Vents Magazine: Dawn Derow Sings of a “White Christmas”
Vents Magazine wrote about Dawn’s
“White Christmas” video release, which you can
read here or below.
Award-winning singer Dawn Derow has released her first holiday single, astunning, warm rendition of Bing Crosby’s classic “White Christmas.” Derow’s version of “White Christmas” brings a touch of nostalgia as it encompasses Irving Berlin’s often-neglected opening verse. The track then swells as Derow’s timeless voice guides listeners through a dream of a “White Christmas.” This special holiday single is a precursor to Derow’s forthcoming album, My Ship: Songs from 1941, due out in 2021. You can listen to “White Christmas” here.
In February 2020, Dawn Derow and her musical trio of Ian Herman as arranger and on piano, Tom Hubbard on bass and Daniel Glass on drums,went into the studio to begin recording her award-winning show, My Ship: Songs from 1941. Due to the rise of COVID-19 in March, the recording process stopped. Derow and producer Paul Rolnick were eager to give her fans and friends something to make them smile this holiday season. The team headed back to the studio in late September to finish the recording for “White Christmas.” Accompanied by videographer Michael Stever, Derow wore her grandmother’s vintage green 1950’s dress and gold laced gloves to The Samurai Hotel Recording Studio. She states, “I’m all about the vintage costumes. It’s like stepping into a time machine, and helps me connect with the feelings surrounding the origins of this classic holiday single.” Stever then pieced together a music video, documenting the recording process and adding in vintage scenes throughout the video. “This song always leaves me with a warm and fuzzy feeling after singing it,” says Derow. “I asked Michael Stever to find me some vintage scenes to mix in: first off, a snowball fight, and he did! It’s my favorite part!”
“White Christmas is 80 years old in 2021,” Derow tells us. “The first recording of Bing Crosby performing ‘White Christmas’ on the Kraft Music Hall Radio Show was either lost or recorded over. Everywhere Bing went after that, he tried to avoid singing it because he felt it was too nostalgic and sad. After the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, World War II troops would holler and beg for Bing to sing it, as they longed for their family and friends around Christmas time – how could he refuse!” Derow states “The exciting part of recording My Ship: Songs from 1941is that when I release the full album in 2021, it will mark the 80th anniversary of these classic American songs.”
A New Yorker by way of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Dawn Derow grew up in Eastham, MA. She graduated from the Boston Conservatory with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music: Vocal Performance & Opera Emphasis, and has performed in operas and musicals around the world. She has performed in prestigious venues such as Lincoln Center, Weill Center at Carnegie Hall, Birdland Jazz Club, The Laurie Beechman Theater, Don’t Tell Mama, The Friars Club, The Bitter End, The Cutting Room, Carroll Place, and The Green Room 42. In 2014, Derow’s album MUSIC 4 TWO with award-winning guitarist Sean Harkness earned her a “Best CD” nomination from the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC). In 2015, Dawn won her first MAC Award for her work in the duo show REVOLUTION with Kathleen France. In 2016, Dawn employed her formidable opera singing in her solo show LEGIT: A CLASSICAL CABARET and captured a Bistro Award for “Outstanding Vocalist.” In 2018, Dawn won the MAC Award for “Best Female Vocalist” for her critically acclaimed solo show, MY SHIP: SONGS FROM 1941. Her director Jeff Harnar won “Best Director” honors from both MAC and the Bistro Committee. Derow is releasing a CD of MY SHIP: Songs from 1941 in 2021. Ms. Derow has lent her vocals to a variety of other performances inthe Cabaret and Concert Communities in NYC. She’s also proud to announce Dawn contributed and wrote a chapter about “cross-over” style singing in the book “So You Want to Sing Cabaret,” released in April 2020 by David Sabella & Sue Matsuki. Dawn was forced to cancel the debut of new project “Gypsy In My Soul: The Songs of Eydie Gorme” in March due to COVID-19. Stay tuned for a video sneak peak in 2021 and future dates because “This Could Be The Start of Something Big!”