In 2016, gospel singer, songwriter, and musician Jordan Smith filmed his first one-hour special for public television, a Christmas concert titled ’Tis the Season, on the famed Evergreen Stage, then owned by Nova Scotia’s DiaDan Studios.
Smith, who is best known as the season 9 champion of NBC’s Emmy Award®-winning singing competition The Voice, performed a series of songs from his Christmas album, also named ’Tis the Season. The special features renditions of such holiday classics as “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “O Holy Night,” “Silent Night,” and “(You’re a Mean One) Mr. Grinch.” Presented and distributed nationally by American Public Television, the concert showcased the then-22-year-old Smith’s unique vocal stylings, impressive range, and undeniable stage presence.
It also included an appearance by legendary musician David Foster, OC, OBE, who accompanied Smith on the piano for several songs. Foster, a multiple Grammy Award®-winner, composer, songwriter, and producer is known for his past collaborations with Whitney Houston, Barbra Streisand, and Celine Dion.
Backing Jordan up musically during the concert was his usual core band, while the musical director was Grammy® and Latin Grammy Award®-winner Ezequiel ‘Che Che’ Alara. The special itself was produced by the same team responsible for the critically lauded music series Front and Center and the talk show Speakeasy.
Jordan Smith is the top-selling artist to emerge as a contestant on The Voice. Within fewer than six months of appearing on the show, he sold more than 1.5 million singles. He also made history by landing eight songs in the iTunes Top 10, becoming the first artist from any season of The Voice to be included in the iTunes Top 10 throughout every single week of the show’s live rounds.
Smith’s ’Tis The Season holiday special was recorded intimately in front of his friends and family at The Evergreen Stage in Burbank, California, a facility owned and operated by DiaDan Studios of Nova Scotia.
The Evergreen Stage is a renowned recording venue, having in the past played host to sessions from artists such as Frank Sinatra, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Beyonce, to name only a few. It is also occasionally used as a venue for hosting high-profile music specials and television broadcasts, as was the case with Jordan Smith’s performance.