INTERNATIONAL

Stubbys House of Christmas

FRIGG - JOULULAULUT

10/22/2018

While we don't yet have any audio from this Christmas album, here's a clip of Frigg at the 2009 Shetland Folk Festival.

1. Luo, luo, loistosi luo
2. Joulukortti
3. Joulu-uni
4. Sauna jouluksi
5. When the land is white with snow
6. Arkihuolesi kaikki heitä
7. Salmelan luihu
8. Tonttu
9. Koska on taas joulu
10. Konstan joululaulu
11. En etsi valtaa loistoa

FRIGG WEB SITE
ORDER CD FROM FRIGG

"Hot fiddles from cool Scandinavia". That's how the Finnish Folk group Frigg bill themselves. The seven person band was formed nearly 20 years ago, releasing their eponymous debut record in 2002. Their Folk is contemporary Nordgrass, much of it self-written, and combines the sounds of Western Americana with traditional Scandinavian Folk music. In recent years, they've moved towards a more Finnish sound. Featuring four violins, Frigg is known for their tight and energetic playing and they've been a top attraction from Telluride to Japan. For this special project and the supporting tour, Frigg have recruited vocalists Johanna Försti (who also plays the violin) and Timo Rautiainen (who also plays the mandolin).

"Joululaulut" is Frigg's ninth album, following last year's "Frost on Fiddles". "We wanted to capture this real and earthy Christmas - all the moods that are associated with our own, folk-filled Christmas memories," says Esko Järvelä. Originals on this set include Esko's "Joulukortti" ("Christmas Card"), "Salmelan Luihu" ("Salmela's Snout") and "Koska on taas joulu" ("Because It's Christmas Again"), written by Tero Hyväluoma, and "Sauna jouluksi" ("Sauna For Christmas"), written by Anssi Salminen.

Among the traditional songs on "Joululaulut" are "Tonttu" ("Elf") and "En etsi valtaa loistoa" ("I Seek Not Power Or Glory").

"Joululaulut" will be released on November 16. CDs can be ordered direct from Frigg. Digital downloads of the record will be available through CD Baby and other online platforms.

TINA KAROL - KOLYADKI

7/13/2018

01 Щедрик [Shchedryk--Carol of the Bells]
02 Добрий вечір тобі, пане господарю [Good Evening To You, My Lord]
03 Небо і Земля нині торжествують [Heaven and Earth Rejoice]
04 Ой, хто, хто Миколая любить [Oh, Who Loves St. Nicholas]
05 Нова радість стала [New Joy Has Come]
06 Тиха ніч [Silent Night]
07 Во Вифлеємі нині новина [In Bethlehem Now News]
08 Ой сивая та і зозуленька [Oh, The Gray Cuckoo]
09 Роди, Боже [Born, God]
10 Намалюю тобі зорі [I'm Painting You Stars]
11 Україна - це ти [Ukraine Is You]
12 Віра, надія, любов [Faith, Hope, Love]

TINA KAROL WEB SITE
PURCHASE DIGITAL FROM AMAZON
PURCHASE DIGITAL FROM iTUNES

I became aware of Tina Karol watching YouTube clips of assorted international iterations of the American reality show The Voice (she's also been on their version of Dancing With The Stars). Tina is one of the judges on the Ukrainian Voice and, let's face it, she's very attractive. And that got me curious about whether she'd ever recorded any Christmas music. As it happens, she recorded "Silent Night" for her very first album, "Show Me Your Love", in 2006. "Show Me Your Love" (co-written by Karol) was the Ukrainian entry in Eurovision 2006 and finished 7th in that contest, guaranteeing the Ukraine a spot in the competition the following year. Tina's Christmas album, "Kolyadki", was released (as near as I can determine) in 2015 and has since been made into a musical stage production and a television special, "The Christmas Story" (both starring Karol, herself). The nice thing about that, from our perspective, is that there are YouTube clips for all of these holiday songs from Tina Karol. (Indeed, there's a YouTube video of the entirety of "The Christmas Story", though I haven't watched the full 109 minutes of it.)

