Joan Ryan

Editorial Reviews
-Backstage
"Every once in a while a voice comes along that is so awe-inspiring you want to rush out and write your congressman to have it declared a national treasure. Joan Ryan possesses just such a voice.

She has amazing breath control, superb phrasing and enunciation, and her notes hold clear and true across a breathtaking range."

The Hollywood Reporter
"Charismatic...A performer of power and sensitivity"

Album Description
Joan Ryan has a voice that soars. Whether it is the emotionally charged "My Brother Lived In San Francisco," or the soaring classic "I'm Flying," this self-titled, debut solo recording will make you laugh -- and make you cry. Ryan's stirring voice will amaze you with its range. This collection, which includes Ryan's interpretation of classic standards by Grammy, Tony and Academy Award winning composers such as Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stephen Schwartz, Lerner & Loewe and Carole Bayer Sager (from Broadway musicals such as "Shall We Dance?" from THE KING AND I, the title song from ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER and "I'm Flying" from PETER PAN), the CD also includes material from new songwriter's that are sure to make you want more! In addition, disc also features lush orchestrations and wonderful arrangements by some of musical theater's most well-respected and award-winning musicians such as John Boswell and Ron Abel, to name a few.

So, whether you want to enjoy a new version of one of your favorite classic standards, or discover a new gem -- Joan Ryan is sure to make your heart soar..."to the moon and the stars."

Joan Ryan

Tracks:

Trust The Wind
I'm Flying
Feels Like Home
I Won't Last A Day Without You
Good Thing He Can't Read My Mind
Shall We Dance
Strangers Once Again
Once There Was A Love/Bacchianas Brasileiras
West End Avenue
My Brother Lives In San Francisco
Moon And The Stars
I'm Coming Home Again
Follow Me/On A Clear Day

Album Description

Joan Ryan has a voice that soars. Whether it is the emotionally charged "My Brother Lived In San Francisco," or the soaring classic "I'm Flying," this self-titled, debut solo recording will make you laugh -- and make you cry. Ryan's stirring voice will amaze you with its range. This collection, which includes Ryan's interpretation of classic standards by Grammy, Tony and Academy Award winning composers such as Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stephen Schwartz, Lerner & Loewe and Carole Bayer Sager (from Broadway musicals such as "Shall We Dance?" from THE KING AND I, the title song from ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER and "I'm Flying" from PETER PAN), the CD also includes material from new songwriter's that are sure to make you want more! In addition, disc also features lush orchestrations and wonderful arrangements by some of musical theater's most well-respected and award-winning musicians such as John Boswell and Ron Abel, to name a few.

So, whether you want to enjoy a new version of one of your favorite classic standards, or discover a new gem -- Joan Ryan is sure to make your heart soar..."to the moon and the stars."

Customer Reviews:

JOAN RYAN ON THE TODAY SHOW MARCH 2, 2004.......2004-03-14

Joan Ryan's self titled album, has always been a staple in my collection of the best of diversified Broadway and concert "girl" singers. Her extraordinary 5 octive vocal range, spot on tone-ality, innate acting ability, exquisite arrangements, and choice of material, make her album continue to sell all over the country even today, six years after it's original release. From her cunning rendition of "I'm Flying" (from the Broadway musical "Peter Pan") which is intermittently underscored by "Something's Coming" (from Broadway's West Side Story)to "I Won't Last A Day Without You," and Ryan's unusually unique rendtion of the Rodger's & Hammerstein's "Shall We Dance" (from "The King and I") to the emotionally riveting final track, a brilliant medley of "Follow Me" (from "Camelot") and "On A Clear Day, You Can See Forever," (from the Broadway show of the same name).

In a recent television interview, Olympic legend Scott Hamilton, who (for 18 years) has produced America's most prestigious annual figure skating tour "Stars on Ice," talked about how he discovered Ryan's "Shall We Dance" and immediately put it into the tour's current 2004 production. The number, as skated by 3-time U.S. National Pairs Figure Skating Champions Jenni Meno & Todd Sand, continues to be a primary highlight in this multi-million dollar production that rivals any other road show touring the country today.

So taken by the audience response to Ryan's vocal, it was clearly recognized by Hamilton's team that - Ryan's talent, and the spectacular skills of Meno & Sand - deserved further exposure. Not only were Meno & Sand turning in the performance of a lifeticme nightly on the show's 60 U.S. city tour, but Ryan's album was selling out in each city on the Stars on Ice tour.

