Austin, Texas has long been a source of great music and the Wheeler Brothers are the latest example. A bit of rockin' Americana, "Home For The Holidays" is on the group's recently released album "Portraits".
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Ramblin' Jack Elliot's take on Woody Guthrie's song about an actual event. Although witnesses identified the culprit as a young employee of the Calumet & Hecla Mining Company's security force--at least 8 specifically recalling a "Citizens Alliance" button on the culprit's coat (CA being the Mine Company financed union busting group), no one was ever charged for the crime. Officially, the massacre was ruled an accident and local papers printed stories that the doors to the hall opened inward which confused the panicked immigrant workers who were trying to push the doors open. Recent investigations have proven that claim false and revealed that the local newspapers were bribed by C&H to plant such stories to throw doubt onto the mineworkers' version of events. 73 people were killed, most of them children.
Even as 17 year old Justin Bieber was tweeting the teases on his upcoming "all original" Christmas album for charity, The Hollywood Reporter was leaking that pint-sized soprano Jackie Evancho, just 11 years old, will be releasing a full-length Christmas album later this year. Evancho first rose to stardom on the 2010 season of television reality show "America's Got Talent", finishing second. Released last November, Jackie's major label debut--the Christmas EP "O Holy Night"--was certified platinum, selling over 3 million copies worldwide. Is it any wonder Columbia would want a full-length Christmas record as soon as possible? Evancho did release a non-holiday set earlier this year. Produced by David Foster, "Dream With Me" features duets with Barbara Striesand and Susan Boyle. The new Christmas album, THR reports, will be produced by Rob Mounsey, whose prior client list includes Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, and Billy Joel. Though no other details were released, and while her representatives aren't talking, perhaps Jackie will be asked about the news when she returns to "America's Got Talent" for their September 14 season finale. Here's a nice little reminder, from last year's National Christmas Tree Lighting, of why a Christmas album from Jackie Evancho is worth looking forward to. You're going to have to bear with me on this one. Whatever I may know about the world of holiday music, there are always things that get by me, there are time gaps, and I do have...let's call them blind spots. Somehow, Harry Connick, Jr.'s "The Happy Elf" fits all three. From what I can gather, "The Happy Elf" was originally a song on Harry's 2003 album "Harry For The Holidays". Then Harry expanded the song into a children's story which then became an animated film which was then adapted for the stage. Around 2005, there was a CD soundtrack and a DVD of the animated special as well. The story centers around an exhuberent Elf named Eubie trying to bring the Christmas spirit to a place called Bluesville. I missed all of this, so I have absolutely no frame of reference for the upcoming "Music From The Happy Elf" from the Harry Connick Jr. Trio, due out September 27 on Marsalis Music. In the latest incarnation, Harry strips down the music from the Happy Elf and presents it as straight ahead trio Jazz. At least that's my uniformed view based on a handful of 30 second samples. Along the way, he and the combo toss in a few of Harry's originals from 2008's "What A Night", "Santarrific" and that album's title track. It's quite affecting to hear the songs in that context. And, yes, there is a 10 minute reading of the story from Harry up top (apparently, there's a book release as well), but the Jazz backing makes the story seem less of a children's tale and more of a quirky adult thing. Cover illustration aside, this does not sound (to me, at least) like a children's record. I know its sacrilege in some Christmas circles, but I don't own a single Harry Connick, Jr. album. Not that I don't think he's talented and all. He just doesn't reach me for some reason. He's one of those "blind spots" I mentioned up top. And maybe my reaction to the preview clips for this set would be entirely different had I ever heard any of the original "The Happy Elf" soundtrack (and maybe those who have will react differently than I). But I like this. I really really like this (I mean, you know, as much as you can really really like something from 30 second clips). It kind of reminds me of Lady Gaga's first appearance on Saturday Night Live when she dropped the theater and just sat at the piano and played and sang; listening to Harry Connick, Jr. playing straight ahead Jazz piano and not trying to be the next Sinatra was a revelation for me. So I'll be picking this one up and I suspect it'll get a lot of play around my house. Your mileage may vary. Track list follows: 1. The Happy Elf Read-Along, narrated by Harry Connick, Jr. 2. The Happy Elf 3. Santarrific 4. Naughty Children of Bluesville 5. Bluesville 6. The What Song 7. The PH Song 8. Two Scoops Of Christmas 9. The Magic Hat 10. Operation Yule Tide Turning 11. Christmas Day 12. What A Night 13. Gotta Be On My Way |
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