![]() ![]() Close and his experimentally minded cohorts generate some genuinely magical moments in this set, notably the opening instrumental setting for “Carol of the Bells” and wholly transcendent performances of “Ave Maria,” “Silent Night” and “O Holy Night.” Detours into driving rock for “Little Drummer Boy” and “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” aren’t inherently uninteresting but feel misplaced in the context of more ethereal tracks that surround them. William Close & the Earth Harp Collective, “Holidays” (Nettwerk). She’s yet to write her own “White Christmas,” but there’s no denying the earnestness she brings to tales of holiday joy or reverie. ![]() It opens with an acoustic version of her 2013 Christmas hit “Fa La La,” closes with a remix of “Vixen” from her 2012 debut, “Naughty and Nice,” and offers five other originals, the beat-driven numbers generally more inviting than her ballads. Chan, a former marketing executive for Condé Nast and Self magazine, traded that world a few years ago to focus on writing and recording holiday music, and this seven-track effort is her third release. Rating: Two and a half starsĮlizabeth Chan, “Christmas in the City” (Merry Bright Music). A few muscular R&B numbers are supplemented by several smooth jazz/slow-jam ballads, an awkward trek through “Feliz Navidad,” some unnecessary Phil Spector Christmas album remakes and a couple of nice geographical detours like “Christmas in New Orleans,” which approximates a funky Neville Brothers-like groove. Anyone expecting a healthy dose of the gritty blue-eyed soul that Cavaliere specialized in while fronting the Rascals in the ‘60s will be only partially rewarded here. Rating: Three starsįelix Cavaliere, “Christmas Joy” (Atisha). Some selections are exceedingly well known, others fairly rare - many containing moments of otherworldly beauty. Anyone looking for a traditional spiritually focused collection of Christmas music will be well-served by this gorgeously sung and recorded set of sacred choral music from the 14th through 20th centuries, mostly from England, Ireland, France and Germany. Paul’s Choir School, “Christmas in Harvard Square” (Decca). The opening rendition of “Do You Hear What I Hear?” as a driving blues shuffle telegraphs immediately their aim to dispense with any of the usual holiday-music conventions, and most of the originals are worthy additions to the ever-expanding Christmas music canon. You’d expect this meeting of the long-running gospel group and veteran blues musician to have plenty of spirit, and they don’t disappoint. Here is Calendar’s annual guide to the good, the bad and the indifferent.īlind Boys of Alabama and Taj Mahal, “Talkin’ Christmas!” (Sony Masterworks). Whether it’s musical inspiration or economic incentive, there’s a bountiful group of new holiday music releases this year. ![]()
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