Probably the best known and most popular artist in Ukraine, Tina Karol is very much a contemporary Pop artist (though she's demonstrated quite a range over the years, covering genres from standards Jazz to Electro Pop). She's sort of a Ukrainian cross between Christina Aguilera and Shakira. But, as is true of many American artists, Tina's Christmas album hews closely to the traditional and, as such, is less representative of her overall body of work. Most of these songs are ancient Ukrainian carols that you may not have heard before. There is, of course, The Ukrainian Bell Carol (which we know as "Carol of the Bells") and "Silent Night". Beyond that, I do own one other Ukrainian Christmas album and so I recognized "Нова радість стала" (track 5) straight away.

Ukrainian Christmas music might not be everyone's cup of borscht, but I kinda dig it. For one thing, it's different. I like different. For another, well, you know how competitive some Christmas music collectors can get. "Hey, wanna hear my Ukrainian Christmas albums?" And Tina being beautiful doesn't cost her any points, either. Want another song? OK. One more.

While most of "Kolyadki" features traditional Ukrainian carols, the album does have two new Tina Karol songs. "Faith, Hope, Love" was the single from the album. But I'm partial to Tina's original, the tender ballad "I'm Painting You Stars".

MAY J. - CHRISTMAS SONGS

11/22/2016

I feel a bit guilty about neglecting the International page, so I figured I'd go out and find one for you.

1. サンタが町にやってくる (Santa Claus Is Coming To Town)
2. メドレー[赤鼻のトナカイ～ママがサンタにキスをした～ジングルベル] (Medley in Japanese)
3. Wish Forever
4. (Medley in English)
5. I Believe (duet with Chris Hart)
6. Let It Go (Christmas Version)
7. Silent Night
8. All I Want For Christmas Is You

MAY J. WEB SITE
PURCHASE CD FROM YES ASIA
PURCHASE CD+DVD FROM YES ASIA

May J. is the stage name for Japanese Pop singer May Hashimoto. May's mother is Iranian, though she never openly admitted that to May when she was growing up. The "J" in May J. is derived from the Persian name "Jamileh", which means beautiful. May's earliest musical work came in R&B and Hip Hop, but she's most closely associated with Disney, as she sang "Let It Go" over the end credits in the Japanese release of "Frozen". Her version of the song reached #8 on the Japanese charts. And a bit of trivia for you, May won an MTV lookalike contest as Avril Lavigne when she was younger.

The "Christmas Songs" EP opens with an old school Big Band opener, but is mostly a Pop Vocal outing. She speaks four languages fluently, so the songs sung in English do not sound the least bit off. That includes her version of Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You". The album also features a duet with Chris Hart, a Christmas version of "Let It Go" and the original "Wish Forever". There's also a version of the release that includes a DVD (Region 2...so no good in the US) featuring the first two songs from the EP and a live version of "I Believe".

"Christmas Songs" was released on November 16, 2016.

CHRIS HART - CHRISTMAS HEARTS

11/12/2014

1. 雪のクリスマス [Christmas Snow]
2. クリスマス・イブ [Christmas Eve]
3. 白い恋人達 [Snow White]
4. スタンダード・メドレー (赤鼻のトナカイ~ジングルベル~サンタが町にやってくる)
[Medley (Rudolph/Jingle Bells/Santa Claus Is Coming To Town)]
5. All I Want For Christmas Is You
6. Last Christmas
7. 毎日がクリスマス! [Everyday Is Christmas]
8. メリクリ [Merry Christmas]
9. Medley (I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus/Let It Snow!/White Christmas)
10. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
11. Silent Night

CHRIS HART WEBSITE
UNIVERSAL JAPAN MUSIC STORE
HMV JAPAN
AMAZON JAPAN

Chris Hart was born to musical parents in the San Francisco Bay area, but began a love affair with Japan at the age of twelve. When he was 13, he visited the country for a few weeks. When he got back, he fell "homesick" for Japan. He studied Japanese, sung with a Japanese rock band and tried to find jobs that would somehow connect him with the culture and people he felt so deeply for. At age 24, Chris finally made the move.

