "I connected to it immediately," says Mann. "The concept is about how life can throw you a curveball or it can change everything overnight, but either way you have to stay on this road and it will lead you home. That's exactly how my road has been-a marathon that's brought me to this new beginning."
Among the album's endless highlights is "Cuore," a song co-written by Mann based on Bach's "Air on a G String," and a new take on the classic hit "My Way," which legendary songwriter Paul Anka reworked specifically for Chris, altering the perspective from an older man to a younger one looking ahead-a notion central to the theme of ROADS.
That Anka would, for the first time ever, massage this Frank Sinatra-associated standard for him to sing means a great deal to Mann, whose late grandfather had himself once headed to L.A. in an attempt to make it as a Sinatra-influenced crooner, only to shelve his dream, return to Wichita and start a family. "I was raised on Sinatra by my granddad, so I have a strong connection to him as I'm pursuing my own dream. If he'd known that I'd one day be working with Paul Anka, and that I'd be recording the only other official version of 'My Way,' he would be so proud and excited."
Mann and Fair created ROADS with a stable of A-list producers, including the aforementioned Keith Thomas, Walter Afanasieff (Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey), Marco Marinangeli (Josh Groban, Il Divo), Marius de Vries (Madonna, U2, Josh Groban) and Bleu (Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato), along with arranger/conductor Joel McNeely (Seth McFarlane).
2. Need You Now
3. Cuore
4. The Blower's Daughter
5. My Way
6. Unless You Mean It
7. Always On My Mind
8. On A Night Like This
9. Ave Maria
10. Falling
11. Viva La Vida
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