"Some Snowy Night in Front of the Fire" is a holiday CD and the debut CD of singer/recording artist, Dawn Elliott. The CD features original holiday song,"Happy Holidays To You" - words & music by Dawn E. Robinson.Executive Producer - Dawn E. RobinsonAll songs arranged/produced/engineered by Tom Saputo except"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and"Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" arranged/produced by Benjie Porecki & engineered by Dave Hanbury; and"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" arranged/produced by Leonardo Lucini & engineered by Dani Cortaza.All vocal arrangements by Dawn E. RobinsonAll lead & backup vocals by Dawn Elliott; featured vocal on"Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" by Bryan FoxBackup vocals by Karen Y. Arey, Johnny H. Butler III, Gwen Outen, Donna Redd & Desi Wright McClureAll instruments played by Tom Saputo except for the following:"Good King Wenceslas" - Marshall Keys, sax"Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Benjie Porecki, keys/B3 organ; Bryan Fox, bass; A. Blues Webb, drums"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" - César Orozco, keys; Dani Cortaza, guitar; Leonardo Lucini, bass; Alejandro Lucini, drumsDawn Elliott (born Dawn Eliza Robinson) is a third-generation Washington, DC native who is known for her ability to seamlessly transition her voice through various genres. Dawn started singing professionally at age 12. She sang for civic, Masonic and church organizations and became a frequent soloist with the Gospel Choir at Alice Deal Jr. High, under the direction of Lois Nicholson. In 1979, Dawn appeared in a musical theater production,"Jump Back, Honey," based on the life of poet Paul Laurence Dunbar at DC's New Theatre, sang for the Congressional Black Caucus, and appeared on local radio and television programs. She began classical voice training with Dorothy Dash at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, was a member of the Concert Choir under Edward Jackson and performed in the school production of"Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope," directed by Lynda Gravátt. As a college Freshman, Dawn attended Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, OH where she studied voice with Helen Hodom. While at Oberlin, Dawn sang with the Mt. Zion Baptist Church Choir, became a featured vocalist with the Conservatory Jazz Ensemble under direction of Wendell Logan, sang on gigs with Mr. Logan's band and appeared as Robin ("Day By Day") in the College production of"Godspell" - all of which was against conservatory policy for voice performance majors. Rather then being kicked-out, she decided to continued her education at Shenandoah College & Conservatory of Music in Winchester, VA where she studied voice with Linda Burgard and was allowed the freedom to develop her vocal versatility. In addition to excelling within the European classical music curriculum, Dawn was the featured vocalist with the Shenandoah Conservatory Jazz Ensemble and performed in DC-area nightclubs with the jazz faculty. In 1986, Dawn won"First Place Honors" in the Virginia NATS classical voice competition, was chosen to sing in a Master Class with Sylvia Olden Lee and was awarded the Shenandoah Jazz Performance Award. Dawn graduated from Shenandoah with a Bachelor of Science in Arts Administration. As the featured vocalist with the Lettumplay Jazz Ensemble, Dawn opened concerts for Nancy Wilson and Betty Carter. In 1986 she performed with the U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors and began a year-long engagement at Joplin's Supper Club in the Howard Inn in Washington DC. During the '90s Dawn made several appearances singing the mezzo-soprano solos in Handel's Messiah with the Senior Choir of Metropolitan Baptist Church where she grew up. In April 1991, Dawn made her Kennedy Center debut as the soloist in the Washington Performing Arts Society's Gospel Showcase,"Washington's Finest II." In September 1993, Dawn was one of four classical singers in recital for The Alpha Wives of Washington, DC. Dawn has performed with jazz artists such as Keter Betts, Maria Rodriguez, Davey Yarborough, Randy Brecker, James McBride, Keith Robinson, Mark Whitfield, Marshall Keys, the Grainger Brothers, Al Williams, Jay Britton, Monte Croft, Damon DueWhite, Jeff Lorber, Dwight Sills, Mike Logan, Michael White, Everett Harp, Jeff Golub, Mark Stevens, Alex Al, Kevin Ricard and Gary Taylor and has sung with several bands and in studio sessions in the Washington and New York areas. In February 1994 Dawn made her Blues Alley debut with keyboardist/composer Dan Reynolds and his contemporary jazz group, Never Alone, and has performed with Dan as featured vocalist at nightclubs in the DC area and along the East Coast. She has also appeared at Blues Alley as guest vocalist with funk-jazz groups, Grainger and WPG Trio. A"singer's singer," Dawn toured as backup singer with jazz-funk singer-songwriter Maysa from 1995-2003 and 2006-2007.During the summer of 2011, Dawn made a return to the musical stage as a member of an extra-terrestrial rock band in"When E.T. Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, A Sci Fi Rock Opera" with book and Music by James Levy, which was presented as part of the 2011 Fringe Festival Production, Washington, DC. In 2012, she appeared in concert for The Wednesday Club of Danville, VA. In June 2014, she appeared in a staged reading of the musical,"Love Songs from the Tobacco Wars" by Steve Jones with the DC Workers' Chorus. During the summer of 2014, Dawn appeared with Brazilian jazz group Origem (the Lucini Brothers).Dawn appears on three of Dan Reynolds’ CDs:"Lifeline" (1994),"To Be Sure" (1998) and"River Maiden" (2009). She also appears on the 1995 self-titled CD of progressive jazz group, Stickman; the Grainger debut CD"Phase I" (1996); Lonnie Liston Smith’s"Transformation" (1998); Jimmy Wilson's"Future History" (2001); WPG Trio's"Small Medium Large" (2001); Rob Holmes'"Turnstyles" (2002); Charles “Ojinga” Shelton’s"Seeing is Believing" (2004); and Al McKenzie’s"Reason to Be" (2006). She is a two-time winner of the Washington Area Music Award (the WAMMIE)—1995 Gospel/Inspirational Female Vocalist and 1998 Jazz Contemporary Vocalist.