Happy Thanksgiving. As promised, here are four Christmas albums we received this year, and they are all amazing. We hope this gets you in the proper mood for the holiday season.
Artist Name: Mindi Abair & the Boneshakers
Album Name: All I Got for Christmas is the Blues
Label: Pretty Good for a Girl Records
Genre: Christmas (Blues/Funk)
Track Listing: 1. All I Got for Christmas is the Blues; 2. I Can’t Wait for Christmas; 3. Merry Christmas Baby; 4. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home); 5. The Best Part of Christmas; 6. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree; 7. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire); 8. Run Run Rudolph; 9. Christmas Fool
Publicist: Blind Raccoon
Review: Mindi Abair is a two-time Grammy-nominated saxophonist and vocalist who is a master of jazz, blues and funk. On her first holiday album, she brings four originals and five re-imagined classics to get your holidays off to a bluesy and funky start. She kicks things off with the original title track before reinventing her own 2004 tune, “I Can’t Wait for Christmas.” The band then tackles the Charles Brown R&B standard “Merry Christmas Baby” before tackling and improving on the Phil Spector/Darlene Lee classic “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” Our favorite song is next with “The Best Part of Christmas,” a song she co-wrote with her old college friend and long-time collaborator, Matthew Hager from Halo Circus. On “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” she gets to be both Brenda Lee and Boots Randolph as she gives the pop classic a modern bluesy sound. You will not believe the amazing new arrangement the band gives to “The Christmas Song,” but we think it will easily become your favorite version. She closes out this special Christmas gift with Chuck Berry‘s “Run Run Rudolph” before ending with a “back porch break down” on “Christmas Fool.” This one is sure to become a holiday favorite.
Recommendation: Don’t think twice. Get this one for your holiday listening enjoyment.
Artist Name: Paul Cardall
Album Name: Christmas
Label: Stone Angel Music
Genre: Christmas (Classical)
Track Listing: 1, Hard the Herald Angels Sing; 2. In the Bleak Midwinter (ft Audrey Assad); 3. O Come O Come Emmanuel; 4. Jesus Once of Humble Birth; 5. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear; 6. Christmas Past; 7. Joy to the World; 8. O Holy Night (ft CeCe Winans); 9. Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella; 10. Once in Royal David’s City; 11. Son of God (ft Patrice Tipoki); 12. Away in a Manger; 13. Silent Night
Publicist: Morris Public Relations
Review: Composer Paul Cardall brings us a traditional and classical approach to Christmas music, with his majestic and sweeping orchestral sound. He also has three special guest vocalists in Grammy-winner CeCe Winans (“O Holy NIght”), Australian Broadway star Patrice Tipoki (“Son of God”) and award-winning singer-songwriter Audrey Assad (“In the Bleak Midwinter”). With these group of songs, you can’t help getting into the Christmas spirit with a soundtrack that will be perfect for all your holiday parties and get-togethers. Stand-out performances on “In the Bleak Midwinter” and “O Holy Night,” which are sure to become some of your favorite holiday songs.
Recommendation: This is one of the best we’ve ever heard, and belongs in your holiday collection. Get it right away!
Before we review our final two albums, we wanted to share a couple of Christmas songs that we received this year. First up is Cherrill Rae, who updates the classic pop song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” into a modern-day sweeping standard.
Our second single is from Charlie Milliken, who takes it from soulful to country with his beautifully written and performed “Season.”
Artist Name: Redhead Express/PaperDolls Band
Album Name: Christmastime
Label: Self-released
Genre: Christmas (Country)
Track Listing: 1. Away in a Manger; 2. Carol Medley; 3. God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen; 4. Holidaze; 5. Love is Christmas; 6. Mary did you Know; 7. O Holy Night
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: The four sisters that encompass Redhead Express have made a name for themselves with their spectacular harmonies and brilliant musicianship, including guitar, violin, banjo and stand up bass. On their first holiday album, they turn these well-known and loved Christmas songs into bluegrass/country classics. They also bring a couple of new songs to the table to give us an even better holiday treat. On “Carol Medley,” they add in the equally wonderful voices of their family to round out the sound before introducing the more pop/rock sound of their new project, the PaperDolls Band, on “God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen.” They follow this up with the amazing original “Holidaze” and an uplifting bluegrass cover of Sara Bareilles‘ “Love is Christmas.” They close out this brilliant collection with their holiday gift from last year, “Mary Did You Know,” and the classic “O Holy Night.”
Recommendation: If you love harmonies and great music, then this is the holiday album for you. Drop what you’re doing and Get it now!
Artist Name: The Humming Bards
Album Name: Holy Common Ground
Label: JamCat Records
Genre: Christmas (Pop/Rock)
Track Listing: 1. Christmas in the Ordinary; 2. December Song; 3. Prayer for Everyone; 4. Christmas Is; 5. For Auld Lang Syne
Publicist: Self-promoted
Review: Multiple LA Music Critic Award winning and Blue Élan Records artist Cindy Alexander joins with country superstar songwriter Kevin Fisher to form this amazing new group. What started out as a friendship and writing collaboration has blossomed into a special holiday EP featuring three new songs by the duo, as well as one by Fisher (“Christmas Is”) and the other by Alexander and her long time musical partner Dave Darling (“For Auld Lang Syne”). The combination of their voices is nothing short of spectacular, and the chemistry is palpable. This one will quickly become a treasured favorite, and deserves to be put on repeat.
Recommendation: This one is a no-brainer – you simply must Get it and play it again and again.