Ahhh, Christmas. Time to put on Perry Como, Julie Andrews, George Winston and Mannheim Steamroller. Get things rocking with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra or the Waitresses and “Christmas Wrapping.” Slip back in time to “Last Christmas” with Wham! or Mariah Carey or Elvis or …
Point is, there are hundreds, maybe thousands of holiday recordings from years past. So instead let’s look for something new. Maybe the Bird and the Bee have a new recording, or Megan Trainor, or Carrie Underwood, or Tori Kelly.
Yes. Yes they do, but that’s just scratching the surface. There are somewhere around three dozen new recordings out there, like singles by the acclaimed Nashville band the Barefoot Movement (“I Wish It Would Snow” about Christmas in the South) and country-esque singer-songwriter Olivia Lane, whose “Feeling Like Christmas” is her first original holiday song, reflecting her joyful feelings about the holiday.
But singles only go so far. If you are looking for something more long-playing, Peter Bergin might be your first stop. His Three Vignettes for Christmas is a series of improvisations of holiday favorites built around the themes of tradition, home and goodwill.
Bergin said the album came out of the livestream events he had been doing in this year of the pandemic. He would improvise from the grand piano in his living room on various themes – ’50s music or TV themes, for example – and approached these medleys of holiday music the same way. “What you hear on the CD couldn’t be repeated. That’s how I did the livestreams,” he said.
“I didn’t think I’d come out of 2020 with a Christmas CD. In the spirit of 2020, it was a true homegrown project,” Bergin added, as he and his wife Carol did the photography, artwork, even the mixing. The album can be ordered from his website, BerginMusic.com.
He’s not the only pianist serving up some holiday music: Jim Brickman, whose catalog includes some 60 albums, offers another in his series of “Soothe” albums. Soothe Christmas is indeed a gentle reflection of the holiday. Favorites such as “Angels We Have Heard on High” and “Mary Did You Know” feature Brickman’s gentle piano, enhanced but never overwhelmed by ambient strings and synths.
Rick Wakeman – yes, the caped crusader himself – has released his second holiday collection in as many years. Christmas Variations follows last year’s Christmas Portraits, and it’s another grab-bag of holiday favorites, with piano and synth stylings. Wakeman wisely refrains from indulging his occasional penchant for overplaying, and the result is a delightful set of keyboard-based music. With well over 100 albums under his belt, plus another dozen or so with Yes, there’s certainly no lack of Wakeman albums. These are certainly worthwhile additions to his discography.
Is it a Charlie Brown Christmas again for you? It is for David Benoit, the successor to Vince Guaraldi as the musical maestro for the Peanuts specials. It’s A David Benoit Christmas includes all your favorites from the animated shows, both originals by Guaraldi and Benoit and traditional tunes like “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”
There’s more out there than keyboards though, right? Sure. How about some Christmas Vibes? That’s the title of the new disc from Warren Wolf. “Do You Hear What I Hear?” is offset by the jaunty “O Christmas Tree” and “Winter Wonderland.” Most surprising (and enjoyable) is “Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies.” Great fun.
Want some twang with your holiday eggnog? Janie Fricke’s Country Cowgirl Christmas (bonus points for alliteration) offers some standard holiday fare, from “Winter Wonderland” and “Let It Snow” to “Once in Royal David’s City.” Fricke’s warbly voice matches the dobro and steel guitar perfectly. Whether that’s a good thing or not depends on your appreciation of the style.
Fricke’s not the only country crooner celebrating the season. A Holly Dolly Christmas by Dolly Parton (who else?) opens with the almost-title track, including her spoken explanation for why she recorded it. Miley Cyrus joins in on “Christmas Is,” while superstar Michael Bublé duets on “Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas.” A winner.
Ex-Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore has gone the acoustic/Renaissance route since leaving the hard-rock band he co-founded nearly 30 years ago. He’s teamed with his wife Candice Night (vocals and woodwinds) for several Blackmore’s Night recordings and tours, including this year’s EP Here We Come A-Caroling. With recorders, tambourine, organ and Blackmore’s guitars, the four traditional tunes receive a pretty traditional treatment, though “Silent Night” slyly ends with Blackmore’s short quote from “Jingle Bells.”
