Putting up a Christmas tree won't be complete without Christmas music.
A few years ago, Andy Williams and Johnny Mathis were among the Christmas music gurus of the time.In the historic year of 1984, British pop groups got together and sang as Band Aid on "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (That move sparked plenty of new ideas. USA for Africa followed with "We Are the Children.")
In 1988, "A Very Special Christmas" featuring such acts as Bon Jovi, Run-D.M.C., Bob Seeger and the Silver Bullet Band was released. Soon everyone was getting into the act. Even Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond (who incidentally has two Christmas albums out) chipped in.
Christmas music is a theme that transcends all the genres. From new age to reggae to rock to rhythm and blues to even natural sounds.
Former Motown studio musician Bernie Krause, who has a doctorate in bioacoustics, has compiled a Christmas album consisting of natural animal sounds.
"I wanted to bring joy to people," Krause told the Deseret News. "One natural way to do that is through music - natural music."
In the past 25 years, Krause has recorded the natural voices of about 15,000 creatures, of which about 20 percent are now extinct.
"The further away music gets from nature it becomes more violent and depressing," Krause said. "This is my way to bring everyone back to peace on earth."
Tim Boman, district manager for Media Play at 5600 S. Redwood Road, said the store's three highest selling-albums from the Thanksgiving Day weekend were Christmas albums - "Miracles" by Kenny G., "Merry Christmas" by Mariah Carey and a Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas album.
"These even outsold anything by Disney, including the Lion King," Boman said. "Overall, 33 percent of the top 50 albums sold were Christmas albums. But Christmas music in general is on demand on a regular basis as early as June and July."
The store's music manager, Kerry Stephenson, said even local artists' Christmas albums have made significant sales this year.
"The Christmas albums by Michael McLean (`The Forgotten Carols') and Kurt Bestor (`Evening Angels') have surpassed Neil Diamond's album (`The Christmas Album Volume II'), Natalie Cole's album (`Holly and Ivy') and even Mannheim Steamroller's `A Fresh Aire Christmas,' " Stephenson said.
Here's a look at some of this year's new offerings:
NATURE
PHIL AABERG & BERNIE KRAUSE, "A Wild Christmas" (The Nature Company).
What might sound like a synthesizer is a chimpanzee. This bizarre Christmas album is a compilation of yuletide carols done entirely by animals - real ones.
At first, the idea of having such an album sounds fun and campy. But that's a misconception. Instead of having dogs barking out the chorus to "Deck the Halls," this album features, among other wild creatures, dolphins, bats, frogs and a Central American rainforest bird called the Potoo, which has a natural flute-like voice.
It's hard listening to this album when the expectation leans to the campy side. Bernie Krause and Phil Aaberg compiled the sounds (which were recorded by Krause) and digitally stretched or shortened them into compositions.
Listeners will find it hard recognizing the carols' melody, but once the ears get used to the chatter, bumps and screeches, "Angels We Have Heard on High," "Feliz Navidad," "Jingle Bells" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" can almost be heard.
This is a great concept but not fun enough. Definitely for nature lovers but not for everyone. - Scott Iwasaki
CONTEMPORARY POP
TONY BENNETT, "Snowfall - The Christmas Album" (Columbia)
If you like things to be warm, wonderful and completely predictable at Christmas time, you couldn't ask for better than the rich, familiar voice of Tony Bennett on his latest Christmas CD, "Snowfall."
Bennett sings classic, treasured heart-melters, including the original 1968 recordings of "My Favorite Things," "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire," "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town," "Winter Wonderland," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and a medley with a backup choir of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas/Silent Night/O Come All Ye Faithful/Jingle Bells/Where Is Love." Also featured: dreamy renditions of "Christmasland" and "I Love the Winter Weather/I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm."
The CD packaging also includes a Christmas card reprint of a wintry holiday painting by Tony Bennett, which can be ordered at $35 a box (25 cards included) to benefit the American Cancer Society. - Christel Burt
MARIAH CAREY, "Merry Christmas" (Columbia).
With the all the pop artists doing Christmas albums, it would seem appropriate to have one such artist do a gospel-flavored Christmas album.
Mariah Carey does it and does it well. Mixing six traditional carols with one remake and three of her original tunes, Carey reaches for her not-so-distant past and pulls out choir-like soul.
