If I were still on top of my game, I'd have already posted most of these. But I'm not and I haven't...so...so...sew yer buttons (as my ex-girlfriend used to say). Basically, if your question is "When were you going to tell me about this?" the answer is "I'm telling you now." And, hey, it's still just August, ya know.
I like a band whose sound can't be summed up in a single word and Los Lobos is just such a band. Chicano Rock, Brown-eyed Soul, Tex-Mex, Cowpunk, Americana, and many other descriptions have been applied to the group. They've played around with Christmas music before, recording "Rudolph The Manic Reindeer" for the promotional "Winter Warnerland" record. They followed that with a couple of Christmas tunes on a promotional CD single in 1993. Then there's their Holiday House Party from 1992, which you can still listen to on the web.
But the band has never before released a commercially available full Christmas album. Well, let's take care of that right now with "Llego Navidad", coming this October 4 on Rhino Records. The product info tells us the band researched over 150 songs before choosing the playlist for the album. And they've included one original, "Christmas And You".
You can currently pre-order the album on CD, and it is expected that there will be vinyl before Christmas, as well.
But the band has never before released a commercially available full Christmas album. Well, let's take care of that right now with "Llego Navidad", coming this October 4 on Rhino Records. The product info tells us the band researched over 150 songs before choosing the playlist for the album. And they've included one original, "Christmas And You".
You can currently pre-order the album on CD, and it is expected that there will be vinyl before Christmas, as well.
 | 1. La Rama 2. Reluciente Sol 3. It's Christmas Time In Texas 4. Amarga Navidad 5. Arbolito de Navidad 6. ¿Dónde Está Santa Claus? 7. Llegó Navidad 8. Las Mañanitas 9. La Murga 10. Christmas And You 11. Regalo de Reyes 12. Feliz Navidad |
OK, maybe you've got what you think is enough holiday music from the band Chicago already. But consider this. The previous Christmas albums from Chicago focused on covering well known songs of the season. "Chicago 37" is all about original Christmas music. There are only 3 covers among the 11 tracks. "Chicago 37" includes new songs like "I'm Your Santa Claus", "All Over The World", and "Merry Christmas, I Love You" (written by Chicago's Lee Loughnane and John Durrill of The Ventures). "Chicago 37" will be available in both CD and vinyl formats. CDs arrive October 4. Vinyl will follow on November 22.
| 1. (Because) It's Christmastime 2. All Over the World 3. Bring My Baby Back 4. Merry Christmas, I Love You (R&B Version) 5. What the World Needs Now Is Love 6. All Is Right 7. Sleigh Ride 2019 8. I'd Do It All Again (Christmas Moon) 9. I'm your Santa Claus 10. Here We Come a Caroling 11. Merry Christmas, I Love You (Ballad Version) |  |
You know how much we love "different" here at Stubby's. And, as hard as it is to believe something inspired by ancient sounds could be both new and "different", Leah has done just that. Most known for her Symphonic Metal stylings that feature a mix of Celtic, Folk, Classical and Rock elements, Leah has mostly foregone the Metal elements for "Ancient Winter". And yet it still contains enough Rock to sound contemporary, while (naturally) sounding "ancient". The album contains 3 old Christmas carols and five originals. And Leah is joined by an all-star guest cast that includes Troy Donockley (Nightwish) Anna Murphy (Cellar Darling) Shir-Ran Yinon (Eluveitie) Oliver Philipps (Everon, Phantasma) and Rupert Gillett. Expect the official release in mid-to-late September. Leah is an independent artist and, as such, you can pre-order direct from her as part of her crowdfunding campaign. I'm looking forward to hearing Leah's take on "Noel Nouvelet" ("Sing We Now of Christmas"), but we get our first taste with the lead single, "Redemption".
 | The Whole World Summons Light of the World Upon Your Destiny Redemption The Messenger Gaudete Puer Natus Noel Nouvelet |
R&B artist Ne-Yo is getting ready his reindeer and his Gogo sleigh for a Yuletide record, expected to arrive October 11. Though we haven't yet learned the title or track list, Ne-Yo has previously stated that Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas" is a must and that he'd like to include a version of "Silent Night" based upon the Temptations' arrangement. The album will also include the original "Just Ain't Christmas".
