It’s that time of year again, when all the different versions of “The Christmas Song” on the radio and in stores are relieved only by Wham!’s “Last Christmas.” Over and over again. But each year brings something new, or at least someone new releasing a holiday collection.
The best ones bring back a rush of memories: decorating the tree, family gatherings, caroling trips and more. Or maybe it’s a new song amongst the old destined to become a classic. Some do – who would have thought 40 years ago that a slick, synthesized “Deck the Halls” would propel the baroque and roll Mannheim Steamroller to holiday star status?
So here is a judicious selection of some new tinsel tunes, from country twang to steely drums to – wait, is that the soulful swagger of the mighty Tower of Power? Yes. Yes, it is.
“I didn’t want to do it,” Tower of Power bandleader Emilio Castillo says about recording a holiday album. Reached by phone between tour dates, he says the idea came from management. “It was my manager, Ivory Daniel. He said, ‘You’re going to do a Christmas album. You need to do it, and you need to do it now. This is a gift that keeps on giving.’”
So here is It’s Christmas, and to no one’s surprise, the LP bears the signature sound of Tower of Power: funky horns, chunky rhythms and soulful singing – but with some holiday joy. “What we realized is no matter what we did, it sounds like Tower of Power,” Castillo added. Former lead singer “Tom Bowes said there’s never any need to worry. You guys could play the Yellow Pages and it would sound like Tower of Power.”
Perhaps the most engaging tune is the opener, the band’s take on holiday chestnut “The Christmas Song.” Castillo recalls a conversation where co-producer “Joe Vanelli said, ‘I think I want to do a blazing instrumental.’ I said, ‘The Christmas Song’ as a blazing instrumental? You’re kidding me.’”
Spoiler alert: He wasn’t. The tune features Mike Bogart and Adolfo Acosta on flugelhorn and trumpet solos, set off by Jerry Cortez’s growling guitar. Other highlights include Tower of Power’s stellar version of Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas,” sung by Mike Jerel, who trades off leads with Castillo, and the concluding “Christmas Medley,” incorporating “O Christmas Tree,” “Christmas Time Is Here” and “What Child Is This.”
The project was started last year, and the band put together a six-song EP that was only available at live Tower of Power shows. “No downloads, no streaming,” Castillo said. The group finished off the album this year and is currently performing six songs from it on a Christmas tour. And yes, it’s now available on compact disc, download and streaming. Happy holidays!
BEN FOLDS – ‘SLEIGHER’: Like Tower of Power’s new album, this was a suggestion to pianist/vocalist Ben Folds, albeit from his record label rather than manager. No matter, as it produced a 10-track album featuring seven originals. Folds told Variety that when he first started working on it, his initial thought was to do mostly covers and whip up a couple of originals. It turned out only three made the final cut: the Mills Brothers’ “You Don’t Have to Be a Santa Claus,” which he says is basically a Depression-era sentiment that asks why people don’t just help others all year long. Another is a little-known Burt Bacharach/Herb Alpert collaboration, “The Bell That Couldn’t Jingle.” And he couldn’t resist singing about chestnuts roasting on an open fire. But his originals are what shine.
KELLY CLARKSON, “YOU FOR CHRISTMAS”: Clarkson’s latest holiday effort is bold pop-rock that suits her style perfectly. Think an updated Darlene Love or Ronnie Spector – or just Kelly Clarkson. With its pounding beat and girl-group backing harmonies, this song is reminiscent of the Ronettes meeting Mariah Carey at her least florid.
CHER AND KELLY CLARKSON, “DJ PLAY A CHRISTMAS SONG”: But wait, there’s more: Clarkson teams up with Cher for a new take on the original “DJ Play A Christmas Song” in which the two discourse on the best holiday: “I wanna be dancing, dancing, that’s the only thing I want this year.” With the synthesizers, beats and reverb turned up to 11, there’s really very little Christmasy about the track. Great for the clubs, though.
ROMERO LUBAMBO AND PAMELA DRIGGS – ‘CHRISTMASTIME IN RIO’: Part homage to classics like Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald, part tribute to the rhythms of bossa nova, samba, and Brazilian waltz, and all lovely. Pamela Driggs’s warm voice and Romero Lubambo’s acoustic guitar shine, and prominent in the mix are piano, vibes and accordion (!), which all beautifully set off the vocals. Original compositions like “Winter Reverie” and “Holiday of Love” and traditional classics are given gentle acoustic treatments. Seek this one out.
JENNIFER HUDSON – ‘THE GIFT OF LOVE’: Jennifer Hudson’s first holiday album opens with a tender “Hallelujah,” which soon morphs into a powerful, nearly overwrought showcase for her voice. “Winter Wonderland” features a driving beat from the orchestra, reminiscent of the big band extravaganzas by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Johnny Mathis. Hudson puts her big voice to use on sacred fare like “O Holy Night,” traditional tunes like “Little Drummer Boy” and originals alike. Hudson struts her stuff throughout – though whether that approach is always a positive is questionable.
BEN LEVIN – ‘BEN LEVIN PRESENTS A HOLIDAY BLUES REVUE’ Inspired by classic holiday blues recordings from artists like Freddy King, Charles Brown, and Amos Milburn, pianist Ben Levin recorded his first holiday-themed track in 2019. He’s finally completed the project. Consisting mostly of originals, Presents: A Holiday Blues Revue showcases a number of different singers, including the leader. The constant throughout is Levin’s keyboards, with rollicking piano runs on “Elf Boogie,” shimmering electric piano on “Next Christmas” and his unexpected organ on Vince Guaraldi’s “Skating.” “The sun’s going and Santa’s on his sleigh, now’s the time the elves come out to play,” sings Levin on “Elf Boogie,” and that mood permeates the disc.