Angelic, soul-filled arrangements of the "Silent Night"; "O Holy Night"; "Joy to the World," which segues into the Three Dog Night chorus for color; "Hark the Herald Angels Sing/Gloria (in Excelsis Deo)" and "Jesus Oh What a Wonderful Child" spotlight Carey's powerful voice and musical inclination. Kids will probably like her up-beat "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town." There's a remake of Darlene Love's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," and the original tunes include "Miss You the Most (at Christmas Time)," "All I Want for Christmas Is You" and "Jesus Born on this Day."
The album is geared toward fans and admirers, but some listeners might grow tired of not being able to sing along to the trademark Carey range and emotion. - Scott Iwasaki
NATALIE COLE, "Holly & Ivy" (Elektra).
Natalie Cole's "Holly & Ivy" is everything her "Unforgettable" audience could want in a Christmas album: full of fun, yet with a serious side too. And the collection is a summary of her styles as well.
"Jingle Bells" opens the program spectacularly in a late-big band arrangement that occasionally brings to mind the Andrews Sisters. "Joy to the World" is high-spirited gospel, "Merry Christmas Baby" sinuous blues, "The Christmas Song" - the "chestnuts roasting" classic closely identified with her father - pretty and traditional. "The First Noel" and "Silent Night" are uncluttered and introspective. In a medley she dashes through a sequence of jazz-pop moods, skipping from "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Winter Wonderland" to "Little Drummer Boy" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas."
"No More Blue Christmas," a new song by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin, is a so-so contemporary ballad; better is the dreamy "A Song for Christmas," by Carroll Coates.
The jewel comes last of all, a delicate "The Holly & the Ivy" that perfectly highlights the old favorite's simple yet poetic lyrics. - Ray Boren
JUDY COLLINS, "Come Rejoice! A Judy Collins Christmas" (Mesa).
For sheer prettiness, this is one of the season's best offerings. From the a cappella "I'll Be Home For Christmas," to the signature "Amazing Grace," it is filled with soft and shimmering sounds of the season.
Several old favorites are showcased. "Away in the Manger," combined with scripture reading is particularly appealing; but Collins' clear, lyrical voice comes through nicely on the "Cherry Tree Carol," "Joy to the World" and "Good King Wenceslas." And "Little Road to Bethlehem" is a sweet and tender lullaby.
Three original songs grace the album. "Song for Sarajevo," written with help from the children of former Yugoslavia, contrasts the horrors of war with a desire for peace. "All on a Winter's Night" is a very pretty retelling of the nativity story, and "Come Rejoice" adds a stirring, uplifting feeling perfect for the season. - Carma Wadley
NEIL DIAMOND, "The Christmas Album: Volume II" (Columbia).
Two years ago Neil Diamond, that nice Jewish boy from New York, confessed an affection for Christmas music, dating from his participation in high school chorales, so he recorded his first holiday album. It was a hit, so he's back with "Volume II," collecting another 15 tunes, both traditional carols and 20th-century standards.
At first Diamond has a kick shaping the songs into slick variants of often-atypical styles: "Joy to the World" is gospel, with an energetic choir; "Winter Wonderland" has the sound of pre-Beatles pop-rock; "Deck the Halls/We Wish You a Merry Christmas" gets the doo-wop treatment; "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," emphasizing the it's-OK-to-be-different message, is mildly reggae; "Mary's Little Boy Child" and "Away in a Manger" lean toward folk.
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is gentle standardized pop, with piano, strings, horns - the whole kaboodle. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" is too, with homey harmonica. "Sleigh Ride" gets both sleigh bells and xylophone.
About halfway through, Diamond gravitates toward a solemn, even grandiloquent style, a full chorus often in support. He thus performs John Rutter's "Candlelight Carol," "O Come All Ye Faithful," "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "Angels We Have Heard on High," "The First Noel" and, ultimately, an abbreviated, percussion-propelled rendition of Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus." - Ray Boren
KIRSTEN, "Embrace the Season" (Blue Amazon Records).
