Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony

by Brandi Carlile

Overview

Recorded during her 2010 tour in support of Give Up the Ghost, this live album finds Brandi Carlile performing a mix of original songs and cover material alongside the Seattle Symphony. Carlile's earthy pop/rock is a far cry from classical fare, perhaps, but the pairing doesn't sound as odd as you'd think. With their cathartic melodies and storybook lyrics, her songs have always tended to fare equally well in acoustic settings and full-band arrangements. Backed by a full orchestra, they take on an anthemic quality while still highlighting everything that makes Carlile's music so appealing, keeping the spotlight on her voice -- which has never sounded better -- and festooning it with all sorts of pretty flourishes. Occasionally, the symphony pulls away entirely, leaving Carlile and her longtime backing band -- including brothers Tim and Phil Hanseroth, who perform a spot-on cover of "The Sound of Silence" toward the end of the set -- to remind everyone what the core of this music sounds like. But Live at Benaroya Hall is more concerned with dressing up Carlile's music in elegant, orchestral clothing, and the results are pretty stunning, from the grandeur of "The Story" -- now featuring horns, woodwinds, and strings -- to the graceful ebb and flow of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," which vacillates between simple guitar arpeggios and lush symphonic swells. This isn't Brandi Carlile's first concert album, but it's certainly the best. ~ Andrew Leahey

Product Details

Release Date:	05/03/2011
Label:	Columbia
UPC:	0886978508720

Tracks

1. Curtain Call
2. Sixty Years On
3. Looking Out
4. Before It Breaks
5. I Will
6. Shadow on the Wall
7. Dreams
8. Turpentine
9. The Sound of Silence
10. The Story
11. Pride and Joy
12. Hallelujah

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Brandi Carlile   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Electric),Piano
Phil Hanseroth   Bass,Vocals,Bass (Acoustic)
Josh Neumann   Cello,Piano
Ko-ichiro Yamamoto   Trombone
Allison Miller   Drums,Drums (Snare)
Justin Emerich   Trumpet
Tim Hanseroth   Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Electric)
Joe Kaufman   Double Bass
Mark Robbins   French Horn
Mariel Bailey   Violin
Christopher Sereque   Clarinet
Mikhail Shmidt   Violin
Jennifer Bai   Violin
Michael Werner   Percussion
Zartouhi Dombourian Eby   Flute
Michael Miropolsky   Violin
John Weller   Violin
Seth Krimsky   Bassoon
Jeannie Wells Yablonsky   Violin
Roberta Downey   Cello
Michael Crusoe   Timpani
Wesley Dyring   Viola
David Gordon   Trumpet
Geoffrey Bergler   Trumpet
Valerie Muzzolini Gordon   Harp
Mara Gearman   Viola
John Carrington   Harp
Artur Girsky   Violin
Adam Iascone   French Horn
Ben Hausmann   Oboe
Emma McGrath   Violin
Jon Pagan   Piano,Guitar (Electric)
Jonathan Burnstein   Double Bass
Mae Lin   Violin
Patrick Herb   Trombone
Sande Gillette   Violin
Theresa Benshoof   Cello
Tony Dilorenzo   Trumpet
Vince Comer   Viola
Vivian Gu   Cello

Technical Credits

Brandi Carlile   Composer
Bernie Taupin   Composer
Phil Hanseroth   Composer
Brian Valentino   Engineer
Elton John   Composer
Tim Hanseroth   Composer
Alex Gardner   Live Sound Engineer
Sean O'Loughlin   Orchestral Arrangements
Michelle Holme   Art Direction
Michael Bauer   Photography
Sean O'Laughlin   Orchestral Arrangements
Joe Larosee   Assistant
Andrew Detloff   Assistant
Dylan Hermiston   Photography
Jon Schlukebier   Engineer
Kim Sessions   Cover Photo
William Brown   Assistant
Mary Kate McElvaney   Photography
Paul Buckmaster   Orchestral Arrangements
Paul Simon   Composer
Leonard Cohen   Composer
Martin Feveyear   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Mastering