Thursday, September 1, 2011

Josh Groban Command Performance: 10 Years with Public TV

Internationally renowned singer and performer Josh Groban has had a special partnership with Public Television for more than a decade. Together, they have created some of the network's most successful and
dynamic live concert performances that have become staples in Public Television programming. This exciting compilation celebrates that partnership, showcasing the highlights of their exceptional collaborations over the years -- chosen by the artist himself.

Josh Groban Command Performance: 10 Years with Public Television airs on WSBE Rhode Island PBS on Thursday, September 1 at 7 p.m. Here is the songlist:

  • Oceano (from Live At The Greek, 2004)
  • To Where You Are (from In Concert, 2002)
  • Broken Vow w/ Chris Botti (from Soundstage/An Evening In New York City, 2009)
  • Mi Morena (Live At The Greek)
  • Machine w/ Herbie Hancock (Soundstage)
  • Bridge Over Troubled Water w/ Brian McKnight (from Hitman: David Foster & Friends, 2008)
  • Vincent (In Concert)
  • Alla Luce (from Awake Live, 2008)
  • Anthem (from Chess In Concert, 2008)
  • Canto (Awake Live)
  • Lullaby (Soundstage)
  • You Raise Me Up (Awake Live)

In late 1998, 17-year-old Josh Groban was introduced by his vocal coach to Grammy-winning producer/arranger David Foster and future manager Brian Avnet. At the time, Groban had no recording experience and was preparing to begin studying at Carnegie Institute of Technology. Groban worked for
David Foster as a rehearsal singer on a series of high-profile events, including the January 1999 inauguration of Gray Davis as Governor of California and the 1999 Grammy Awards where -- as a stand-in for Andrea
Bocelli -- he rehearsed Foster's "The Prayer" with Celine Dion. He was soon offered a recording contract with Warner Brothers Records and has remained with the label ever since.

His four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and in 2007, he was charted as the number one best-selling artist in the United States with over 21 million records sold. To date, he has sold over 25 million
albums worldwide.

Groban teamed with super-producer Rick Rubin for his fifth album "Illuminations," which was released in November 2010 and has been certified platinum. Three years in the making, the results both defy and
exceed any possible expectations. Each of the collaborators stepped out of his zone, and together they created an entirely new zone: one where folk meets classical; where art meets intimacy; where immediacy meets timelessness; and where, most importantly, Groban was free to express himself more fully, and more truly than ever before.

"These are my stories," says Groban, who co-wrote 11 of the 13 songs in the collection, complemented by songwriter Dan Wilson, as well as contributions from Nick Cave and Kate McGarrigle and Rufus Wainwright.