Kirsten (pronounced Shur-sten) is a name that has been making some waves on the local music scene. Her Christmas album features all original songs, many of which might be classified as contemporary gospel. The dominant message is one of hope: "I will no sorrow/Nor fear tomorrow/Deep roots/
Deep roots will lead me home." from "Deep Roots," for example. Or, "ManChild/He gives us hope/He gives us peace/This pain will cease" from "ManChild." "Snow Kissin'," an up-tempo, jazzy little number featuring the Jingle Boys, has been released as a single. And the title cut, "Embrace the Season," has a catchy refrain: "You don't need a reason/To embrace the season/A feeling you can always hold." Kirsten has a clear voice with good range that carries her message well. - Carma Wadley
FRANK SINATRA, "The Sinatra Christmas Album" (Reprise).
"The Sinatra Christmas Album" collects, for the first time on compact disc, a baker's dozen holiday tunes recorded by the Chairman of the Board for the Reprise label (which he founded) between 1963 and 1975.
Mr. Christmas Song himself, Bing Crosby, joins Sinatra for a croonathon on a bouncy "Go Tell It on the Mountain" and the even bouncier "We Wish You the Merriest." Nancy, Tina and Frank Jr. have a good time with Dad on a retailored (literally) "The Twelve Days of Christmas"; "The Bells of Christmas," based on the "Greensleeves" theme; and "I Wouldn't Trade Christmas." By contrast, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and Jimmy Webb's "Whatever Happened to Christmas" are downright melancholy.
Among the stateliest tunes are "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" and a crystalline (listen to that clear little bell) "The Little Drummer Boy," both with Fred Waring & His Pennsylvanians; a 1968 rerecording of "The Christmas Waltz," a Sinatra staple; and John Denver's simple "A Baby Just Like You." Sinatra wraps up the package with string-sweetened bit of holiday sentiment, "Christmas Memories." - Ray Boren
DONNA SUMMER, "Christmas Spirit" (Mercury).
Donna Summer may have been the disco queen in the '70s, but she's mellowed somewhat in the '90s, if her new Christmas album is any indication. Her rich vocals are featured on a number of traditional Christmas songs, such as "White Christmas," "I'll Be Home For Christmas," and "O Holy Night." Also included are three new songs written by Summer: "Christmas Is Here," a lighthearted tribute to the season; "Christmas Spirit," a more serious song with gospel overtones, and "Lamb of God," which tells the story of the wise men through song and spoken text. They make a nice addition to the collection of holiday music. - Carma Wadley
VARIOUS ARTISTS, "A Soap Opera Christmas," (RCA).
If you are into soap operas and know that Scott Holmes appears on "As The World Turns" and Tonya Walker's on "One Life To Live," you'll probably be more excited about this album. But if soap opera fans will like the singers, music fans can still appreciate the music, and there is a nice variety presented here. As you might expect, the mood and flavor leans toward the romantic side, with songs like "We Should Be Together For Christmas" and "Merry Christmas Darling" and "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve."
But there are traditional songs and carols as well: "Ave Maria," "Some Children See Him" and "Let It Snow!" The entire Hearts and Soaps ensemble (16 stars in all) combine for an appeal for brotherhood in "Merry Christmas Wherever You Are," and each singer adds his or her personal greetings for the season (nice if you're a fan, I suppose). If you're looking for some soft, sweet mood-setting music for the holiday, you could do worse. - Carma Wadley
CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL
KENNY G, "Miracles: The Holiday Album" (Arista).
Mood music to the max is what saxophonist Kenny G serves up on his holiday album. With his soulful sax, Kenny interprets a collection of traditional tunes such as "Winter Wonderland," "Greensleeves," "The Little Drummer Boy" and "Away in the Manger."
The title tune, "Miracles," was co-written by Kenny and Walter Afanasieff and dedicated to their sons, whom Kenny calls "a true miracle." It is a soft, jazzy piece typical of the crossover pop/jazz/R&B style that Kenny has made his own. It's a style that apparently appeals to a lot of folks. This album is one of the few Christmas albums to hit the top of Billboard's pop list. Also original on the album is "The Chanukah Song," paying tribute to Kenny's Jewish roots. (Kenny has said he pays more attention to the music than the words, so he doesn't think it's strange at all to do a Christmas album).
Unless you are a big Kenny G fan, there is a similarity to some of the songs that may wear on the ears after a time of straight listening, but as background music, the soft, lyrical sounds work very well. - Carma Wadley
DAVID LANZ, "Christmas Eve: Piano Solos" (Narada/Lotus).
