For A Jewish Boy’s Christmas - his fourth full length album - Sam enlisted the help of several of Toronto’s best musicians, including his working band with Peter Hill and Jordan O’Connor. Featured as a guest soloist is Broverman’s regular special guest, Whitney Ross-Barris, the Toronto jazz and theatre scene stalwart whose wit is widely known. Ken Whitely - the multiple award-winning Canadian music legend- was invited onboard to produce the whole affair after his involvement in the inaugural show.
Having celebrated the work of great songwriters like Johnny Mercer and Jimmy Van Heusen on his previous recordings, it was time for Sam to return to one of his first loves: parody songwriting. In addition to working as a singer, Sam is also a professor of actuarial mathematics at the University of Toronto - he put himself through school singing, and has delivered his book of math based parody songs at academic conferences for years. A Jewish Boy’s Christmas is a hilarious and irreverent take on the holiday season.
Sam Broverman is a Winnipeg-born, Toronto based jazz singer and songwriter. He has performed in venues across Canada, the US, Europe and Asia. He began his professional singing career in Winnipeg as a teenager, appearing in theatre and cabaret productions and also on the nationally televised shows "Hymn Sing" and "The Doug Crosley Show". Sam regularly performs in the Summer Entertainment Series at Winnipeg’s Lyric Theatre.
Sam has sung with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir for many years. In 2008 he recorded a five song EP, “Five Standards” and in the spring of 2011 he released his first full jazz album, “Dream Maker, Heartbreaker: Sam Broverman sings Johnny Mercer”. Sam's second jazz album, “Leftover Dreams”, was released in the fall of 2013. It is a collection of the songs of Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen on the occasion of their 100th birthday year. His most recent album is “Feelings of Affection”, released in 2016.
Sam performs regularly in jazz venues around Toronto, including the Home Smith Bar, Jazz Bistro, Lula Lounge, The Rex, 120 Diner, Hart House at the University of Toronto and The Reservoir Lounge. In 2012 Sam created the popular show “A Jewish Boy’s Christmas”, which he has performed to sold out audiences every December since. In 2013 he appeared on the TVO show The Agenda, hosted by Steve Paikin, where he talked about and sang songs of Johnny Mercer.
One of Sam's favorite activities is songwriting, particularly parody and novelty songs. He has had the opportunity to perform some of his math-related parody songs for several math research conferences. In the summer of 2015 he was the local organizer for a conference in actuarial mathematics attended by about 250 people. Sam wrote several parody songs for that conference and recorded a CD of eight songs that conference participants received. Sam has performed these songs at various math conferences.
Whitney Ross-Barris - Vocals
Drew Jurecka - Violin & Clarinet
Peter Hill - Piano
Ken Whiteley - Guitars & Organ
Jordan O’Connor - Bass
Ross MacIntyre - Bass
Ernesto Cervini - Drums
1. What’s a Jew to Do on Christmas 4:40
2. Hanukkah in Santa Monica 4:00
3. The Christmas Waltz 2:40
4. Coventry Carol 3:00
5. You’re Speaking Yiddish 2:00
6. The First Noel Parody 2:25
7. Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis 3:30
8. Christmas Carol Parodies 5:00
9. Swinging the Chicken 4:00
10. The Christmas Song 2:20
