2. The Christmas Song
3. River
4. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
5. O Holy Night
ARTIST SITE
AMAZON MP3
1. It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year 2. The Christmas Song 3. River 4. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas 5. O Holy Night ARTIST SITE AMAZON MP3 Javier Colon was the winner of the inaugural season of NBC's The Voice and he turns in a fairly traditional set on this digital holiday release. You may have heard Javier's version of "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" on the Rockefeller Tree Lighting broadcast. And Javier shines on "River" and "O Holy Night". Still, I can't help but feel he might have been well served to have a legitimate soul number or two on "A Very Acoustic Christmas". As it is, I think this set will mostly appeal to those who are already fans with nothing breaking through the avalanche of December releases.
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1. My Favorite Gift 2. We Three Kings 3. Return Again 4. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear 5. O'Holy Night 6. Up On The Housetop 7. Jingle Bells 8. Auld Lang Syne ARTIST SITE LOUISIANA MUSIC FACTORY (CD-R) REVERBNATION (MP3) Blues and Funk and so much more...New Orleans style.
Gypsy Elise is Elisandrya De Sade-Way, Basque Gypsy by birth, raised in the flower-child 60s, and steeped in southern soul (seasoned liberally with cayenne pepper). Elise served her apprenticeship playing with the finest musicians in New Orleans, including The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Kermit Ruffins, and Tab Benoit. She even worked with the late Stevie Ray Vaughn for a time. Add in The Royal Blues, fine musicians all, and you've got something unique and special. Gypsy Elise & The Royal Blues know how to grab the audience and how to keep them. "Yule Love" opens with a soulful doo-wop number, "My Favorite Gift". From there, the band swings through a number of different styles--jazz, blues, spiritual, R&B, traditional--all with that unique New Orleans flavor. It's all leading up to an incredible 6 minute rendition of "Auld Lang Syne", which is likely the highlight of the album. You can hear that one at Reverbnation. The Royal Blues are hot, but it's ultimately the voice of Gypsy Elise you've come to hear--all 3 and a half octaves of it--and Elise does not disappoint. "Yule Love" is available on CD-R through Louisiana Music Factory and in digital form through Reverbnation. 1.Andrea Bocelli - Santa Claus Is Coming to Town 2.Neil Diamond - Little Drummer Boy 3.Alison Krauss - Shimmy Down the Chimney 4.Duke Ellington & His Orchestra - Sugar Rum Cherry 5.Aretha Franklin - Winter Wonderland 6.The Roomettes - Sleigh Ride (typo courtesy Starbucks) 7.Bob Dylan - Must Be Santa 8.Death Cab for Cutie - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) 9.Fiona Apple - Frosty the Snowman 10.Elvis Presley - White Christmas 11.Rosie Thomas - Let It Snow 12.Dolly Parton - I’ll Be Home for Christmas 13.Brenda Lee - Jingle Bell Rock 14.Bing Crosby - It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas 15.Julie London - I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm 16.Yo-Yo Ma - Silent Night PURCHASE FROM STARBUCKS Whatever you think of their coffee or business model, there is little doubt that some of the folks connected to Starbucks have a good ear for music. Though they've cut well back on the number of CDs they issue themselves, they still manage every year to create a really nice Christmas compilation. I generally buy the Starbucks Christmas CD every year--not so much because of what's on it, but because they sequence the tracks so well. Bouncing between genres and balancing the classics with the newest pop and Indie groups. To be honest, the coffee comps haven't been quite as strong the last couple of years, but they're still pretty darn good. In past years, Starbucks has generally featured a couple of brand spanking new tracks. Looking over the tracklist for "Let It Snow", I only see one track I don't recognize. That would be the Roomettes "Sleigh Ride". And I can find nothing on the Roomettes on line--not even a Facebook page--so its possible that that one's new. In any case, the Starbucks Christmas collections always make for good seasonal soundtracks so odds are pretty good I'll be picking this one up. You can order online, but I always prefer stopping in. I dunno. I kind of dig going to Starbucks and not buying their coffee. (UPDATE: "The Roomettes" have been confirmed to be "Ronettes". So.....never mind.)
1. Let It Snow (feat. Nicholas Cole) 2. Winter Wonderland (feat. Julian Vaughn) 3. TLC (feat. Matt Marshak) 4. Christmas Time Is Here 5. Do You Hear What I Hear? (feat. James Lloyd) 6. Go Tell It On The Mountain 7. Silent Night (feat. Al Strong) 8. The Christmas Song 9. Favorite Things (feat. Destiny Brothers) 10. Away In A Manger 11. Christmas Without You AMAZON ARTIST SITE Jazz up your Christmas season with Marcus Anderson's newest CD release Tender Loving Christmas! Blissful yet explosive, this CD is a must have for all family holiday dinners. It's the Winter Wonderland of smooth jazz. Classic holiday favorites are given a modern saxy tune. Anderson turns a Silent Night into an inspirational evening filled with music and TLC. Just know that this CD will put you in the Christmas mood Now, these arrangements are From the Heart, and it's going to be My Turn to have a Tender Loving Christmas! Featuring musicians James Lloyd, Julian Vaughn, Matt Marshak, Nicholas Cole and many more makes this is an all around instant classic. Get your blankets, hot cocoa and pull up next to the fireplace for more added holiday memories with the family. Enjoy the sounds of the season!
