(Nashville, TN – Nov. 24, 2010) GMV Nashville’s Lane Brody has recorded two versions of “What A Wonderful World” with legendary singer and Columbia Records artist Johnny Mathis for his recent Let It Be Me: Mathis In Nashville album.
Earlier this year, the two singers recorded a standard version and a Christmas interpretation of the classic tune, originally made famous by Louis Armstrong. The two versions open and close Mathis’ new album, which was recorded in Nashville and released through Columbia Records in September 2010. It is available for purchase at digital outlets including iTunes and Amazon.com.
“Johnny Mathis epitomized what I hoped to become as a singer and recording artist,” says Brody. “From every voice I ever heard, I chose his as the greatest. As a child and teenager, I did not go out like other kids did, I was in my room practicing, studying every album, every phrase and subtle nuance of his voice. I have never had a vocal coach, and I was told I did not need one because I sang properly, having learned from him. At 12, I had to lie to my parents in order to go to one of his concerts by myself. I sat in a bleacher way up high and cried through every note and word, which I knew by heart.”
Continued Brody, “What was it like to sing with Johnny Mathis? Only God knows, because I have suffered greatly for my artistic integrity, and only He could have orchestrated and given me such a deeply personal and miraculous gift.”
Songs on Let It Be Me: Mathis In Nashville include “What A Wonderful World” (featuring Lane Brody), “Let It Be Me” (featuring Alison Krauss), “Make The World Go Away,” “Crazy,” “Southern Nights,” “You Don’t Know Me,” “Lovin’ Arms,” “Shenandoah,” “We Must Be Lovin’ Right,” “I Can’t Stop Lovin’ You,” “Love Me Tender,” “Please Help Me I’m Falling” and “What A Wonderful World (Christmas Version)” (featuring Lane Brody).
A video for “What A Wonderful World” is available here on YouTube.com.
About Lane Brody:
The beautiful and multi-talented Lane Brody is best known for her No. 1 Country duet with Johnny Lee, “The Yellow Rose.” She has been nominated for multiple Grammy awards in the Best Artist, Best Album and Best Jazz Vocal Performance categories and was the first female singer in Country music to have a song from a soundtrack (“Over You,” from the film Tender Mercies) nominated for an Oscar. Lane has also worked as a model and an actress, appearing in the television sitcom series “Taxi” and in films like Heart of the City. In early 2010, she released On The Wings Of Songs and reissued her collection of Jazz standards, Familiar Places. Both projects were released through Nashville-based digital label, GMV Nashville. “South of the Border,” her 2010 single with Country artist Cerrito, went No. 1 on the New Music Weekly Country chart earlier this year. Visit www.LaneBrody.com or www.GMVNashville.com for more information.
About Johnny Mathis:
Perhaps best-known for his landmark singles (three of his recordings—“Chances Are,” “It’s Not For Me To Say,” and “Misty”– have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame) Mathis was one of the very first musical artists to embrace the album concept and record fully-realized thematically and sonically coherent collections of songs. His 1958 release, Johnny’s Greatest Hits, inaugurated the ongoing “greatest hits” anthology phenomenon, becoming one of the most popular albums of all time after spending an unprecedented 490 continuous weeks (almost ten years) on the BILLBOARD Top Albums Chart. Johnny Mathis was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 2003.