Ne-Yo has previously appeared on The "Motown Christmas" album, performing a duet of "The Christmas Song" with Tasha Cobbs, and covered Marvin Gaye's "I Want To Come Home For Christmas" for "The Best Man Holiday" soundtrack.
Ne-Yo has previously appeared on The "Motown Christmas" album, performing a duet of "The Christmas Song" with Tasha Cobbs, and covered Marvin Gaye's "I Want To Come Home For Christmas" for "The Best Man Holiday" soundtrack.
R&B/Jazz fusion guitarist Jonathan Butler will release his second Christmas album on October 4. "Christmas Together" features assistance from Smooth Jazz all-stars like Dave Koz, Gerald Albright, Keiko Matsui and Rick Braun and artwork from the students of South Africa's Lalela Foundation. Butler grew up in South Africa when Apartheid was in full force. Butler's first Christmas album, "Merry Christmas To You", was released in 2013. Dave Koz, by the way, is featured on several new Christmas releases this year, as well as releasing one of his own, "The Gifts of the Season" (no further details on that one yet).
 | 1. Winter Wonderland 2. Mary Did You Know? (feat. Sheléa) 3. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (feat. Keiko Matsui) 4. Joy To The World (feat. Dave Koz) 5. Deck The Halls (feat. Gerald Albright) 6. We Three Kings (feat. Rick Braun) 7. Love Is (feat. Sheléa) 8. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel 9. Away In A Manger (feat. Dave Koz) 10. Jingle Bells (feat. Kirk Whalum) |
Yes, Mannheim Steamroller have milked every last drop out of the cash cow they created in 1984, but that first album, "Mannheim Steamroller Christmas", still slaps (in the vernacular of the Twitterverse). It's been 35 years since that wonderful piece of vinyl was released, so of course we're getting a new vinyl release of that seminal seasonal this year. It's described as a "Limited Edition Edition", though I have no idea what that means as yet. It's due October 18. It's not yet available for pre-order at Amazon or anywhere else but, when it is, you'll find it here.
The Country group BlackHawk had hoped to release their Christmas album last year, but you know how these things go. Fret not, for BlackHawk's "The Spirit of Christmas" will officially drop October 18. All of the songs on the album are traditional songs of the season. But, considering the stellar job the group did with "We Three Kings" in 1996, that's a feature and not a bug. And you gotta dig that cover art.
 | 1. Joy To The World 2. We Three Kings 3. Silent Night 4. Away In A Manger 5. Oh Holy Night 6. Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem 7. The First Noel 8. Oh Come All Ye Faithful 9. Hark The Herald Angels Sing 10. What Child Is This |
Charlie Daniels has been making music for over 50 years, now, and, as the year's have gone on, he's added many a Christmas song and album to the holiday cannon. The Carolina Cowboy's first Christmas tune was "Carolina (I Remember You)" which appeared on 1980's "Full Moon". He released a full Yuletide set, "Christmas Time Down South", in 1990. Later would come "A Merry Christmas To All" (2002), "Joy To The World" (2009), "Hallelujah, It's Christmas Time Again" (2012), and a special reading of "Twas The Night Before Christmas" in 2013.
Coming October 18, Charlie Daniels will release "Christmas Classics", a single album collecting up some of the best of Charlie's music of Christmas past. The album focuses on the traditional songs of the season, from "O Little Town of Bethlehem" to "Frosty The Snowman", and includes his readings of "Twas The Night Before Christmas" and "The Christmas Story From The Book of Luke". As Charlie has recorded some of these songs more than once, we can't yet tell you which versions he'll be including, but here's the track list.
