BY The Fireside - holiday album
Perhaps you have heard stories of how holiday records are made. Given the scope of such projects, most of our favorite albums or songs were made in the middle of the summer. Sammy Cahn penned Let it Snow on a 100-degree day in August. Irving Berlin composed our beloved White Christmas on the hottest day of the year on a Hollywood backlot. The same is true for this album: Herb Gardner wrote Merry G
By The Fireside was recorded using vintage tube and ribbon microphones "live" on stage, the audio puts the listener "in the room".
Here is the Telefunken U-47 that captured most of the sound of the orchestra in the room, with all of us live on stage. This is the only way to capture an acoustic Big Band, and harkens back to the great recordings of the 1940s and 50s.
Nothing beats recording "live" on stage - where the power of the full big band is captured acoustically, just as the audience would hear it in the room.
Dan Gabel and The Abletones is proud to perform and record acoustically whenever possible. The blend and warmth achieved from this technique achieves a stunning audio result on the record!
in memoriam: donn trenner
As an added treat, we feature the incredible guest pianists: Mr. Donn Trenner. Donn has, quite literally, played with everyone. From Les Brown to Frank Sinatra and director of Steve Allen’s Tonight Show band. A “goosebumps” moment I’ll never forget was after recording I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm when Donn turned and said “Dan, Les would be proud.”
What we didn't realize while recording in fall 2019 that this was to be Donn Trenner's last recording session.
We lost Donn on May 16, 2020.
We'd like to dedicate this album to the memory of Donn Trenner. A truly incredible musician, pianist, arranger - but above all: a kind, giving, warm, and beautiful human being. Dan Gabel is honored to have called him a friend.
Donn plays both piano and celeste on the album.
We recorded three Les Brown arrangements, and yes, Donn was the pianist on the originals!
Shown here, Donn plays "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" on our 1930s Celeste.
Les Brown originals:
-I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
-The Christmas Song
-The Nutcracker Suite
By the Fireside
Liner notes intro by Dan Gabel
Perhaps you have heard stories of how holiday records are made. Given the scope of such projects, most of our favorite albums or songs were made in the middle of the summer. Sammy Cahn penned Let it Snow on a 100-degree day in August. Irving Berlin composed our beloved White Christmas on the hottest day of the year on a Hollywood backlot. The same is true for this album: Herb Gardner wrote Merry Gents on Easter Sunday, and I wrote several of these arrangements on a train trip over Memorial Day Weekend. No matter the time and place, it was clear from the very start that this was going to be a special project - honest music from the heart that just sounds great.
It was July 4th, and I was relaxing with my family, sitting in the gazebo at twilight with fireflies flickering all around when it came to us: “By the Fireside!” As soon as I heard it, I knew that had to be the title, and the concept that tied the whole record together. Big band music is my passion and life’s work and I am thrilled that my band has an authentic style, but with new, unique, and lovingly created arrangements written especially for us. Thus, we have an album with classic style and appeal for all ages: dancing, baking cookies, spending time with friends/family, or relaxing By the Fireside. It is my earnest hope that you enjoy this record for years to come.
As an added treat, we feature two incredible guest pianists: Mr. Herb Gardner and Mr. Donn Trenner. Herb played with all of the jazz greats in New York and around the world and was an early trombone hero of mine. Donn Trenner has, quite literally, played with everyone. From Les Brown to Frank Sinatra and director of Steve Allen’s Tonight Show band. A “goosebumps” moment I’ll never forget was after recording I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm when Donn turned and said “Dan, Les would be proud.”
