Last night, I posted one new item on both the Previews and the Free as kind of a down payment on that catch up agenda. But, since you haven't had much reason to go "inside" in a while, I'm bringing our Preview post for Katherine Jenkins to the front page as well, just to make sure you don't miss it. You may have noticed Katherine had a spot on the schedule on October 9 for an album titled "My Christmas". Well, that is Katherine's former label, Decca/Universal attempting to capitalize on her announced Warner Brothers/Reprise Christmas album with back catalog material. Chances are much of the material on Decca's "My Christmas" will come from Katherine's "Sacred Arias". Add in a few other tracks she recorded for Universal--like "O Holy Night"--and you not only have a defacto Christmas album, but you get to claim you have her first Christmas album (on a pure technicality) since Decca's will be released 3 weeks before Warner's. And, since the Decca material is all previously released, their Christmas CD will even be cheaper than the actual Christmas album Katherine just recorded. Crafty buggers, these label types. If you've not followed Katherine, however, but decide you like what you hear, you get a double shot of Katherine Jenkins Christmas music this year and that simply can't be all bad.
1. O Come O Come Emmanuel
2. Ding Dong Merrily On High
3. Away In A Manger
4. In Dulci Jubilo
5. The Christmas Song
6. Santa Baby
7. The Little Road To Bethlehem
8. Deck The Halls
9. Angels From The Realms Of Glory
10. Sleep Quietly My Jesus
11. I Wish You Christmas
12. Hark The Herald Angels Sing
13. Come What May (with Placido Domingo)
ARTIST WEB SITE
AMAZON
And there is no Classical Crossover artist more prolific than Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins. "This Is Christmas" is the 32 year old's first Christmas album and her ninth studio recording overall since 2004, when she burst onto the scene. Her record sales have already eclipsed those of giants like Kiri te Kanawa and Angela Gheorghiu. And, with this Christmas album, Katherine is poised to add significant sales to her already gaudy totals. On "This Is Christmas", Jenkins lends her unique vocals to old world Christmas carols as well as traditional and timeless classics. Talk about range, Katherine tackles everything from"Away In A Manger" to "The Christmas Song", and even has a go at "Santa Baby".
"I have always hoped that one day I'd have the opportunity to record a Christmas album," says Katherine, "and I can't wait to share my interpretations of these songs with everyone." "This Is Christmas" is scheduled for release on October 30.
1. Glorify The King
2. What Christmas Means
3. A Christmas Song For You
4. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
5. Christmas Time Is Here
6. The Christmas Song
7. Be Mine For Christmas (featuring Ledesi)
8. Merry Christmas Baby
9. We Three Kings
10. Doo Wop Christmas (That's What Christmas Is All About)
On the coming Christmas album, "Song Of Simeon: A Christmas Journey", the band features Brian Hogans, Marlon Patton, Dan Baraszu, Tommy Sauter, and Kinah Boto Ayah, plus special guest Joe Gransden and an 8-piece horn ensemble. The music is an instrumental Jazz suite in 2 parts, based on the message of the biblical Song of Simeon. It features all new arrangements and improvisations based of 11 ancient melodies that explore the mysterious side of Christmas.
What can I say? I'm thoroughly intrigued. Don't know when or if this will make it's way to Amazon or other vendors, but you can place your hard copy order with Will right now and they'll ship it out on or before October 10.
A very accomplished, successful and creative woman by any metric, Elizabeth Chan wants desperately to write a "world famous Christmas song". When she was very young, her vocal talents landed her a contract with Sony Japan, but nothing was ever released. So Ms. Chan put her dreams to the side and worked her way up to become a fairly powerful media executive.
But dreams have a way of sticking to the bone and Elizabeth has used The Failure Club as a means to push forward through the fear, come what may. You might think this set up would have me an addicted viewer. But, honestly, I watched one episode and found it...uncomfortable. It was like eavesdropping on someone else's therapy session. I don't much care for the current voyeuristic programming of modern media. It's far less intense to check in with Elizabeth through her blog as she basically writes a new Christmas song every day (over 200 so far, she says) and seeks feedback from her readers.
I doubt there's a "White Christmas" or "Jingle Bells" on her debut EP, "Naughty & Nice", but, damn, you really have to give her credit for getting this far. And she's not done yet. She wants to take the act on the road--a full promotional tour--and, to raise the necessary fundage, Elizabeth has launched a Pledge Music campaign. It might be the only way to get a hard copy CD of this release, if you'd like one. The digital download of "Naughty & Nice" will be available from Amazon (and elsewhere) September 25.