At first impression, it seems David Lanz is trying to play listeners to sleep with this new album. His lullaby versions of "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" and "Angels We Have Heard on High" are sweet. The truth comes out by about track 10, however. Lanz doesn't want to play us to sleep, he wants to play us into a dream.
As with other releases ("Cristofori's Dream," "Return to the Heart"), Lanz has built this album around a conceit. In this one, we learn that each Christmas carol has a guardian angel watching over it. Fans may come to feel that guardian is Lanz. - Jerry Johnston
LORIE LINE, "Sharing the Season, Volume II" (Time Line Productions).
If pianist Lorie Line were an athlete, sports writers would call her agile and sure-handed. "Sharing the Season II" picks up where "Volume I" left off, with confident, lyrical "re-tellings" of classic Christmas carols, with some of Line's own tunes thrown in for good measure.
"The First Noel," "We Three Kings" and "Deck the Halls" stand out. For the most part the piano work is straight ahead, with Line's band adding embellishing things with interesting percussion, woodwind and string touches here and there. At one point a human voice comes on to embroider the edges, much like a living, breathing oboe. - Jerry Johnston
LIZ STORY, "The Gift" (Windham Hill).
Liz Story's simple grand piano themes reflect the humility and greatness of the first Christmas. The album is a wonderful collection of yuletide arrangements to cuddle next to a fire by.
But instead of remaking the popular songs of the day, Story stays true to the spirit with more traditional carols like "Bring a Torch Jeannette, Isabella," a piece that segues craftily into "When Blossoms Flowered 'Mid the Snow" and "Greensleeves (What Child Is This?)."
Other hymns include "In the Bleak Midwinter (O Sing a Joyous Carol)," the 18th-century Sicilian hymn "O Santissima (O Most Holy One)" and "Wassail Song (Here We Come, a-Wassailing)."
Story avoids becoming a George Winston sound-alike by highlighting her arrangements with an acoustic bass on other more-contemporary carols, such as "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "We Three Kings of Orient Are," "The Christmas Song" and "Angels We Have Heard on High."
Admirers of Story will appreciate her simple arrangement of this mix of traditional and modern-day carols that ends with the "Salve Regina/O Holy Night." - Scott Iwasaki
COUNTRY & FOLK
BEN KEITH AND FRIENDS; "Seven Gates" (Reprise).
"Seven Gates" is a folksy out-of-the-blue gift from multi-instrumentalist Ben Keith (steel guitar, dobro, vibes) and a passel of friends - friends with names like Neil Young (Keith is a member of Young's Stray Gators band), J.J. Cale, Nicolette Larsen and Johnny Cash.
The arrangements, interspersing down-home instrumentals with gentle vocals, are fireside warm. Keith, in particular, manages to make the steel guitar a soothing power.
"Ave Maria," for example, is given a peaceful and original interpretation employing Keith's guitar, a rippling piano foundation and subtle synthesizer. "We Will Rock You (Rocking)" is a most appealing lullaby. With Cash and Young as the principal vocalists, "The Litte Drummer Boy" is as hypnotic as ever, but with a 19-century living-room flavor. Other favorites: "Les Trois Cloches," "Away in a Manger" (that's Neil on pump organ) and "Greensleeves," one of two tracks featuring the golden Gate Boys Choir. - Ray Boren
SAMMY KERSHAW, "Christmas Time's A Comin' " (Mercury).
With his soft south-Louisiana drawl adding a distinct quality to his music, Sammy Kershaw consistently takes his country releases to the top part of the country charts. He brings that same unique sound to his Christmas album. "I wanted this album to be fun," he says in the liner notes, "because Christmas now is a very happy time for me. I surrounded all that fun with `We Three Kings,' which I think best describes the true meaning of Christmas." The combination works quite well. Included are a number of traditional tunes, a toe-tapping version of "Christmas Time's A Coming,' " "White Christmas," "Frosty the Snowman." There are a few country heartbreakers - "All I Want For Christmas Is You," "Christmas Won't Be Christmas (Without You Here)" - and a cute, modern "Daddy Stuff." ("Assembling toys on Christmas Eve sometimes was really rough/ But I loved helping Santa Claus, I guess it's daddy stuff.") - Carma Wadley
JOHN PRINE, "A John Prine Christmas" (Oh Boy Records).
Some people get new cars for Christmas. Songwriter John Prine got a divorce. So, in the spirit of the season, Prine and a friend went out, bought an electric train set and nailed it to the dining room table. "Just because we could."