Chris worked servicing vending machines while uploading videos of his singing to YouTube. One of these was seen by someone at Nippon TV and soon Chris was singing on "Nodojiman Za! World", an American Idol type program. Chris was an easy winner of the competition, but he also won over Universal Japan who signed him to the label.

Chris is now one of the biggest stars in J-Pop. He holds Japanese chart records for non-Japanese male vocalists. His album "Heart Song" certified Platinum, while "Heart Song II" certified Gold.

I happen to think that Japanese Christmas music is some of the most beautiful Christmas music recorded. Chris Hart's "Christmas Hearts" is about all the proof I'd ever need of that. If soulful Pop vocals are something you enjoy, "Christmas Hearts" is an album worth the time and trouble it might require to obtain. Just a gorgeous record.

NILS LANDGREN - CHRISTMAS WITH MY FRIENDS IV

10/10/2014

NILS LANDGREN WEB SITE
ACT MUSIC WEB SITE
PURCHASE FROM GROOVES INC.

1. I Wish It Was Christmas
2. The First Noel
3. Come Sunday
4. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
5. What A Wonderful World
6. Angel's Carol
7. Last Christmas
8. If Anybody Ask You
9. Icicles
10. Maria durch ein Dornwald ging
11. In The Bleak Midwinter
12. Who Would Imagine A King
13. Det brinner en stjarna
14. O helga natt (O Holy Night)
15. O du sal iga - O du frohl iche

Nils Landgren is a noted Jazz trombone player from Sweden. Classically trained from the age of 13, he has toured with Bjorn Skiffs (Blue Swede), was the lead trombone player for Thad Jones, and recorded with everyone from Abba to The Crusaders. He began recording as leader of his own group in 1983. In 1999, he showed his singing talents for the first time on the album "Ballads". He's known as "The Man With The Red Horn" and he is known the world over.

It was December 2005 when Landgren fulfilled a lifelong dream, gathering some of his friends from the Swedish music scene and playing Christmas music in a Stockholm church. The resulting album, "Christmas With My Friends", was released the following winter and quickly went gold in both Sweden and Germany. A second such album was released in 2008 and a third in 2012. "Christmas With My Friends IV" will be released this year. The release date in Sweden and Germany will come October 31 or thereabouts, with release in the UK slated for November 10. It's likely to take a while before its available domestically.

There are several things that make Nils Landgren's Christmas performances and albums rise above. First, there's a personal warmth that makes one feel welcome and relaxed. Second, he has no boundries on the music he selects--there's a whole world of Christmas music from the last two thousand years. Nils will include the ancient carols, Swedish Folk music, Tin Pan Alley classics, 60s hits, old spirituals, new Indie Rock; if it's got a beautiful melody, Nils will find it. Third, Nils allows his "friends" to put their imprint on the songs they're featured on. So, for example, Jeanette Kohn's selections are approached as classical, Sharon Dyall's performances have the feel of an Odetta-like Folk Blues, Jessica Pilnas and Ida Sand give their performances a bit of soul, and Johan Norberg brings his Indie Folk influence to the proceedings. At the end of the day, the program is varied yet cohesive--seasoned with Jazz flourishes, of course, but always accessible to the hearts and minds of all.

The upcoming edition of "Christmas With My Friends", like its predecessors, features a diverse playlist. There are the traditional carols, "The First Noel" and "O Holy Night", traditional standards like "Santa Claus Is Comung To Town", Duke Ellington's "Come Sunday", the ancient German Folk song "Maria durch ein Dornwald ging", Odetta's spiritual "If Anybody Ask You", John Rutter's "Angel's Carol", and Wham's ubiquitous "Last Christmas". There are two originals, here, as well--Norberg's "Icicles" and "I Wish It Was Christmas", written by Norberg and Nils Landgren.

