Watching the Snow is a jazz album by the American singer Michael Franks. It was released in Japan by Columbia Records in 2003, in the U.S. by Sleeping Gypsy in 2004, and again in the U.S. by Koch Records.
Watching the Snow was Franks' first Christmas album. Rather than covering other holiday music standards, he wrote all the songs. According to the liner notes, sales from the album were donated to Hearts United for Animals.
Track listing
Reception
Writing for AllMusic, Christopher Monger described the album as "comfort food with all the trimmings" and that each track was "lovingly crafted, astronomically inoffensive, and wine-drunk silly and sincere". Comparing the album to the holiday-themed releases of Franks' peers, he concluded it was a "testimony to Franks' laid-back demeanor and subtle humor that an entire record of original holiday songs can complement a snowy December day rather than accentuate its forced seasonal cheer".
Personnel Michael Franks – vocals Charles Blenzig – keyboards, acoustic piano, percussion, sequencing Jay Azzolina – guitars Romero Lubambo – guitars Jay Anderson – double bass Billy Kilson – drums Café – percussion Chris Hunter – saxophones, flute Alex Sipiagin – trumpet, flugelhorn John Clark – French horn Veronica Nunn – backing vocals, vocals (9)
Production John Rosenberg – executive producer Charles Blenzig – producer, arrangements Michael Franks – producer, photography Scott Petito – engineer, mixing Megan Denver – art direction, design Dion Ogust – portraits
References
Bibliography