Thus, on March 2, 2004, Ryan and Meno & Sand performed live together on the Today Show and brought the house down.

Three days later, Ryan performed the number live for Meno & Sand, but this time at the Stars on Ice performance at Long Island's Nassau Coliseum in front of a sold-out crowd of thousands. Once again, it was a show-stopping moment in this magnificent production themed "Time .. A Theatrical Adventure" directed by Olympic Champion Christopher Dean (1984 Ice Dancing partner to Jayne Torvill) and Jef Billings, a 7-time Emmy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner.

So kudos to Hamilton, Dean and Billings for recognizing in that five minutes of Ryan's vocal capabilities coupled with the excellence of Meno & Sand, would bring a life-long memory to over a million people in four months.

You can't go wrong in getting JOAN RYAN. Hamilton, Dean and Billing's "got it."

So did Katie Couric when (as I was told) she grabbed Ryan in the hallway of NBC just moments after Ryan completed her performance of "Shall We Dance" and said ... You're unbelievable! Do you have an album out? I'd love to get one." It was Katie's lucky day. Ryan just happened to have an album with her.

Now you know if Katie "got it," so should you.

My New Favorite Singer.......2004-01-03

A friend of mine recommended I listen to Joan Ryan's CD and that recommendation was one of the greatest musical gifts I have ever received. Long a great lover of the female voice, I have found my new favorite singer. Joan Ryan's instrument has the range and power like none I have ever heard. She sings each song with such passion and personal touch that the song will become born anew in your musical memory. My favorites are the incredible arrangement of "I'm Flying", the beautiful "Feels Like Home" and her unforgettable version of "On A Clear Day". The song that will move your heart like none other, however, (and move you to tears if you are a parent) is "The Moon & the Stars". Ms. Ryan is accompanied by incredible musicians and I can not wait for the chance to see her perform live. I could not recommend this CD more!! I assure you, Joan Ryan will become your favorite singer too.

Oh, That Voice.......2001-07-14

Like another reviewer, I came across this CD in one of the "recommendations" lists on Amazon. So, I gave a couple of the clips a listen to and boy, am I glad that I did. A terrific voice - especially when you consider that she is married with 3 kids - that adapts to a whole cadre of different types of songs and arrangements. This is another one of those albums where there is something for everyone. From the upbeat "Trust The Wind" to the schmoozy "I Won't Last A Day Without You" to the one song that I think she has the most fun singing, "Good Thing He Can't Read My Mind", this is an enjoyable musical tour de force. The one cut that really caught me was "Shall We Dance". This isn't your mother's version of "The King and I" but, rather, a smooth, bluesy, sultry, jazzy version that makes you want to roll back the carpet and dance with your wife. I enjoyed this CD a lot. Each song was a separate cabaret of it's own and I think Joan enjoyed recording it. For those who may have heard the album, you'll know what I mean when I say: "Bungee jumping? Absolutely!" Enjoy

A likeable, but not great disc........2001-05-18

Joan Ryan seems to possess the ability and talent of an above average songstress. A bought this CD over six months ago, and after giving it a couple of playings, I have lost interest in it. Considering the number of discs I have that I like to play frequently, I would have to say that this production goes into the dispensable category. Not that I would call it bad or a disaster, it just doesn't belong on the "exceptional" list.

A great voice.......2000-09-23

Joan Ryan has a wonderful voice, heard here in an uneven assortment of ballads. She has a lovely melodic quality heard to advantage in tracks such as "Trust The Wind" and "I'm Flying" or in "The Moon and The Stars" arranged by the song's composer, Michael Orland.

But, for the most part, the backing mostly fails to give her the support she deserves. John Boswell makes a fine accompanist on "Feels Like Home"; but his good keyboard work on "My Brother" is undone by a leaden flute and cello. Even in the best tracks, such as "Shall We Dance", Ryan's soaring vocal line is spoiled by a truly awful instrumental bridge; and again, in "West End Avenue", where Stephen Schwartz's composition provides one of the album's few genuine opportunities for Ryan's talent to respond to quality material, the sax and percussion are distractions.

I am at a loss to understand why she should include pretty ordinary interpretations of songs by Paul Williams and Carole Bayer Sager while at the same time showing us how she can unleash her emotional power on songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein and Lerner and Loewe. I look forward to more of the latter on her next CD.

Joan Ryan
Average customer rating:
Joan Ryan
Joan Ryan
Manufacturer: Kritzerland
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Contemporary | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000NHG9R8
Release Date: 2007-02-27