The 2009 winner of the Capitol Jazz Fest Challenge, the young saxophone player from South Carolina is still a relative newcomer on the scene. But folks are taking notice of Marcus Anderson. "Tender Loving Christmas" is already the fourth full-length album from Anderson, whose sound is often described as "blissful". Got your Christmas right here, baby, smooth and soulful just the way you like it. 1. The Christmas Waltz 2. Christmas Day 3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas 4. I'll Be Home For Christmas 5. Christmas Wish 6. Sleigh Ride 7. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree 8. Silver Bells 9. Baby, It's Cold Outside 10. Blue Christmas 11. Little Saint Nick 12. The Christmas Song AMAZON (CD) AMAZON (Vinyl LP) ARTIST SITE A Very She & Him Christmas is a wonderful collection of holiday tunes from two of music’s most impressive arists – Zooey Deschanel (She) & M. Ward (Him). Inspired by seminal holiday albums by the likes of The Carpenters, Vince Guaraldi, The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, and more, She & Him have set out to create an intmate holiday recording of Christmas classics that helps bring new emotions out of old songs.
Recorded in Los Angeles and New York City at various points in 2011, A Very She & Him Christmas sees the duo stepping back slightly from the layered, lush aesthetic of their critically acclaimed second album, Volume Two. Deschanel and Ward let the songs speak for themselves, oftentimes recording them with just acoustic guitar and vocals. Deschanel’s soulful vocal delivery and Ward’s impressive guitar work -- the elements that have made She & Him one of the most loved bands of the last few years -- both sound as timeless as ever. Destined to be the highlight of the 2011 Christmas new releases, there's not much to say about She & Him that hasn't already been said. Zooey is too adorable for words, M. Ward has the talent to pull off brilliant understatement and, together, they make beautiful stripped down pop tunes that harken back to the days when music was music. Their appeal is both wide and deep. With a touch of kitsch, a touch of nostalgia, and more than a little bit of good old fashioned soul, She & Him are making modern classics. I fully expect their Christmas album to become an annual favorite. A portion of all proceeds from "A Very She & Him Christmas" will go to support 826 National. 1. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing 2. The Gift 3. O Holy Night 4. Little Drummer Boy 5. Ave Maria 6. Do You Hear What I Hear? 7. O Come All Ye Faithful 8. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear 9. Angels We Have Heard On High 10. What Are You Gonna Name Your Baby 11. What Child Is This? 12. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 13. Giving And Sharing 14. We Three Kings 15. O Christmas Tree AMAZON ARTIST SITE This 15-song collection features Shirley Caesar, the Queen of Gospel, singing her favorite Christmas songs and carols. Taken from her highly successful holiday albums, this project of Christmas favorites features "O Holy Night," "O Come All Ye Faithful," "What Child Is This " and many more!
When you've been singing Gospel music for as many years as Shirley Caesar, you're bound to build up a bit of a catalog of Christmas music. Born in Durham, North Carolina (and still calling the triangle home), Ms. Shirley Caesar has been recording Gospel music for 60 years. That's not a misprint. 60. S-I-X-T-Y. By the time she turned ten, she was already known as "Baby Shirley, The Gospel Singer". Shirley is currently the Pastor at Raleigh's Mount Calvary Word of Faith Holy Church. She's recorded over 30 albums as a solo artist, at least a few of which were Christmas albums (not even including her work with the Caravans back in the 60s), and has nearly a dozen Grammys and almost twice as many Dove awards. She's performed at the White House, been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and received an NAACP Achievement Award. And she's still going strong. "Giving & Sharing" (titled after one of Shirley's original compositions, btw) gives Ms. Caesar the opportunity to pick some of her favorite holiday performances and bring them together in one inspirational package. 1. Daddy Looks Like Santa 2. You're All I Want For Christmas 3. Heartbeat Christmas Party 4. Tell Everybody It's Christmas 5. Give A Little Love On Christmas 6. This One's For The Children 7. Christmas Kind Of Love 8. Talking Bout Christmas 9. Angel 10. Christmas Oh Christmas AMAZON MP3 ARTIST SITE To say that Maurice Starr created the concept of the Boy Band would be a stretch, but he certainly distilled it down to a science. HeartBeat Boys are Starr's latest and they'll land with a full Christmas record later this month, "Tell Everybody It's Christmas".
