Christmas Music

I really enjoy Christmas music... but there's so darn much out there, the covers all start to look the same... and sometimes it begins to sound the same... Here's my guide to the best... and some cautions about the rest...

First, without any reviews and little comment, these are the "hottest" Christmas CDs of 1999:

George Strait, Merry Christmas Wherever You Are
... his older Christmas CD is Merry Christmas Strait To You

Amy Grant, A Christmas To Remember
...Amy also has an earlier Christmas CD, Christmas Album

Natalie Cole, The Magic Of Christmas, with the London Symphony Orchestra, includes six songs from last year's Hallmark CD Christmas With You, and four others.
... Natalie, together with Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo, has an earlier Christmas CD, Celebration Of Christmas

98 Degrees, This Christmas

Garth Brooks, The Magic Of Christmas

Jewel, Joy: A Holiday Collection

Martina McBride, White Christmas - this is a reissue of her Christmas CD of last year, with two additional songs.

Rosie O'Donnell, A Rosie Christmas - this collection has music by Cher, Celine Dion, Billy Joel, Gloria Estefan, Trisha Yearwood, Elton John, Rosemary Clooney, 'N-Sync, Lauren Hill, more... kinda eclectic...

I heard two Christmas concerts this that were so good I had to move the CDs of the performers up top here...

Paul Brandt performed a benefit concert here in Kansas City in early December in conjunction with country radio station KFKF to collect new toys for hospitalized children. Paul and his two bandmates performed various songs from several albums, including A Paul Brandt Christmas-Shall I Pray For You, his brand new Christmas CD. I highly recommend it. You might just want to consider one (or more) of his other 3 CDs. Great musician and nice guy.

The Kansas City Brass are five brass players and a percussionist. These six happen to also be members of the Kansas City Symphony, and perhaps that background gives them a "flavor" different than a lot of other brass bands. I picked up their CD A Kansas City Christmas a year ago a a local Best Buy store. Most larger Kansas City music stores will have this... unfortunately, CDNOW does not (nor do the other online music stores). If you are out of the area, write to Tempo Music Publications, inc., 3773 W. 95th Street, Leawood, KS 66206

The sound is unmistakeably Chicago... If you like them, you'll love this (which is Chicago 25.). If you're not a fan, you might still. The horns, wow ! And the voice...
"Little Drummer Boy" opens it, followed by "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen." Does Jason Scheff sound a bit like Peter Cetera ? (Shhhhhhh ! - he might hear...) No, he sounds like... Chicago *S* - and Bill Champlin and Robert Lamm do too !
It's interesting when one thinks about the signature sound of Chicago, that it's just one trumpet, one trombone, and one sax doing all that. What you can do with a good arrangement...
If one is looking for a Nat King Cole-esque sound on "The Christmas Song," forget it. This version... rocks ?
"Oh Come All Ye Faithful" is a little more traditional - and weaker for it. "Felix Navidad" belongs so much to Jose Feliciano, that it's... different, anyway. There is a lovely original here, "Child's Prayer," which features a children's choir - with Chicago members singing background, and of course, playing. The children's choir also perform on one other tune.
I couldn't get too enthusiastic for their "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" as a Christmas song, but I do like the instrumental breaks in it. "Christmas Time Is Here" will be familiar to those who have, or have listened to the Vince Guaraldi Trio's Charlie Brown Christmas, or saw the TV special. (Guaraldi is the co-composer.) Other songs include "Let It Snow ! Let It Snow ! Let It Snow !", "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "White Christmas," the beautiful "What Child Is This" and "Silent Night." Chicago has their own Website now.

Vanessa Williams' Christmas album is called Star Bright. Besides the title track, the offerings are a cross between "light jazz" and traditional versions of the season's songs. My favorites on this are "What Child Is This," "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (a duet with Bobby Caldwell) and "I'll Be Home For Christmas."
"I Wonder As I Wander" is also quite pretty. Others included are "The First Noel," "Do You Hear What I Hear / The Little Drummer Boy," "Angels We Have Heard On High" "Hark The Herald Angels Sing (Shout)" and others.

Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas is a gift for Mariah fans. But what about everyone else ? I don't think you have to love Mariah's music to enjoy this CD. Her unique voice and style not only don't detract from "O Holy Night" or "Silent Night," in fact make them fresh again after the hum-drum versions we keep hearing. The really good news is "All I Want For Christmas Is You" is included. This is HER song - she co-wrote it, it suits her voice perfectly, and it sounds as if Phil Spector produced it with his trademark "wall of sound" (he didn't). "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" and her version of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" have a like quality. "Joy To The World," "Hark The Herald Angels Sing" and three others round it out.

Speaking of Phil Spector, his A Christmas Gift For You (which is also available as part of the boxed set Back To Mono (1958-1969), has his imprint all over the old familiar tunes, by the Ronettes ("I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," "Sleigh Ride" and "Frosty The Snowman"); the Crystals ("Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," "Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers" and "Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer"); Darlene Love ("Winter Wonderland," "Marshmallow World" and "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)") and Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans. Gotta have it !