David Garfield’s Holidays Outside the Box includes members of – deep breath – Chicago, Pablo Cruise, Santana, Tower of Power, Shadowfax, Average White Band, Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express, Yellowjackets, War, Jimmy Buffet’s Coral Reefer Band, Santana, Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers and the Rippingtons. Whew! This digital release finds the jazz keyboard veteran in a number of settings, all evoking the holiday spirit. There’s an island-themed “12 Days of Christmas” that would make Peter Tosh proud, a relaxed yet bouncy “O Holy Night,” and the gentle closing duet between Garfield and veteran jazz saxophonist Ernie Watts (a member of Doc Severinsen’s Tonight Show band) on “Heavenly Peace.” Helping the keyboardist out are vocalists singing in five languages, all making for a fun and festive holiday session.
One of the most interesting recurring albums is from Rock By the Sea. Based in Tallahassee, the organization has sponsored several events to raise money for causes ranging from literacy to the local humane society. It has also now produced 11 albums of holiday music by a potpourri of artists, with this year’s benefiting pediatric cancer. A Rock By the Sea Christmas Vol. 11 includes traditional songs (“In the Bleak Midwinter,” “O Holy Night”) and alternative favorites (“Christmas Wrapping,” “This Time of Year”). As is typical of such efforts, there’s not much flow, as a Celtic instrumental may be followed by a rock vocal and then a folk/country style tune. Individually, however, the tracks are striking – and remember, it’s for the kids.
Pulling off jazz versions of holiday music is a neat trick, but when the jazz inspiration is free-jazz icon Albert Ayler? Good luck with that. Saxophonist Mars Williams (the Waitresses, Psychedelic Furs, Liquid Soul) has taken up the challenge for a fourth time with An Ayler Xmas Vol. 4. Honks, squeals, cacophonous horns and thunderous drumming mix with “The First Noel” and “The Christmas Song,” among others. Adventurous spirits will no doubt revel in the proceedings, while putting it on at the office Christmas party would have cleared the place out if the pandemic hadn’t already done so.
Bass virtuoso Brian Bromberg has done it all: Pop, acoustic jazz, funk, fusion – you name it, he’s played it. So, it’s no surprise he’s embraced the holiday aesthetic, particularly during the pandemic with live performances canceled. Pushed by his fiancée and her girlfriend to make a holiday album, Bromberg started with “Let It Snow,” and he had so much fun that it led to an album. Celebrate Me Home: The Holiday Sessions features guests like vocalist Maysa, sax players Everette Harp and Gary Meek, percussionist Alex Acuna and longtime musical companion Joe Taylor on drums, all of whom recorded their parts in their home studios. “Deck the Halls” is given a zesty big-band treatment and a mashup of “Jingle Bells” and “Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel” goes calypso, complete with steel drums. Highly recommended.
As noted, combining jazz with holiday music can be a challenge. The former depends on improvisation, while the familiarity of holiday songs militates against that. Nevertheless, vocalist Amber Weekes digs into a swinging “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” and other familiar tunes with gusto on The Gathering. “Some Children See Him” may be a first: A jazz holiday tune with bagpipes. The highlight is “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” which sounds amazingly fresh.
Austrian singer Simone Kopmajer makes the holidays swing as well on her recording Christmas. No mean feat, when considering she also enlists accordion and dulcimer players, while singing in German. She even makes “Es Wird Scho Glei Dumpa” attractive to American ears which have no idea what she’s singing.
Lauren Henderson’s brief Classic Christmas – there are only four tunes on the EP – leaves the listener wanting more. All four tracks are worthy, but it’s the opening “My Favorite Things” that lingers long after listening.
Of course, if you want to experience the Christmas magic of the human voice, there’s nothing better than the a capella sounds of Straight No Chaser. Social Christmasing is another winning outing for the nine singers who make up the group, which started as a college outfit at Indiana University. The group’s stirring harmonies reach out from the speakers on “Silver Bells, “The First Noel,” “Happy Holidays” and five original holiday tunes.
Did someone say a capella? Let’s go back a year to one we missed. Christmas All the Way by the international vocal sextet Accent is not totally sans instruments, as is Straight No Chaser. In fact, the group enlists Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band and a few other high-end instrumentalists such as trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. But the focus is squarely on the human voice, from “A Holly Jolly Christmas” to “Let It Snow,” “Petit Papa Noel” and “Jul, Jul, Stralande Jul.”
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