That experience eventually led to the brilliant Grammy-winning "The Missing Years," an album that drifted freely between personal pangs of loss and the humor that comes from looking at life from a slightly tilted perspective.
Prine's uncanny ability to find both humor and wisdom in the darker experiences of life makes "A John Prine Christmas" (Oh Boy Records) perhaps the quirkiest yet endearing Christmas records of its kind.
In addition to Christmas standards like "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and "Silver Bells," Prine throws in live versions of Prine originals "All the Best" and "Christmas in Prison" - both of which commemorate the holiday season in his distinctively twisted sort of way - and two original Christmas tunes, "A John Prine Christmas" and "Silent Night All Day Long."
The album, most of which was recorded live, captures Prine's gift as a story teller and is a gem even if it weren't Christmas. Prine fans will also be pleased to know the album contains a live version of "If You Were the Woman and I was the Man," a duet with Cowboy Junkies Margo Timmons. - Jerry Spangler
JERRY JEFF WALKER, "Christmas Gonzo Style" (Rykodisc).
What is Christmas Gonzo style? Mostly laid-back and mellow, with a twinkle in its eye. Throw in lots of simple guitar accompaniment and songs that rely on sentiment more than special effects. That's what Jerry Jeff Walker serves up in his entry in the Christmas sweepstakes. Billed as the troubadour of the honky-tonks, Walker has enjoyed a long career as a singer and songwriter. There were two things he wanted on his Christmas album: fun and sleigh bells. And he's got both here. Things get rocking a bit on "Here Comes Santa Claus," and he gets a bunch of kids to help with the "light-bulb" version of "Rudolph." He turns the "Twelve Days of Christmas" into a country catalog, with a "gi-tar to sing a song for you" as its centerpiece. "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" takes on a Texas two-step beat. And sleigh bells show up in "Jingle Bells," "Jingle Bell Rock" and others. A number of other traditional songs round out the album. - Carma Wadley
VARIOUS ARTISTS, "Christmas at Mountain Stage" (Blue Plate Music).
"Christmas at Mountain Stage" is an anthology of live performances harvested from the West Virginia-based public radio program. The selections include both the down-homey and the somewhat ethereal.
Country star Kathy Mattea sings a very lovely "Christ Child Lullaby," while Michael Martin Murphey - with cowboy poet Waddie Mitchell in tow - gets into the hoedown spirit with "Cowboy Christmas Ball" and old-time sentimental on "Goodnight Ladies/Auld Lang Syne." Other folk-based contributions come from Mike Seeger, Tim and Mollie O'Brien, and program host Larry Groce and friends.
Pianist Bob Thompson noodles around "I Wonder As I Wander"; David Morris performs "Silent Night" on autoharp; the Cappella Bell Choir chimes, rings and pings "We Three Kings" and "Do You Hear What I Hear," while the Roches lend their sisterly harmonies, sans instruments, to "Star of Wonder" and "Winter Wonderland" (the latter, wryly, with New Yawk accents). - Ray Boren
TRISHA YEARWOOD, "The Sweetest Gift," (MCA).
Trish Yearwood, one of the bright female stars on the country scene, says that Christmas is about a lot of things. And you get most of them on her album: a little spiritual, a little boogie, a little tradition, a little R&B and a little pure country. Such is her range and style that she can handle them all.
Her opening "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" is very tender, and she presents a soft and pretty version of Keith Whitley's "There's a New Kid in Town." "Take a Walk Through Bethlehem" is a plea for a return to the real meaning of Christmas. "Reindeer Boogie" adds a bit of liveliness. In between are some of the more traditional songs, "Away in the Manger," "Let It Snow!" and "The Christmas Song." Overall, a nice package that showcases a talented artist. - Carma Wadley
GOSPEL/CHRISTIAN
VARIOUS ARTISTS, "Joyful Christmas" (Columbia).
"Joyful Christmas" is 1994's "Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration," i.e., a soul-and-gospel jubilee, bursting with emotion and musical rejoicing.
Veteran, contemporary and up-and-coming R&B, gospel and Christian performers, from Lou Rawls and Nancy Wilson to the group Anointed and 13-year-old vocalist Kaycee Grogan, joined in this heartfelt project, helmed by the legendary Edwin Hawkins.
