Illuminations

by Josh Groban

Overview

Stars hire Rick Rubin for one thing: to achieve a purity of essence. When it comes to singers like Johnny Cash or songwriters like Neil Diamond -- even rock bands like Weezer -- Rubin's approach feels natural, as he strips away the varnish that's clouded over the years, but Josh Groban is an odd choice for the Rubin maneuver. Not a singer/songwriter in the classic sense but rather a classical singer who dabbles in pop, Groban doesn't need to be stripped to his essence because bombast is a crucial part of the equation. Smart guy that he is, Rubin doesn't eliminate surging melodrama from Groban's bag of tricks but he does limit and mute the palette, making sure the strings don't soar so high and that the singer doesn't bellow. These subtle adjustments, which include hiring Semisonic's Dan Wilson as a co-writing partner for Groban, wind up having a drastic effect on the flavor of Illuminations, turning it into something warm, burnished, and intimate, a spell only briefly broken by the cacophonic clatter of the Portuguese "Voce Existe em Mim." Its presence is a testament to Groban's curiosity but Illuminations is best when he plays close to the vest, which means this is another instance where Rubin succeeds by illuminating his subject's essence. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/15/2010
Label:	143 Records / 143/Reprise / Reprise
UPC:	0093624964964
Rank:	187191

Tracks

1. The Wandering Kind
2. Bells of New York City
3. Galileo (Someone Like You)
4. L' Ora Dell'addio
5. Hidden Away
6. Au Jardin Des Sans-Pourquoi
7. Higher Window
8. If I Walk Away
9. Love Only Knows
10. Voc¿¿ Existe Em Mim
11. War At Home
12. London Hymn
13. Straight To You