Coming October 18, Charlie Daniels will release "Christmas Classics", a single album collecting up some of the best of Charlie's music of Christmas past. The album focuses on the traditional songs of the season, from "O Little Town of Bethlehem" to "Frosty The Snowman", and includes his readings of "Twas The Night Before Christmas" and "The Christmas Story From The Book of Luke". As Charlie has recorded some of these songs more than once, we can't yet tell you which versions he'll be including, but here's the track list.
 | 1. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas 2. The Christmas Song 3. O Little Town Of Bethlehem 4. Blue Christmas 5. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer 6. Frosty The Snowman 7. White Christmas 8. Hallelujah 9. Joy To The World 10. The Christmas Story From The Book Of Luke (Luke 2:1-11) 11. Twas The Night Before Christmas |
Speaking of Country music, those folks at NOW Records (Now That's What I Call...) have a new compilation of Christmas Country music comin'. "NOW Country Christmas" is due to drop October 4.
Amy Grant fans can look forward to a very limited (and expensive) vinyl collection featuring "A Christmas Album", "Home For Christmas" and "A Christmas To Remember". Those last two have never been issued on vinyl before. PLUS "Amy Grant Christmas" will include a 7" single featuring two Christmas songs (TBA) exclusive to this collection. One would like to presume, given the price, that we're talking collector's grade vinyl, but the listing doesn't say that. It does say that this collection is strictly limited to 1000. Anticipated release date is October 11. For those of us living on the poor side of town, "Home For Christmas" will see a stand-alone vinyl release, also on October 11.
Southern Gospel's Ernie Haase & Signature Sound will release "Jazzy Little Christmas" on October 11. The release is said to take us back to the days of The Four Freshmen, with a three-piece Jazz band and intricate vocal harmonies.
Gospel trio The 11th Hour have a digital set due October 11th. "The Greatest Gift" can be pre-ordered at iTunes and Google Play. There's more Gospel coming from Master's Voice and Down East Boys.
Luke Evans, Gaston in the live-action "Beauty And The Beast" and Owen Shaw in the "Fast And Furious" series of films, is in the process of recording a Christmas album. And he promises it will not be an album of "show tunes".
Bluegrass fans, Santa's got something for you as well as Red River releases two collections drawn from the popular Christmas Grass series. One is nothing but "The Instrumentals" while the other features "The Best of Christmas Grass". Both albums drop on October 4.
Larry Stewart is one of the lead vocalists for Restless Heart. Even as that group continues to add to their story, Larry also does some solo work and, this year, he's planning on releasing a solo Christmas album. Go to his web site and you'll be greeted by an invitation to pre-order (though, if you click on it, it just takes down your name and email; whether he then sends you details via email, I can not say). If Larry Stewart does release a Christmas album this fall, you can bet that last year's single, "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day", will be included.
Amy Grant fans can look forward to a very limited (and expensive) vinyl collection featuring "A Christmas Album", "Home For Christmas" and "A Christmas To Remember". Those last two have never been issued on vinyl before. PLUS "Amy Grant Christmas" will include a 7" single featuring two Christmas songs (TBA) exclusive to this collection. One would like to presume, given the price, that we're talking collector's grade vinyl, but the listing doesn't say that. It does say that this collection is strictly limited to 1000. Anticipated release date is October 11. For those of us living on the poor side of town, "Home For Christmas" will see a stand-alone vinyl release, also on October 11.
Southern Gospel's Ernie Haase & Signature Sound will release "Jazzy Little Christmas" on October 11. The release is said to take us back to the days of The Four Freshmen, with a three-piece Jazz band and intricate vocal harmonies.
Gospel trio The 11th Hour have a digital set due October 11th. "The Greatest Gift" can be pre-ordered at iTunes and Google Play. There's more Gospel coming from Master's Voice and Down East Boys.
Luke Evans, Gaston in the live-action "Beauty And The Beast" and Owen Shaw in the "Fast And Furious" series of films, is in the process of recording a Christmas album. And he promises it will not be an album of "show tunes".