Often the results are gale-force readings of traditional favorites, such as Com-mis-sioned's energetic opener, "Go Tell It on the Mountain," Eddie DeGarmo's spirited "Joy to the World" and Patti LaBelle's "Away in the Manger," which has a pleading-prayerful tone as opposed to a more familiar child-like folk setting. "We Three Kings" meshes a hip-hop beat with gospel, as performed by D C Talk and company.
More pacific, and often moving, performances come from Oleta Adams ("O Come All Ye Faithful"), Puff Johnson ("What Child Is This") and Peabo Bryson (a lightly jazzy "Silent Night"). - Ray Boren
KIDS
ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS, "A Very Merry Chipmunk," (Epic).
The Chipmunks are back and as cutesy as ever. And Alvin's still always getting in trouble. His adventures serve as the theme of the album, allowing for interaction and chitchat with a variety of guest singers. And those singers contribute some nice work: Kenny G serves up some smooth saxophone on "The Chipmunk Song," Alan Jackson and Patty Loveless mix in a touch of country on "Santa's Gonna Come In A Pickup Truck" and "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" respectively. Celine Dion adds a bit of class with a French/English version of "Petit Papa Noel."
Also featured are James Ingram, Gene Autry, the Boys Choir of Harlem and the UCLA Chamber Singers. (Alvin's antics go a bit too far on the collaboration with the chamber group, spoiling the mood of what is otherwise a very pretty offering.) "Here Comes Christmas," new for the album is a sweet, lighthearted song for the season. Overall, it's a collection that adults can enjoy along with their chipmunk-loving kids. - Carma Wadley
DISNEY, "The Lion King: The Brightest Star" (Walt Disney Records).
DISNEY, "The Lion King: Far from the Pride Lands" (Walt Disney Records)
Chances are, children who have seen "The Lion King" will be asking for anything with Simba on it for Christmas.
Parents will find these two new book/cas-sette packages, based on the movie and in the spirit of the holiday, a quality gift that not only entertains but teaches as well.
"The Brightest Star" is a 15-minute read-along that has Simba's father, King Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones), tell of his father Mohatu, a great lion king, who taught the other animals to respect one another in order to survive a terrible drought. When Mohatu dies, his spirit is transformed into a shining star that reminds the animals to live in peace. The tape also includes the song "Circle of Life," which is not performed by Elton John but by Carmen Twillie, as in the movie.
"Far from the Pride Lands" is another read-along release clocking in at 17 minutes. The book and tape recreate Simba's flight from Pride Rock after his father, King Mufasa, is killed. Simba meets up with Pumbaa and Timon, who teach him the "no worry" philosophy. Eventually, Simba realizes his duty lies with his family at Pride Rock and returns to reclaim the kingdom. Original motion picture cast members Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella perform "Hakuna Matata." - Scott Iwasaki
INTERNATIONAL
VARIOUS ARTISTS, "Navidad en las Americas" (Walt Disney Records).
There's more to Latin Christmas music than "Feliz Navidad," as Disney proves with what it says is the first-ever Latin music compilation recording. It features songs by 12 of today's top Latin American musical talents, including Placido Domingo, Jose Feliciano, Tito Puente, Ricky Martin, Veronica Castro, Juan Gabriel, Luis Enrique and others.
Musical selections include interpretations of traditional Latin and American Christmas songs, including "La Virgen Lava Lanales," "Noche De Paz," "El Tamborilero" and "Blanca Navidad." And musical styles range from mariachi to salsa and pop to classical.
It's music with an international flavor and also with a cause. A portion of the proceeds is being donated to Reading Is Fundamental and Casa de Tina. - Carma Wadley
KOFI, "A Very Reggae Christmas," Atlantic.
Kofi promises "a different take on 10 Christmas classics" on his debut release and delivers with his reggae style and beat. Kofi is lead dancer and singer for his native Ghana Odomankoma Kyerema Cultural Troupe, which is making a name for itself on the international scene. He is joined on the album by cameo performances from Daddy Freddy, who gives a rap twist to "Little Drummer Boy," several members and former members of Take 6, who give African-tinged harmonies to "Deck The Halls," and BeBe Wynans, who adds a soulful gospel touch to "O Little Town of Bethlehem."
Other tracks include "Silent Night," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "What Child Is This?" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."