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Josh Groban   Primary Artist,Vocals,Piano
Claire Rose McNeely   Children's Chorus,Choir/Chorus
Clara Logan   Choir/Chorus,Children's Chorus
David Waither   Viola
Donna Covert   Choir/Chorus
Endre Grant   Violin
Ernest Ehrhardt Jr.   Cello
Jackson Hatwan   Choir/Chorus,Children's Chorus
John Kimberling   Choir/Chorus
Jon Michael Geiger   Choir/Chorus,Children's Chorus
Julian Fielder   Choir/Chorus
Kate Reid   Choir/Chorus
Kimberly Lingo Hinze   Choir/Chorus
Lisa Crave   Choir/Chorus
Michelle Fournier   Choir/Chorus
Nelson Beato   Choir/Chorus
Phillip Levu   Violin
Qiang Wang   Viola
Steve Pence   Choir/Chorus
Steven Kronauer   Choir/Chorus
Thomas Harte Jr.   Bass
Victor Pineshi   Choir/Chorus,Children's Chorus
William Behlendorf   Choir/Chorus,Children's Chorus
Anthony Cooke   Celli,Cello
Barbra Porter   Violin
Brian O'Connor   Horn
John Lewis   Trumpet
Rebecca Bunnell   Violin
Donna Medine   Choir/Chorus
Steve Amerson   Choir/Chorus
Geraldine Rotella   Flute
Dave Levitan   Guitar
Bill Booth   Trombone
Lester Mendes   Guitar (Electric)
Martha Lippi   Cello
Donald Foster   Clarinet
Emma Ashford   Choir/Chorus,Children's Chorus
Lisa Sutton   Violin
Tonoccus McClain   Choir/Chorus
Phillip Levy   Violin
Earle Dumler   Oboe
Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick   Cello
James Thatcher   Horn
Steve Roberts   Bass,Clarinet,Clarinet (Bass)
Donna Davidson Medine   Choir/Chorus,Children's Chorus
David Duke   Horn
David Weiss   Horn,Horn (English)
Michael Lichtenauer   Choir/Chorus
Victoria Miskolczy   Viola
Phillip Teele   Trombone,Trombone (Bass)
Steven Holtman   Trombone
Lawrence Kaplan   Flute
Donald Ferrone   Bass
Alex Iles   Trombone
Phillip O'Connor   Bass,Clarinet (Bass)
David Stone   Bass
Alice Kirwan Murray   Choir/Chorus
Maia Jasper White   Violin
Mark Kelley   Choir/Chorus
Stuart Clark   Clarinet
Dewey Oldham   Keyboards
Christian Ebner   Choir/Chorus
Karl Vincent   Bass
Armen Ksajikian   Celli,Cello
Bob Zimmitti   Percussion
Philip Ingram   Vocals (Background)
Cecelia Tsan   Celli,Cello
Leberta Loral   Choir/Chorus
Jon Gilutin   Piano
M.B. Gordy   Timpani,Percussion
Brandon Large   Choir/Chorus,Children's Chorus
Andrew Malloy   Trombone
Marda Todd   Viola
Norman Large   Choir/Chorus
Jennifer Wallace   Choir/Chorus
Karen Elaine   Viola
Amy Fogerson   Choir/Chorus
Jordan Santamaria   Choir/Chorus,Children's Chorus
Kevin Connolly   Violin
Al Veeh   Trombone
Aleta Braxton O'Brien   Choir/Chorus
Alex Behlendorf   Choir/Chorus,Children's Chorus
Banda Dida   Percussion
Ben Lulich   Clarinet
Nancy Gassner Clayton   Choir/Chorus
Kevin Dalbey   Choir/Chorus
Barry Gold   Cello
Chris Beth   Oboe,Soloist
Walt Harrah   Choir/Chorus
Diane Freiman Reynolds   Choir/Chorus
Scott Graff   Choir/Chorus
Sara Parkins   Violin,Soloist,Conductor
Jon Lewis   Trumpet
Melissa MacKay   Choir/Chorus
Timothy Morrison   Trumpet
David H. Speltz   Celli,Cello
Matthew Funes   Viola
Eric Bradley   Choir/Chorus
Dave Everson   Horn
Elissa Johnston   Choir/Chorus
Mario de Leon   Violin
Tamara Hatwan   Violin
Steven Becknell   Trombone
Robert Thies   Piano,Harpsichord
Emmeline Lehmann Boddicker   Choir/Chorus,Children's Chorus
Marc Antonio Pritchett   Choir/Chorus
Michele Richards   Violin
Oscar Meza   Bass
Nathan Campbell   Horn,French Horn
Debra Price   Violin
Adriana Zoppo   Viola
Julian Hallmark   Violin
Chris Ermacoff   Celli,Cello
Paul Cohen   Cello
Kerry Katz   Choir/Chorus
Marlow Fisher   Viola
Andrew Picken   Viola
Charlie Bisharat   Violin,Conductor
Dennis Karmazyn   Celli,Cello
Emil Richards   Vibraphone
Aaron Oltman   Viola
Robert Hovencamp   Choir/Chorus
Stephen Grimm   Choir/Chorus
Joanna Bushnell   Choir/Chorus
Stephen Amerson   Choir/Chorus
Damian Montano   Bassoon
Kimberly Switzer   Choir/Chorus
Bruce Carver   Percussion
John Walz   Cello,Celli
David Shostac   Flute
Jeanie Lim   Viola
Karen Harper   Choir/Chorus
Drew Dembowski   Bass
Alan Estes   Percussion
Songa Lee   Violin
Katia Popov   Violin,Conductor
Searmi Park   Violin
Philip Vaiman   Violin
Ana Landauer   Violin
Alan Grunfeld   Violin
David Campbell   Strings,Conductor
Jeanne Skrocki   Violin
Barbara Porter   Violin
Laurence Greenfield   Violin
Kazi Pitelka   Viola
Ruth Bruegger   Violin
Ken Yerke   Violin
Tom Boyd   Oboe
Jennifer Graham   Choir/Chorus
Ryan Alvarez   Choir/Chorus
Greg Geiger   Choir/Chorus
Jasper Randall   Choir/Chorus
Karen Whipple Schnurr   Choir/Chorus
Nancy Sulahian   Choir/Chorus
Renee Burkett   Choir/Chorus
Timothy Eckert   Bass
Ernest Ehrhardt   Cello
Aleta Braxton   Choir/Chorus
Joe Meyer   Horn
Vladimir Polimatidi   Violin
Mark Robertson   Violin
Gary Bovyer   Clarinet
Eve Butler   Violin
John Hayhurst   Viola
Andrew Shulman   Celli,Cello
Alyssa Park   Violin
George Doering   Ukulele,Bouzouki
Roger Wilkie   Violin
Geri Rotella   Flute
Charles Lane   Choir/Chorus
Becky Bunnell   Violin
Gerardo Hilera   Violin
Claire Fedoruk   Choir/Chorus
Kim Scholes   Cello
Agostino Castagnola   Choir/Chorus
Rong Huey Liu   Horn,Horn (English)
Paula Hochhalter   Celli,Cello
Rudy Stein   Cello
Julie Gigante   Violin
Steve Richards   Cello,Soloist
James Walker   Flute
Jim Self   Tuba
Dave Walther   Viola
David Washburn   Trumpet
Margaret Wooten   Violin
Robert Shulgold   Flute
David Stenske   Viola
Haim Shtrum   Violin
Bob Joyce   Choir/Chorus
Shawn Mann   Viola
Doug Tornquist   Tuba
Roberto Cani   Violin
Grant Geissman   Mandolin
Dane Little   Celli,Cello
Amick Byram   Choir/Chorus
Stephanie Bennett   Harp
Peter Kent   Violin
Armen Ksadjikian   Cello
Nico Abondolo   Bass
Chris Bleth   Oboe
Rose Corrigan   Bassoon
John Goux   Guitar
Gayle Levant   Harp
Dorian Holley   Vocals (Background)
Gary Gray   Clarinet
Spooner Oldham   Organ (Hammond),Hammond Synth
Pete Anthony   Conductor
William Booth   Trombone
Emily Logan   Choir/Chorus,Children's Chorus
Carlinhos Brown   Conductor
Jim Walker   Flute
Joe Ketendjian   Violin
Joel Pargman   Violin
Bruce Morgenthaler   Bass
Darryl Phinnessee   Vocals (Background)
Phillip Ingram   Vocals (Background)
Scottie Haskell   Choir/Chorus
Michael Valerio   Bass
Brad Warnaar   Horn
Darrin McCann   Viola
Matt Sweeney   Guitar
Richard Todd   Horn,French Horn
Don Williams   Percussion
George Thatcher   Trombone
Sarah Thornblade   Violin
Belinda Broughton   Violin
Nick Lane   Trombone
Samuel Formicola   Viola
Tereza Stanislav   Violin
Daniel Kelley   Horn
Andrew Duckles   Viola
Denyse Buffum   Viola
Serena McKinney   Violin
Timothy Landauer   Celli,Cello
Daniel Greco   Timpani
Stephen Erdody   Celli
Guy Maeda   Choir/Chorus
John Wittenberg   Violin
Paul Klintworth   Horn,French Horn
Donald Markese   Bass,Clarinet (Bass)
Frank Marocco   Accordion
Jacqueline Brand   Violin
John Yoakum   Oboe,Flute
William Frank "Bill" Reichenbach Jr.   Trombone
Joseph Meyer   French Horn
Lisa M. Sutton   Violin
John Gilutin   Piano
Timothy Loo   Cello
Robert Peterson   Violin
Kurt Snyder   Horn
Josefina Vergara   Violin
Darius Campo   Violin
Malcolm McNab   Trumpet
Phil Ayling   Flute
Luana Jackman   Choir/Chorus,Children's Chorus
Monique Donnelly   Choir/Chorus
Pamela Goldsmith   Viola
Allen Savedoff   Bassoon
Edward Meares   Bass
Natalie Leggett   Violin
Tim Morrison   Trumpet
Roland Kato   Viola
Randy Kerber   Piano
Steve Kujala   Flute
Andrew Scheps   Mellotron
Susie Stevens   Choir/Chorus
Sid Page   Violin,Conductor
Brian Dembow   Viola
Earl Dumler   Oboe
Marcia Dickstein   Harp
Bobbi Page   Conductor,Choir/Chorus,Children's Chorus
Armen Garabedian   Violin
Brad Dutz   Percussion
Oscar Hidalgo   Bass
Bruce Dukov   Violin
Connie Smith   Choir/Chorus
Stefanie Fife   Cello
Christina Saffran Ashford   Choir/Chorus
David Levita   Guitar
Marina Manukian   Violin
Clydene Jackson   Choir/Chorus
Paul Fried   Flute
Victor Lawrence   Cello
Robert Brophy   Viola
Smokey Hormel   Guitar
Elin Carlson   Choir/Chorus

