Each year, around Halloween, I begin to get inundated with CDs of winter holiday music. Each year, I am surprised at the sheer number of artists who put their Christmas stamp on the music of the season. Here is a rundown of some of the offerings from this year:
Easily the best of the 2001 crop of holiday music albums, All Is Calm, All Is Bright ( LML Music ) is third time that D. C. Anderson has released a CD of music for the season. A veteran of the musical theater and cabaret scenes, Anderson's tremendous tenor puts the holiday glow on songs by Jane Siberry ( "Are You Burning, Little Candle" ) , Stephen Sondheim ( "Three Wishes For Christmas," "Christmas Island At Christmas Time" ) , and Kander & Ebb ( "I'm Gonna Be An Angel" ) , to name a few. Anderson also includes a couple of originals ( "Hands" and "Department Stores Mean Christmas to Me" ) , as well as brilliant parody songs by Richard Gray ( "The UPS Bell Carol" sung to the tune of "Carol of The Bells" and "Dickens Carolers" sung to the tune of "Here We Come A Caroling" ) .
Broadway Cares: Home For The Holidays ( Centaur ) is a splendid holiday music CD which benefits America's foremost industry-based non-profit AIDS fundraising organization Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The talent assembled is truly amazing and makes this the second must-have holiday CD of the year. The four remarkable duets ( Liza Minnelli & Alan Cumming doing "Baby It's Cold Outside," sisters Liz Callaway & Ann Hampton Callaway performing "O Holy Night," "Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy sung by Anthony Rapp & Everett Bradley, and Gary Beach & Roger Bart from The Producers having their way with "Silver Bells" ) are all worth having. Lea DeLaria gives us a jazzy interpretation of "Sleigh Ride," while Davis Gaines turns "Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire" into a Broadway ballad. Daphne Rubin-Vega heats up "Feliz Navidad" and Adam Pascal brings "New York State of Mind" home.
If you've ever been lucky enough to attend one of Jane Olivor's holiday concerts, you know that the nice Jewish girl has an affinity for Christmas music. Her long-awaited album of seasonal songs, Songs Of The Season ( Varese Sarabande ) fulfills the promise of her live show. A balance of holiday standards ( "Angels We Have Heard On High," "Little Drummer Boy," "Ave Maria," and "The Christmas Song" ) , new tunes ( "Spirit Of Christmas," "Elusive Butterfly," and "You Don't Know How Beautiful You Are" ) and even a song for the festival of lights..."The Chanukah Song ( We Are Lights ) ."
The five songs on They Might Be Giants In Holidayland ( Restless ) were recorded "over the years in very different times and places." The newest of the recordings, "Santa Claus" is a cover of The Sonics' garage rock classic. "Santa's Beard," is a wonderfully wacky They Might Be Giants tune from their Lincoln album, while "Festival Of Lights" appeared on a compilation of Hanukah songs. John Flansburgh's side project Mono Puff is responsible for "Careless Santa" and TMBG's rendition of "O Tannenbaum" is a live recording made during a TMBG sound check ( ! ) .
Evil Beaver, Ann Reed and the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus are, in their own ways, doing their parts to make the Yuletide gay. Evil Beaver's Still … Smells Like Christmas Spirit ( Frooty Nation/ Johann's Face ) is one of the campiest Christmas discs ever recorded by lesbians. From the "HBJC," which sounds like Marilyn Monroe's President Kennedy birthday song sung to Jesus. Patty Elvis lends her vocals to "Santa Claus Is Back In Town," while Martie & Lisa from Stewed Tomatoes provide the funky keyboards for E B's cover of Run DMC's "Christmas In Hollis." Three more covers..."It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas," "Feliz Navidad," and Black Sabbath's "War Pig," make this is a must-have holiday disc. ( see www.ridethebeaver.com )
Out, lesbian singer/songwriter Ann Reed takes a mostly traditional ( and instrumental ) approach on Not Your Average Holiday CD ( Turtlecub ) . Playing 6- and 12-string guitars, dulcimer, harp, a variety of horns and other instruments, Reed respectfully renders such holiday favorites as "O Little Town Of Bethlehem," "Away In A Manger," and "Silent Night." However, it was what she does with the new lyrics that she wrote to "Good King Wenceslas," "We Three Kings" and "O Christmas Tree," that make this above average CD worth having. Her humorous original song, "Christmas Songs," makes reference to a multitude of tinsel tunes. ( www.annreed.com )
Cool Yule ( CGMC ) , by the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus, is the chorus's long-awaited CD debut. Their selections of seasonal songs are performed in swinging arrangements by Patrick Sinozich ( vocals ) and Gordon Bazsali Jr. ( band ) . Now in its twentieth season, CGMC has recorded a warm and wonderful selection of merry ( or is that Mary? ) music, including "Christmas Kisses," "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas," "The Merriest," "Hot Hanukkah" ( featuring soloist Jason Blake ) , and "Winter Wonderland" ( which segues into "Walkin' Round In Women's Underwear" ) . The release of this CD is a fitting way to end the year that also saw the chorus inducted into Chicago's Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. ( www.cgmc.org ) .
