Cheap Count Your Blessings (Music) (Barbara Cook) Price

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Customer Reviews of Count Your Blessings

SANTA, BABY, PLEASE COOK SOME UP MORE!
Barbara Cook's first full-length Christmas CD is a treasure. Her phrasing --- as fine as Mabel Mercer's --- allows for interpretations that are memorable and magical, especially on not-so-traditional tunes as Amy Grant's "Breath of Heaven." This is a simple, intimate recording; no over-orchestrations (thank you, Wally Harper), and a most magnificent a cappella "I Wonder As I Wander." An extra bonus: Babs is joined by the Broadway Inspirational Voices on several tracks.

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A Christmas Gem!
Just got Barbara's newest CD...her first Christmas one I believe.
What a gem! Some mixed feelings about some of the arrangements but as a whole a delight to hear! Want to hear more times, so right now, this is a premature rating...but still love Barbara a lot and have seen her 3 times here in San Francisco....I just love her rendition of "Away In A Manger", interweaving both versions of the carol...lovely and so dear! A lot of warmth and feeling in all the selections....some familiar and some not so. Unfortunately, my favorite Christmas song is "O, Holy Night" but have to say I don't care for this arrangement...my own bias...some songs I just like being done very straight.
But who knows!? This might grow on me... The "Silent Night" is exquisite! Very nice arrangement and harmony! Buy this CD and don't wait for next Christmas to listen! Thanks again, Barbara, for a beautiful gift of song for us to enjoy!

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Heavenly
This is Barbara Cooks first Christmas CD and I hope it's not her last. As usual, her voice is heavenly, caresssing the lyrics and warming your heart. The big surprise on this set is how fresh these standard Christmas songs sound when perfrmed by Cook. Many Christmas discs can be overly florid and cliche, but not so on this disc. The only jingle bells you'll hear on these songs is in "Winter Woonderlnd" and they are subdued. Barbara Cook and her arranger Wally Harper keep things in a (deceptively) simple and intimate setting. Almost as if she's giving you a personal concert in your living room.

I've always enjoyed Amy Grant's "Breath of Heavn" and was surprised to see it appear on this CD. Cook is somehow able to make it an even more moving experience than Grant. "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands" which starts acapella and grows to include a banjo and a harmonica, harken back to her Atlanta roots. Probably my favorite track is "I Wonder As I Wander" which is sung completely acapella.

I'll be listening to this set for many Christmas' to come. Count your blessings indeed. So far, I count 15.