"When you think of reggae, you think about happiness and relaxation," says Kofi. "As much as traditional Christmas music portrays the joy of the season, adding a reggae vibe makes it even happier - while capturing the ears of listeners across all cultural barriers." - Carma Wadley
SOUNDTRACK
VARIOUS ARTISTS, "Mixed Nuts (Movie Soundtrack)" (epic soundtrax).
This soundtrack album (from the Nora Ephron comedy starring Steve Martin) has 12 cuts, including many older covers of familiar Christmas songs, the best including Fats Domino bopping through "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and Eartha Kitt's sultry "Santa Baby." "White Christmas" by the Drifters is good and I liked Carly Simon's original "The Night Before Christmas."
George Fenton's "Mixed Notes," his instrumental themes for the film's score combined with familiar holiday tunes ("O Tannenbaum," "The Twelve Days of Christmas") is very nice, as is his "Christmas Medley." But Dr. John's "Mixed Nuts" theme song and Eastern Bloc's take on "Jingle Bells" seem more like mediocre novelty than easy listening. And Adam Sandler's goofy "Grape Jelly" is fun for fans of his offbeat "Saturday Night Live" musical humor. - Chris Hicks
COMEDY
THE CRYPTKEEPER, "Tales From the Crypt: Have Yourself a Scary Little Christmas" (The Right Stuff).
"Have Yourself a Scary Little Christmas" is holiday music only a Grinch could love . . . or anyone else with an appreciation of sick humor.
Loosely derived from the anthology television series "Tales From the Crypt" (a theatrical movie version of the show is scheduled for January release), this bizarre comedy album consists primarily of parodies - with a horror bent - of traditional Christmas tunes. (Included is a comic booklet you can read, which sets the tone.)
The Cryptkeeper, a sort of ghoulish muppet that introduces the TV stories, sings the songs here, punctuating them with his cackling laugh and adding appropriate emphasis to lyrics that are decidedly, albeit humorously, disgusting.
- "Deck the Halls With Parts of Charlie" ("Deck the Halls With Boughs of Holly"):
Stockings stuffed with ears and fingers
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Chopped from all those caroling singers
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la . . . .
- "We Wish You'd Bury the Missus" ("We Wish You a Merry Christmas"):
We Wish You'd Bury the Missus
We Wish You'd Bury the Missus
We Wish You'd Bury the Missus
She's been dead since last year . . . .
- " 'Twas the Fright Before Christmas" (" 'Twas the Night Before Christmas"):
Corpses were hung by their lips and their hair
In hopes that they'd give old Santa a scare . . . .
Well, you get the idea. Let's just say that "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is looking more and more tame. - Chris Hicks
CHORAL/INSTRUMENTAL
ACADEMY & CHORUS OF ST. MARTIN IN THE FIELDS, "Christmas With the Academy" (Philips).
This could almost be called "The David Willcocks Album." Not only is the illustrious English choral director listed as "artistic adviser" but the liner notes are his, as are eight of the arrangements.
But in fact Neville Marriner is the conductor, serving up reverential readings of 20-odd English, French, German and American carols along with appropriate cuttings from the classics (e.g., Bach's "Christmas Oratorio" and Berlioz's "L'Enfance du Christ").
At times the results strike me as a bit too reverential - witness the restrained "Quelle Est Cette Odeur?" ("What Perfume This?") and somewhat bland "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen" ("Lo, How a Rose"). But choral singing is solid in the best snow-covered English tradition, and when Marriner does come alive, as in his delightfully animated "On Christmas Night" and grandly scaled "Personant Hodie" (here the Holst arrangement) the results are not only lovely but memorable. - William S. Goodfellow
CANADIAN BRASS, "Noel" (RCA Victor).
Despite the presence of such guest stars as flutist James Galway, clarinetist Richard Stoltzman and the King's Singers, this is still a Canadian Brass album, and longtime fans will know what to expect.
Here that ranges from jazzy renditions of such holiday standards as "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" and "The Holly and the Ivy" to Salzedo's Fantasy on "Fum, Fum, Fum" (with guitarist Angel Romero) and beautifully shaded readings of "The Little Drummer Boy" and Bach's "Sheep May Safely Graze," the latter with electronic keyboard.