You'll find a few select song samples at the Act Music site. Those of us in the states, though, might be better served "catching up", listening to the first three Christmas sets of "Christmas With My Friends"--all of which are available on Amazon MP3. If you find yourself stressed out or in a Bah Humbug state of mind, "Christmas With My Friends" is (are?) the tonic for what ails you...practically guaranteed to infuse you with holiday spirit. AND, as Nils would be sure to tell you, it's "100% bell free."

Because we don't have a track from the new set to imbed, just now, here's a track from the first "Christmas With My Friends", Ron Sexsmith's "Maybe This Christmas".

VARIOUS - GONNA HAVE A REALLY SOULFUL CHRISTMAS

9/17/2014

DISC ONE:
1. Christmas Everyday - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
2. Crazy Santa Claus - The Debonaires
3. Christmas Day - Detroit Junior
4. Frosty The Snowman - The Drifters
5. (Have A) Merry Christmas - The Quotations
6. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - The Four Seasons
7. We Wanna See Santa Do The Mambo - John Greer
8. Wish You A Merry Christmas - Kim Weston
9. Santa Claus Boogie - The Voices
10. Jingle Bells - Toni Harper
11. The Bells Of St. Mary's - Bob B. Soxx & Blue Jeans
12. Holiday Blues - Fat Daddy
13. Merry Christmas - The Cameos
14. Amy Day Now - Sam Cooke
15. Santa Done Got Hip - The Marquees
16. I Hear Jingle Bells - Freddy King
17. Good Morning Blues - Dee Dee Ford
18. Call Me For Christmas - Gary U.S. Bonds
19. Rock 'N' Rudolph - The Uniques
20. Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes
21. Who Says There Ain't No Santa Claus - Ron Holden
22. Silent Night - The Ravens
23. Twistin' Bells - Santo & Johnny
24. Jingle Jangle - The Penguins
25. Church Bells May Ring - The Willows

HOO DOO RECORDS WEB SITE
PURCHASE FROM AMAZON

DISC TWO:
1. Christmas Morning - Titus Turner
2. It's Christmas Time - Marvin & Johnny
3. Christmas Time For Everybody But Me - Hank Ballard
4. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - The Crystals
5. Joy To The World - Jackie Wilson
6. Christmas Celebration - B.B. King
7. Trim Your Tree - Jimmy Butler
8. I Want A Man For Christmas - Joan Shaw
9. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer - Cadillacs
10. Hey Santa Claus - The Moonglows
11. The Christmas Song - Marvin Gaye
12. Jingle Rock - Tommy Lee & The Orbits
13. Dig That Crazy Santa Claus - Oscar McLollie
14. Marshmallow World - Darlene Love
15. WinterWonderland - Smoley Robinson & The Miracles
16. Mary's Boy Child - Harry Belafonte
17. Santa Claus Baby - The Voices
18. Santa Claus Meets The Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley
19. Swingin' Santa - Sandy Baron
20. I Saw Mommy Do The Mambo - Jimmy Boyd
21. White Christmas - The Drifters
22. It's Christmas Once Again - Frankie Lymon
23. The Rocking Tree - Marguerite Trina
24. Happy New Year Baby - Jo-Ann Campbell
25. Mambo Santa Mambo - The Enchanters

HooDoo Records is based in Barcelona, Spain, and, taking advantage of the copyright laws in Europe, they specialize in "Public Domain" releases that would not be so in this country. Since they don't have to pay royalties, they can put out some very rare stuff without having to pay for it. That keeps their prices low and their profits high. It also allows them to feather re-issued albums with plenty of bonus tracks and to invest in comprehensive liner notes (most of HooDoo's releases feature 16 page booklets). Their releases are digitally remastered, which doesn't automatically mean they sound good; but its worth noting that people who have bought CDs released on HooDoo have generally been happy with those purchases (though there has been a complaint that they should tone down the echo effects).