Bluegrass fans, Santa's got something for you as well as Red River releases two collections drawn from the popular Christmas Grass series. One is nothing but "The Instrumentals" while the other features "The Best of Christmas Grass". Both albums drop on October 4.
Larry Stewart is one of the lead vocalists for Restless Heart. Even as that group continues to add to their story, Larry also does some solo work and, this year, he's planning on releasing a solo Christmas album. Go to his web site and you'll be greeted by an invitation to pre-order (though, if you click on it, it just takes down your name and email; whether he then sends you details via email, I can not say). If Larry Stewart does release a Christmas album this fall, you can bet that last year's single, "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day", will be included.
Who's up for a new Christmas album from keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman? You know Rick from Yes, you know him from Strawbs, and you know him from his "Journey To The Center of The Earth". Look for a new Christmas album from Rick, "Christmas Portraits", in late November. Of late, Rick Wakeman has been releasing a series of solo piano Classical recordings of Rock and Pop songs, beginning with "Piano Portraits". "Piano Portraits" was quite successful, spawning the followup "Live Portraits". More recently, he released "Piano Odyssey" which is along the same lines but with strings and choir. Given that the Christmas set is titled "Christmas Portraits", I'm anticipating a solo piano effort (yep, Rick says that's what it is...just piano). Song selection could be interesting. Given the nature of the series, I'd expect more "Merry Christmas Everybody", "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" and "Step Into Christmas" than "O Holy Night" or "Sleigh Ride". Rick previously released a Christmas album in 2010. If you're looking for his take on traditional Christmas music, "Christmas Variations" is already out there.
If you've been collecting as long as I have, there's probably nothing on this latest release from Jasmine you don't already have. However, not everybody has been collecting as long as I have, it's nice to have all of these on one disc, and, mostly, I didn't want folks who love Christmas Blues to be left out in this avalanche of coming releases. "Let's Make Every Day A Christmas Day" is set to arrive at Amazon on September 12. So get those pre-orders in if you want it right away.
| 1. Christmas In Heaven – Charles Brown 2. Christmas Spirits – Julia Lee And Her Boy Friends 3. Blue Holiday – Aretha Franklin 4. Dig That Crazy Santa Claus – Oscar Mclollie 5. Merry Christmas, Baby – Lionel Hampton 6. Christmas Comes But Once A Year – Charles Brown 7. Boogie Woogie Santa Claus – Mabel Scott 8. Christmas In The Congo – The Marquees 9. Silent Night – Huey Piano Smith And The Clowns 10. Christmas Tears – Freddie King 11. Christmas Questions – Charles Brown 12. Christmas Letter – Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers 13. Christmas Blues – Jimmy Witherspoon 14. This Time Of The Year – Brook Benton 15. Just A Lonely Christmas – The Moonglows 16. It’s Christmas Time – Charles Brown 17. I’ll Be Home For Christmas – Bull Moose Jackson 18. Christmas Boogie – Sugar “Chile” Robinson 19. I Want My Baby For Christmas – Smokey Hogg 20. Sonny Boy’s Christmas Blues – Sonny Boy Williamson 21. Let’s Make Every Day A Christmas Day – Charles Brown 22. Blues For Christmas – John Lee Hooker 23. Merry Xmas – “Little Willie” Littlefield 24. I Hear Jingle Bells – Freddie King |  |
And, finally, Australia's Rachel Leahcar is finishing up the mixing of her coming Christmas album. Rachel sings Soul, Pop and Classical and placed third in the inaugural season of Australia's version of The Voice in 2012. She's also been a popular favorite at the Myer Music Bowl Carols By Candlelight program, where she's performed Mariah's "All I Want For Christmas Is You", among other fare. Rachel's as yet untitled Christmas set will be a mix of classics and more recent music (though no originals), and will feature 6 languages and 4 duets. I suspect she'll include last year's single, an "Ave Maria" duet featuring Lara Nakhle. So let's close with that.
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