With Christmas rapidly approaching, there is no time like the present to check out the latest holiday-minded music collections. If you have no idea of what is worth a listen, Santa's discerning music-loving elf is here to help. I recommend any or all of the releases featured here.
Artist: Annie LennoxTitle: A Christmas Cornucopia
You will be interested in this if you are a fan of: Annie Lennox, Eurythmics, Sting's "If On a Winter's Night..."
Tell Me More: "A Christmas Cornucopia" will surely surprise long-time fans of Annie Lennox. The one-time Eurythmics singer has found a way to perform many of the most beloved songs pulled from the British, German and French traditions and infuse them with her own style without losing what makes the original classics so magical. "In the Bleak Midwinter" starts out sparsely with Lennox's voice accompanied by an acoustic guitar before the addition of her own multi-layered vocals and other instrumentation brings rising power to the proceedings. But then the song returns to
a more quiet and hushed realm, her emotions and those of the song itself on full display.
What about the packaging? The CD comes in a standard jewel case, but the collection comes with a wonderful 16-page booklet that features details about the project and each of the songs.
listen to samples get Annie Lennox's A Christmas Cornucopia here
Artist: Sean SmithTitle: Christmas
You will be interested in this if you are a fan of: Bruce Cockburn's instrumental guitar playing, Richard LaForge's "Coloring Trees," Steve Wariner's "Guitar Christmas"
Tell Me More: Whether plucking, strumming or bending the strings on his acoustic guitar, there is truly magic at work across Sean Smith's newly-released "Christmas" release. Even if you have heard dozens of different versions of "The First Noel," "Good King Wenceslas" or "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing," the instrumental versions arranged and performed by Smith soar. Recorded at Grace Cathedral in San Franciso, fans of classic carols and first-rate instrumental guitar will cherish Smith's first-ever holiday collection. I know I do.
What about the packaging? The CD comes in a mini-album format with a beautiful cover photographed by Marc Dantona. There are liner notes from Smith, and an overview of where and when the fantastic collection was recorded.
Listen to samples and get Sean Smith's Christmas here
Artist: Shelby LynneTitle: Christmas
You will be interested in this if you are a fan of: Shelby Lynne, Indigo Girls' "Holly Happy Days," Kerry Getz's "It's a Wonderful Life"
Tell Me More: Part of the power of Christmas music is - when performed well – it taps into the richest of traditions and is comprised of equal dashes of joy and melancholy. And so while modern-day artists releasing holiday collections in 2010 have to compete with the memories of legendary Christmas albums from the beloved likes of Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis, Elvis Presley and the Vince Guaraldi Trio ("A Charlie Brown Christmas"), they ultimately benefit from fans' shared love of those legendary recordings in welcoming new holiday discs. Listening to Shelby Lynne's newly-issued "Merry Christmas," it's clear how much the singer loves the music of the season. Whether singing her own blues-minded originals (the rousing "Ain't Nothin' Like Christmas" and more laid-back "XMAS"), or interpretations of classics such as Guaraldi's "Christmas Time Is Here" and Irving Berlin's "White Christmas," Lynne's collection is a delight across its 11 tracks. In particular, her version of the powerful "O Holy Night" may well be one of the more original in memory, with Lynne opting to tackle the powerful song with sparse accompaniment (most popular singers seem to prefer a full orchestra on that one).
What about the packaging? I was sent an advance of the album, so I can't comment on all details of the packaging. The cover of "Merry Christmas" features a photograph of Lynne taken when she was age four, playing in the snow in her Mobile, Alabama front yard.
Listen to samples and get Shelby Lynn's Christmas here
Artist: Curt SmithTitle: "This Is Christmas" (single available via a signed physical CD or via
iTunes/Amazon?)
You will be interested in this if you are a fan of: Curt Smith, Tears For Fears
Tell Me More: Curt Smith, co-founder of Tears for Fears, has released his first-ever holiday song. And while "This Is Christmas" was apparently penned for use in a Christmas-minded episode of USA Network's series "Psych" scheduled to air on Dec. 15, the song sounds joyous on its own. Not only does Smith use his distinctive tenor, but a choir of children's voices complete the festive recording. You can purchase the single via Amazon.com or listen to the song at http://curtsmithofficial.com/.
What about the packaging: “This Is Christmas” is available as a stand-alone single and is available in digital format from his website, iTunes, Amazon MP3, and other online retailers. It is also be available as a signed, limited edition CD single, sold only at concerts and via Smith’s website at http://curtsmithofficial.com/.
You can get it at the Amazon Mp3 store here!
Artist: Steve WarinerTitle: Guitar Christmas
You will be interested in this if you are a fan of: Sean Smith's "Christmas" and Richard LaForge's "Coloring Trees"
Tell Me More: Although Steve Wariner has long been recognized for his considerable talents as a singer and songwriter on the country music scene, the Indiana native is equally celebrated for his talents as a virtuoso guitarist and those skills are front and center on "Guitar Christmas." From the beautiful version of "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" and "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" to the jazz-tinged "White Christmas" and "Winter Wonderland" and fingerpicking-anchored "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," Wariner's original arrangements and stunning performances shine. He even displays his skills on the dulcimer courtesy of a traditional-mining version of "I Saw Three Ships." What about the packaging? The CD comes in a standard jewel case, but the collection comes with a nice 4-page booklet that features details about each of the recordings, including the specific instruments Wariner used on each track.
Listen to samples and get Guitar Christmas here
Artist: Various ArtistsTitle: Sleigh Ride
You will be interested in this if you are a fan of: Frank Sinatra, Pink Martini, Rosanne Cash, Elvis Presley, modern holiday music
Tell Me More: Chances are if you have walked into any Starbuck's Coffeehouse since Thanksgiving, you have spotted a copy of the chain's latest holiday collection. "Sleigh Ride" boasts a rich mix of classics and newly-recorded material.Because the music covers several generations, there is indeed a bit of something for everybody. Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas," John Lennon's "Happy XMAS (War is Over)" and XTC's "Thanks for Christmas" may seem at odds with the Rat Pack approach of Frank Sinatra ("Jingle Bells") and Dean Martin ("Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"), but the disc's wide-ranging approach really captures the timeless magic of the season across 16 tracks.Rosanne Cash recorded her acoustic-minded version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" exclusively for the collection and it is one of the standouts on the disc.
What about the packaging? The CD comes in a six-panel design, complete with a colorful, fully-illustrated booklet with details about each of the recordings on the collection.
Listen to Samples and get Sleigh Ride here
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