Once upon a time, I frowned upon this kind of release. But I'm over it. Quite frankly, copyright law was supposed to afford a limited term of protection and fifty years seems like plenty (the originally proposed protections--way back when--were on the order of seven or eight years). Moreover, the U.S. laws are so wacky, you can't ever tell (without paying a lawyer--which is probably the point) what is and isn't PD. No, the European laws make perfect sense to me. Fifty years is enough and its a clear bright line. No guessing, no fuss, no muss. You want to know why all the Beatles stuff is suddenly coming out? Its because, beginning next year, their 1964 releases are going to become Public Domain in Europe. And each year that follows will put more and more Beatles material into the Public Domain...everywhere but here.

This specific HooDoo release is a collection of vintage Soul and R&B. The early Motown Christmas stuff and the Phil Spector Christmas record have reached PD age overseas and this collection contains a liberal dosage of those. And all the classics are here--The Drifters, The Cadillacs, Oscar McLollie. But there's a bunch of stuff, here, that collectors like myself went miles and dollars out of our way to obtain. I think Sandy Baron's "Swingin' Santa" is making its CD debut here. If Joan Shaw's "I Want A Man For Christmas" has been on CD before, it would have had to have been recent (though its been available digitally for a few years). I'm not sure I've even heard Toni Harper's "Jingle Bells". There's over two hours of rockin' Soul in all. The price is decent for a two-disc import and its like grabbing yourself an instant Soul Christmas library. And, if you managed to grab the two editions of "Santa's Funk And Soul Christmas Party" on Germany's fine Tramp label (who DO pay royalties, by the way) and you've got the Atco "Soul Christmas" album from 1968, you're pretty much all set.

If I have any complaint at all, it would be that Tommy Edwards' Christmas music wasn't included. I'd much rather hear one of his holiday tracks that has yet to make it to CD than another run through Harry Belafonte's "Mary's Boy Child" or Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. Still, it's going to be impossible for me to resist this collection. "Gonna Have A Really Soulful Christmas" will be available as an Import through Amazon and other on-line retailers on October 14.

PETER JOBACK - JAG KOMMER HEM IGEN TILL JUL

10/16/2012

1. Intro
2. Viskar en bön
3. Ave Maria
4. Jag kommer hem igen till jul
5. Jul, jul, strålande jul
6. Gå inte förbi (duet with Sissel Kyrkjebö)
7. Gläns över sjö och strand
8. Snön föll
9. Decembernatt (Halleluja)
10. Guds frid i gode vise män
11. Marias sång
12. O helga natt (Cantique de noël)
13. Jag tror på dig
14. Stilla natt (Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht)
15. Varmt igen
16. Änglar i snön (duet with Sara Isaksson)
17. Gott nytt år
18. Min bön (duet with Sarah Dawn Finer)
19. Jul nu igen (new song)

ARTIST WEB SITE
BENGANS
GINZA

Peter Joback is perhaps the foremost male vocalist in Sweden. He's also an accomplished musical actor, winning two Swedish Tony awards for his work in "Caberet" and "Kristina" (a musical written by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA). And, thanks to annual holiday tours and numerous Christmas recordings, he is also one of the artists most closely associated with Christmas there (sort of Sweden's Cliff Richard). Most of what I've heard of Peter's is very much Adult Contemporary. He does (I am told) genre jump from tome to time, but this Christmas album is a pretty AC affair.