Boston based Maurice Starr was born Larry Johnson and he's long had a talent for writing hook laden soulful pop songs. As a performer, though, Larry just never took off. So he set out to find a band to perform the songs he wrote. Enter The New Edition. Singing the Starr penned "Candy Girl", the group brought Maurice his first hit in 1983. After their first major tour in support of the album, the kids that made up The New Edition were dropped off at their homes in the projects, each receiving a check for $1.87 for their efforts. Starr cited tour expenses and promotion costs. The New Edition sued to get out of their contract. Starr responded by putting together a new boy band--New Kids On The Block. Starr and NKOTB did great things together, topping the charts, scoring Grammy awards, producing a greatly underrated Christmas album. But, ultimately, the story ended the same...with The New Kids feeling Starr was a bit too controlling and Starr concluding his mistake was that he wasn't in control enough. Starr's latest creation is/are HeartBeat Boys. I first heard of them in 2007, when they released the holiday single "Christmas Oh Christmas". Then, last year, Starr and the boys took another stab at Christmas with the single "Tell Everybody It's Christmas". In between, there were a few records that made some inroads with the Bieber set, including the 2010 single "I Believe". Now Maurice appears to be making his move with a pair of full-length HeartBeat Boys releases on tap for August 30, including the soundtrack to a HeartBeat Boys movie, "Angel Boy" (though we're not certain there's an actual movie, there is most definitely a soundtrack), and a full-length Christmas album, "Tell Everybody It's Christmas". You know pretty much what to expect, here. Starr is nothing if not consistent. Soulful tunes, sweet harmony vocals--hey, it's a formula that works pretty well. Starr even dusts off "This One's For The Children" from the NKOTB album and passes it on to the HeartBeat Boys. If you weren't a fan of the boy band scene, this set probably won't change your mind. But, if you're a big fan of 70s soul, songs like "Christmas Kind Of Love" will give you that Stylistics vibe and you'll groove your way through the holidays. Whether these boys go on to greater things, that story has yet to be written. CD 1 1. Here Comes Santa Claus - Elvis Presley 2. Must Be Santa - Tommy Steele 3. Little Donkey - Nina & Frederik 4. O Come All Ye Faithful - Bobby Darin 5. The Bells Of St Mary’s – Connie Francis 6. Winter Wonderland - Perry Como 7. Merry Christmas Baby - Chuck Berry 8. Silver Bells - Pat Boone 9. Christmas Cards - Petula Clark 10. Snowbound For Christmas - Dickie Valentine 11. Lonely Pup (In A Christmas Shop) - Adam Faith 12. Virgin Mary - Lonnie Donegan 13. Hey Santa Claus – The Moonglows 14. It’s Christmas Time - The Five Keys 15. The Christmas Waltz - Peggy Lee 16. It’s Christmas Once Again - Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers AMAZON 17. A Five Pound Box Of Money - Pearl Bailey 18. Reindeer Rock - The Sportsmen 19. Jingle Jangle – The Penquins 20. Rock Around The Christmas Tree - Big Bud 21. Christmas In Jail – The Youngsters 22. Ave Maria - Bobby Darin 23. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - Jimmy Boyd 24. Onward Christian Soldiers - Harry Simone Chorale 25. The Christmas Song - Johnny Mathis CD 2 1. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear - Pat Boone 2. White Christmas - Elvis Presley 3. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer – The Cadillacs 4. The Twelve Days Of Christmas - Connie Francis 5. Blue Christmas - Johnny Mathis 6. It’s Christmas Time Again - Peggy Lee 7. While Shepherd’s Watched - Bobby Darin 8. Little Drummer Boy - Michael Flanders 9. Christmas Date Christmas - Big Joe Turner 10. Christmas Spirit - Julie Lee And Her Boyfriends 11. Santa’s Got A Coupe De Ville – The Four Imperials 12. Rockin’ Rudolph – The Uniques 13. We Three Kings - Mario Lanza 14. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - The Harmony Grits 15. A Christmas Prayer – The Penquins 16. Jingle Bells - Les Paul 17. Mambo Santa Mambo – The Enchanters 18. Can This Be Christmas? – The Falcons 19. I Want To Spend Christmas With Elvis - Marlene Paul 20. Christmas Time Blues - Roy Milton 21. Boogie Woogie Santa Claus - Mabel Scott 22. Just A Lonely Christmas – The Moonglows 23. I Want My Baby For Christmas - Jimmy Liggins And His Drops Of Joy 24. Joy To The World - Perry Como 25. Silent Night - Elvis Presley 50 original recordings digitally remastered. Valuable addition to Delta's `Sweethearts' range which has established itself as a popular brand on CD. Features an ecletic mix of Christmas songs from Perry Como's `Winter Wonderland' to The Four Imperials ` Santa's Got A Coupe De Ville'...! Over 2 hours playing time.
Budget priced 2-CD set from the UK. |
PREviewsI don't know about you, but I want to see that cover art and I want to see that track list before I make my Christmas music purchasing decisions. The earlier the better. That's what we try to do for you here. We'll also try to give you a little background on the artist(s), in case they're new to you. Archives2010 PREviews Categories
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