In short, this is aimed pretty much at the crossover crowd, from Stoltzman's new-agey "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" to a "Sleigh Ride" medley that spices Mozart with "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain." Sometimes the effect is overly cute, but it works well in Jessel's "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" and an "Angels We Have Heard on High" that I found, to my surprise, to be both hip and inspiring. - William S. Goodfellow
MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR, "This Is Christmas" (Bonneville Classics).
Big, brassy and spectacular of its kind, this album is derived from last year's Tabernacle Choir Christmas concerts, and already I have heard people referring to it as the best Tabernacle Choir Christmas album ever.
If you loved those equally spectacular Arthur Harris-arranged Eugene Ormandy Christmas albums, you will probably agree. Even I confess to a sneaking fondness for Randol Alan Bass' "Christmas Ornaments," with its cinematic treatment of the "Coventry Carol" and outsize nearly everything else. But the acid test is Craig Courtney's "A Musicological Journey Through the Twelve Days of Christmas," a Peter Schickele-like extravaganza that drags that song through everything from Gregorian chant to "The Stars and Stripes Forever," with Saint-Saens' "The Swan" and Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" thrown in for good measure.
More to my taste are the affecting simplicity of "La Virgen Lava Panales" and Dale Wood's "Carol From an Irish Cabin" (here with the harp stop of the Tabernacle organ). Likewise four Mack Wilberg arrangements, including a delightful "I Saw Three Ships" that shows it's possible to be both tasteful and spectacular. - William S. Goodfellow
ROBERT SHAW CHAMBER SINGERS, "Songs of Angels" (Telarc).
Arguably the most traditional of this season's offerings, this collection spotlights the well-disciplined a cappella choir sound Robert Shaw practically patented in this music more than a generation ago.
In that time things have mellowed a bit interpretively - not always a bad thing - and recording technology has advanced to where the tight studio acoustic of those early RCA LPs has given way to a more open, almost cathedral-like sonority, which I frankly prefer.
The upshot is a series of splendidly recorded remakes of the Alice Parker-Robert Shaw carol arrangements many of us remember from our youth. And if the results are less exciting than they seemed then, they are always natural and never routine. - William S. Goodfellow
WAVERLY CONSORT, "A Waverly Consort Christmas" (Virgin Veritas).
From wassail to Appalachia and back again - thus might one describe what is my favorite of this year's holiday releases.
Beginning with a wonderfully flavorful rendition of "The Gloucestershire Wassail" (a.k.a. "The Wassail Bowl"), the singers and instrumentalists of the Waverly Consort move infectiously through the bell-like poly-phony of the 13th-century motet "Campanis Cum Cymbalis" to the colonial vigor of William Billings ("Bethlehem") and the American shape-note hymns "Exultation" (here given a Baez-like air) and "Star in the East."
From there they return to England for the mother-and-infant dialogue carol "This Endris Night I Saw a Sight," as well as the most intimate and moving rendition of "The Coventry Carol" on any of these releases. All this is then capped with a "Greensleves"-derived "Wassail" Suite that takes in yet a few more versions of that song and its cousins.
In short, a delightful survey, to which the pipes and banjos add a welcome tang. And a reminder that not all Christmas music originated in cathedrals. - William S. Goodfellow
HISTORICAL
VARIOUS ARTISTS, "The Spirit of Christmas Past" (Nimbus).
A novel and rewarding compilation, in which Nimbus has gathered together 20 recordings from the 78-rpm era, showcasing a number of operatic and theatrical stars in holiday-themed selections.
I am still of two minds regarding Nimbus' "Prima Voce" 78-rpm transfer methods, which sometimes make the music sound as though it is being piped in from another world. (The instrumental backups suffer most.) But it is hard to resist the heady sound of John McCormack's "Adeste Fideles" or Madame Schumann-Heink's classic "Stille Nacht" ("Silent Night"), however remote the acoustic.
Other favorites: Caruso's "Cantique de Noel," still perhaps the best-ever "O Holy Night"; Paul Planel's unaffectedly stylish "Le Repos de la Sainte Famille" from "L'Enfance du Christ"; Karl Erb's remarkable narrative skill in Loewe's "Des fremden Kindes heil'ger Christ"; Claudia Muzio's "Virgin's Cradle Song" (Reger); and Sigrid Onegin's brilliant Mozart "Alleluja" - and when was the last time you heard an alto try that? - William S. Goodfellow