BAND OF OTHER BROTHERS – ‘THIS YEAR AT CHRISTMAS’: Keyboardist Jeff Babko (Jimmy Kimmel, Martin Short), bassist Will Lee (David Letterman), saxophonist Jeff Coffin (Bela Fleck, Dave Matthews), versatile guitarist Nir Felder and Keith Carlock (Steely Dan) on drums put holiday music in a whole new light. Think late-night jazz and you’re at least partway there. Much of it bears little resemblance to a traditional approach – “Silent Night” is nearly unrecognizable, and “Good King Wenceslaus” even more so – so you’re warned. But think of it as a jazz noir album with references to the season, and it becomes one of the most enjoyable seasonal releases.
LITTLE BIG TOWN – ‘THE CHRISTMAS RECORD’: The country quartet kicks off its new holiday venture with the original “Glow,” so you can “find that magic, let the light in you show.” That’s the first of the album’s original songs, mixed with some holiday classics. “If We Make It Through December” showcases the band’s gorgeous harmonies, while the swelling strings on “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” set the stage for their voices, which also shine on Vince Guaraldi’s “Christmas Time Is Here.”
JOY LAPPS AND LARNELL LEWIS – ‘THE CARIBBEAN CHRISTMAS MIXTAPE’: Steel drum player Joy Lapps and her husband, drummer Larnell Lewis of Snarky Puppy harness the sound of the Caribbean for a set of holiday favorites. Pans for Christmas? Why not? The couple are first generation Afro-Caribbean Canadians, and the recording features jazz-infused soca, zouk, reggae and ska. Joy’s sister Subria sings throughout the album, but it’s the zesty steel drumming that commands the most attention. “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” is perhaps the most engaging tune, while a reggae-fied “Carol Of The Bells” demonstrates a different approach to that well-worn staple. Most curious is “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” where the pans appear to be in 4/4 while the rest of the band is in 5/4.
BRETT ELDREDGE – ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS (WELCOME TO THE FAMILY)’: More than a third of Brett Eldredge’s recorded output – three of his eight albums – has been comprised of music for the holidays. When they’re as enjoyable as this you can understand why. The album’s eight tracks are all originals, and Eldredge deftly weaves lyrical references into a mix of country-esque sounds. The twang is understated, which could – should – help this find a place on the pop charts and playlists beyond those who subscribe strictly to a county aesthetic.
LAURA PURSELL – ‘THREE MILES FROM CHRISTMAS EVE’: This six-track EP starts with a bang, the rollicking brass section setting up Pursell’s big voice on the title track. It’s the best of three originals bolstered by three classics: “The Christmas Song,” “Silver Bells” and “Let It Snow.” Like Eldredge’s album, her big voice is mixed way out in front, sometimes to the detriment of the recording.
LAILA BIALI – ‘WINTERSONGS’: The Canadian songstress wrote the majority of this album (most are originals) while on a two-week writing retreat in wintry Alberta. Like Enya’s And Winter Came, it’s more about the frosty season than just the holidays, but that doesn’t diminish its beauty. Unlike Brett Eldredge or Laura Pursell, Biali’s voice is integrated into the song rather than in your face, starting with the nearly wordless “Drifting Down the Ice,” which opens the recording. Flute and the leader’s piano frame her vocals on “Rocky Mountain Lullaby” while “Dance of the Pines” sets off Biali’s voice with strings and Jane Bunnett’s soprano sax. If you’re looking for a new favorite sans Rudolph, Frosty and a one-horse open sleigh, this would be an excellent choice.
MICKEY THOMAS – ‘A CLASSIC CHRISTMAS’: Mickey Thomas is a familiar voice, thanks to his work with Starship/Jefferson Starship, and now his own version dubbed Mickey Thomas’s Starship. His latest solo effort is a sojourn down memory lane, as he sings a variety of holiday favorites. The songs are familiar (“Silver Bells,” “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” “My Favorite Things”) and comfortable. Most affecting is the lesser-known “An Old Fashioned Christmas.”
RICK BRAUN – ‘IT’S CHRISTMAS’: Rick Braun showcases his silvery tone in a set of familiar, rearranged and/or original holiday tunes. Many are medleys, and perhaps the most engaging is the gorgeous “Do You Hear the Angels,” a combo platter incorporating “Angels We Have Heard On High,” “Do You Hear What I Hear,” “Joy to the World,” and “Oh Come All Ye Faithful.” Braun doubles or triples his trumpet as well as valve trombone, flugelhorn, piccolo trumpet and keyboards.
ROBERT GLASPER – ‘IN DECEMBER’: The jazz pianist and composer brings beats and hip-hop grooves to the fore alongside jazz harmonies in a collection of new and classic Christmas tunes. Even the familiar titles are rearranged to sound brand new. Whether that’s a good thing or not is up to the listener.
Elsewhere, Valerie June has a new holiday offering, Gifts, Presents, and Treats; Joe Bonamassa embraces the holiday season with “Lonely Christmas Eve”; alt-rock outfit Finish Ticket have released a stripped-down cover of the timeless holiday favorite “White Christmas”; Brandy releases her first holiday collection, Christmas with Brandy; Lea Salonga’s Sounding Joy reimagines classic Christmas standards with a couple originals and a duet with Clay Aiken; and Moody Blues bassist John Lodge offers his new Christmas single “Love Will Conquer All,” written and recorded in the wake of a stroke he suffered last Christmas season.
- Tower of Power, Jennifer Hudson, Ben Folds + Others: 2024’s Seasonal Sounds - November 25, 2024
- Dave Bainbridge of Downes Braide Association: The Albums That Shaped My Career - October 9, 2024
- Greg Cahill of Special Consensus: Albums That Shaped My Career - September 16, 2024