Peter's most beloved Christmas record is "Jag kommer hem igen till jul". Some of his most rabid fans refer to the 2002 release as "the ultimate Christmas album of all times". If you're up on your Irish folk songs, you might recognize the melody in the video above as "Be Thou My Vision" (albeit in Swedish and with Christmas lyrics). The album also features Peter's takes on "O Holy Night", "Ave Maria", "Silent Night", "What Child Is This" and Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". For the 2012 "Tenth Anniversary" edition, there's a new 24 page booklet (which will include a forward from Peter, pictures, and lyrics. The album will also be 4 tracks fatter. Tracks 16-18 are drawn from a limited edition release from 2008, “En god jul och ett gott nytt år”, which paired new Christmas recordings with live recordings captured during Christmas tours. That album was only available in ICA stores (and anyone outside of Scandinavia who has tried to track down Mans Zemerlow's recent Christmas album knows how "limited" that can be). The final track, "Jul Nu Igen" ("Christmas Now Again"), is a new one recorded this year and expected to be Peter's 2012 holiday single.

Bengans shows a November 14 release date, while Ginza has it listed for the 21st. Regardless, I am aware that Ginza will only sell within Sweden. Not sure what Bengans policy is. For a 14 track version of the original 2002 release, Amazon MP3 has your back.

RICHARD POON - CHRISTMAS WITH RICHARD POON

9/21/2012

1. Last Christmas
2. Jingle Bells (feat. Baihana)
3. Christmas Song
4. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
5. Merry Christmas Darling
6. Grown Up Christmas List

ARTIST SITE
FACEBOOK
PURCHASE THROUGH KABAYAN
ALSO AT ODYSSEY

This was released last October and we're just now catching up to it. But it definitely merits mention 'round these parts because Richard Poon is a singer of the old Jazz Standards, a la Michael Buble or Harry Connick. He's a crooner. And a good one. And there can never be too many of those. A Filipino of Chinese descent--which is apparently not the greatest thing to be in the Philippines--the nation has taken to him more than any singer of Chinese descent since the legendary Jose Mari Chan.

And, while I'm sure I could fill in a few more biographical details for you, those are available via Richard's web site, Wikipedia, you know, the usual places. What you really want to know is "Can he sing?" Richard, take it away...

FUJII FUMIYA - WINTER STRING (10/31/12)

9/17/2012

No cover art available yet

1. ANOTHER ORION (String Orchestra version)
2. TOUMEI NINGEN
3. ENDLESS SNOW (Still Snowing Mix)
4. SNOW CRYSTAL (Chamber Orchestra ver.)
5. KANOJO NO TAMBOURINE
6. HESOMAGARI SWEET HEART
7. OWARANAIDE CHRISTMAS EVE (GOTA Re-Mix)

ARTIST WEB SITE
YES ASIA
AMAZON JAPAN
CD JAPAN

No cover art available yet

8.[DVD] TRUE LOVE
9.[DVD] 突然に完全な空前の一目惚れ
10.[DVD] なんかいいこと
11.[DVD] 今、君に言っておこう
12.[DVD] Another Orion
13.[DVD] わらの犬
14.[DVD] 点線
15.[DVD] 愚か者の詩
16.[DVD] Life is Beautiful

YES ASIA
AMAZON JAPAN
CD JAPAN

Now 50 years old, Japan's Fujii Fumiya is a bit of a musical institution in that country. With his former band The Checkers and as a solo artist, the Sony recording artist became only the second performer to play Budokan more than 100 times. The Checkers exploded onto the scene in Japan in 1983 and, by the time the band split up in 1992, they were Japan's biggest and most popular. While people waited anxiously to see in what musical direction Fujii would go, he instead focused mostly on graphic art and design. Even while remaining a recording artist, it would take Fujii another 10 years to determine that music was his true calling. As he explained to Asian Beat in 2008:

“In my thirties I wanted to be a creator. I preferred going to book shops rather than record shops. But in my forties I started thinking that perhaps music was the best for me. For example, it takes a movie at least ninety minutes to entertain a person, make them laugh and move them. A novel is longer and will take a day, and people may not re-read them a lot. But it takes a song just three to five minutes to stimulate a person to cry, remember past loves etc., and they will listen to it over and over. Knowing this, I feel that I really have a special power (lol). It has taken me 25 years to find out the great power of music. Of course I like art, and movies are great, and I long to be a writer. But I think my true talent lies with singing.”