Technical Credits

Rob Persuad   Technical Score Advisor
Seamus Cotter   Composer
Travis Warner   Coordination
Lester Mendes   Composer,Programming,Arranger
Matt Robertson   Choir Arrangement
Phillip Teele   Assistant Engineer
Matt Ward   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Charlie Paakkari   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Phillip Broussard Jr.   Assistant,Pro-Tools,Mixing Engineer,Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Sara Lyn Killion   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Peter Rotter   Orchestra Contractor
Mark Graham   Music Librarian
Thomas "Tawgs" Salter   Composer,Lyricist
Matt Coonrod   Design
Lindsay Chase   Production Coordination
Sandy De Crescent   Orchestra Contractor
Joel Numa   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Marius de Vries   Composer,Lyricist,Choir Arrangement
Kurt Iswarienko   Photography
Flavio DeSouza   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
David Campbell   Arranger,Orchestration,Choir Arrangement
Jasper Randall   Vocal Contractor
Bettie Ross   Supervising Copyist
Chris Holmes   Assistant Engineer,Assistant,Pro-Tools
Dan Wilson   Composer,Lyricist
Ellen Wakayama   Art Direction
Flavio Souza   Percussion Engineer
Donny Phillips   Design
Jason Lader   Engineer
Marco Marinangeli   Composer,Lyricist
Dave Holden   Technical Score Advisor
Suzie Katayama   Contractor,Orchestra Contractor
Steve Churchyard   Engineer
Steve Genewick   Assistant,Pro-Tools,Assistant Engineer
Conrad Pope   Orchestration
James Newton Howard   Arranger
Dorian Holley   Vocal Contractor
Carlinhos Brown   Composer,Lyricist,Percussion Arrangement
Rufus Wainwright   Composer,Lyricist
Al Schmitt   Engineer
Josh Groban   Arranger,Composer,Lyricist,Choir Arrangement
Kate McGarrigle   Composer,Lyricist
Rick Rubin   Producer
Walter Afanasieff   Composer
Nick Cave   Composer,Lyricist
Greg Vines   Technical Score Advisor
Declan O'Rourke   Composer
Greg Fidelman   Engineer
Stuart Michael Thomas   Technical Score Advisor
Allen Sides   Mixing,Engineer
Stephen Marcussen   Mastering
Maxim Moston   Arranger,Orchestration
Andrew Scheps   Mixing,Engineer
Bobbi Page   Choir Contractor