"Winter String" is an EP containing Fujii's classic Winter songs from 1996, "Another Orion" and "Snow Crystal", newly arranged with string accompaniment. Also included are a remix of "Endless Snow" and "Owaranaide Christmas Eve" in a fresh arrangement from Gota Yashiki. Rounding out the program for the seasonal EP are three entirely new songs. A Winter String concert tour will follow later this year.

The limited edition DVD version of "Winter String" contains the full CD-EP plus a bonus DVD containing nine songs recorded live at Billboard Tokyo this past July during the Life Is Beautiful Tour. (DVD should be assumed to be Region 2 encoded and thus not compatible with US systems. Region 2 includes Japan, Europe and the Middle East).

We don't have any samples available from the new record just yet, but we can play you the original 1996 version of "Another Orion". Enjoy.

GET FESTIVE, VOL. 1

7/18/2012

1. Miss Santa Claus
2. This Mus Be Christmas
3. Jack Frost
4. Ice Ice Baby
5. My Wish
6. Cuddle Up
7. Sleigh Rider
8. Wintertime
9. Get Festive

ARTIST WEB SITE
ARTIST WEB STORE
AMAZON (US)--NOT AVAILABLE

1. Miss Santa Claus
2. This Mus Be Christmas
3. Jack Frost
4. Ice Ice Baby
5. My Wish
6. Cuddle Up
7. Sleigh Rider
8. Wintertime
9. Get Festive

ARTIST WEB SITE
ARTIST WEB STORE

Si Cranstoun

The stuff I miss far outweighs the stuff I find and one reason the search always goes on is to ensure that, eventually, I catch up with really awesome confections like "Get Festive" that I missed initially. And, seriously, I cannot recommend this CD highly enough. I mean, WOW. Just WOW. I can scarcely think of fans of any genre this wouldn't appeal to.

The Dualers are/were brothers Tyber and Si Cranstoun. Based in the UK, their father was a Ska promoter, so putting together their own Ska band seemed a natural thing to do. The brothers scuffled and even charted a couple of tunes. In 2010, Si embarked on a solo career to move in a more Soul/R&B direction leaving Tyber to front The Dualers. And you can probably hear the beginnings of that split in "Get Festive". The Dualers release is from 2007 (that's the one I bought) and I have little doubt that the 2010 release of "Get Festive" credited to Si Cranstoun is the exact same record repackaged, since it's pretty clear that this is and always was Si's album.

While Ska rhythms certainly corse through many of these tracks, Si's voice is so incredibly soulful and the arrangements so well and carefully done that "Get Festive" is far more an homage to the history of Soul music than anything else. Comparisons to Jackie Wilson are impossible to avoid, given Si's voice, energy and moves. He breezes easily through a multitude of retro Soul stylings, Doo Wop, early Blues, R&B, Northern Soul. And, on the album's ballad, "Cuddle Up", you might swear at times Si's channeling Nat King Cole. All 9 tracks were written by Si--not a cover of Bing or Mariah or Wham in sight--and most are more than worthy of being, themselves, covered often for generations to come.

If you're a Ska fan, you'll probably like this album well enough. But if you have any affinity at all for classic Soul--especially from the 40s, 50s and 60s--you're going to L-O-V-E love this one. And, let me tell you, this sounds extremely cool on an extremely hot July afternoon, too. Highlights include the upbeat "Sleigh Rider", the infectious "Miss Santa Claus" and the previously mentioned "Cuddle Up". But there's not a slacker on the program. Two of the tracks from "Get Festive" are available domestically from Amazon MP3 for 89 cents each--"Miss Santa Claus" and "This Mus Be Christmas"--but I heartily recommend you just get the full CD.