A lot of new holiday songs have been written since Barbra Streisand released her last album of Christmas music nearly 35 years ago. She includes a few new ones, such as "A Christmas Love Song," "It Must Have Been The Mistletoe" ( written by Ann Hampton Callaway ) and "Closer," on Christmas Memories ( Columbia ) . She also includes some classics ( Schubert's "Ave Maria," "I'll Be Home For Christmas," "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" ) and the timely "One God," which Streisand discoveded on an old Johnny Mathis album.
One of my all-time favorite holiday music CDs, which is actually a movie soundtrack, has been reissued. The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to Scrooged ( A&M ) , a movie that stars Bill Murray as a modern-day ( late 1980s ) Scrooge, contains the wonderful Annie Lennox & Al Green duet of "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" ( a song that is especially pertinent right now ) , a gospel choir cover of U2's "The Sweetest Thing" by New Voices Of Freedom, Natalie Cole's rendition of "The Christmas Song," and "Christmas Must Be Tonight" by Robbie Robertson, to mention a few.
In recent years, Ottmar Liebert, Rick Braun and The Mighty Blue Kings are just a few of the contemporary jazz artists that have released CDs of jazzy Christmas music. You can now add two more to the list. The various artists disc Jazzy Christmas ( Vertical Jazz ) features performances by such familiar names as Patrice Rushen, Stanley Clarke, and David Benoit, among others. Dave Koz & Friends ( among whom you will find Brenda Russell, Kenny Loggins, and the aforementioned Rick Braun and David Benoit ) deliver A Smooth Jazz Christmas ( Capitol ) . Koz's album also includes "Eight Candles ( A Song For The Holidays ) ," which has a touch of the Klezmer, and Russell performing her song "Get Here ( For The Holidays ) ."
Anne Murray and Olivia Newton-John, two female vocalists who were legends of the 1970s and 1980s music scenes, have also released holiday CDs, Murray's What A Wonderful Christmas ( EMI Canada/ Straightway ) is a two-disc set of mostly traditional holiday songs sung in her instantly recognizable style. Newton-John's The Christmas Collection ( Hip-O/ONJ ) features guest appearances by Kenny Loggins ( "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" ) , Loggins and Clint Black ( "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!," "White Christmas" ) , Vince Gill ( "Away In A Manger," and "Home For The Holidays" ) , and the London Symphony Orchestra.
The 36-track, double-disc various artists holiday compilation Now That's What I Call Christmas! ( UMG ) boasts a line up from Christmases "past and present." Disc one is mostly made up of classic holiday numbers from the 1940s ( "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" by Gene Autry ) , the '50s ( "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby, "Blue Christmas" by Elvis Presley ) , and the '60s ( "A Holly Jolly Christmas" by Burl Ives, "Little Saint Nick" by The Beach Boys ) . Disc two touches on the '70s ( John & Yoko and The Plastic Ono Band's "Happy Xmas/War Is Over" and Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" ) , the '80s ( Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" ) , the '90s ( Gloria Estefan's "Love On Layaway," Luther Vandross's "O Come All Ye Faithful" ) and the present ( performers such as Britney Spears and 'Nsync ) .
The various artists collection Season's Greetings ( Hip-O ) has the same number of songs as Now That's What I Call Christmas!, but it spread them out over the course of three CDs. Included in the "honor roll of great artists past & present" you will find The Waitresses ( "Christmas Wrapping" ) , Judy Garland ( "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" ) , Stephanie Mills ( "White Christmas" ) , Brenda Lee ( "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" ) , Jimmy Durante ( "Frosty The Snowman" ) , Eartha Kitt ( "Santa Baby" ) , And The Isley Brothers ( "Special Gift" ) , to name a few.
Initially released in 1995 as a "special live limited edition" single ( recorded at "John T. Floores Country Store, Helotes, Texas" ) by Robert Earl Keene's former record label Sugar Hill, "Merry Christmas From The Family," has taken on a whole new life. The hilarious holiday single has been reissued with the publication of the companion illustrated book Merry Christmas From The Family ( Dance Floor Books, Nashville TN, 2001, $16.99 ) . The book of color photos includes the cast of the song ( such as little sister and her new boyfriend, Brother Ken, his two ex-wives, his current wife, and his children, to name a few ) , making it an authentically novel Christmas novelty.
A Very Special Christmas 5 ( A&M ) , with its trademark Keith Haring graphic, contains both live and studio recordings of rocking holiday numbers. Contributors include Macy Gray ( Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas" ) , Eve 6 ( "Noel! Noel!" ) , and Dido ( "Christmas Day" ) .
Finally, if you are in the mood for a blue Christmas, may I suggest the nearly 10-year-old The Alligator Records Christmas Collection ( Alligator ) , which features the song "One Parent Christmas" by Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women or the brand new B.B. King's A Christmas Celebration of Hope ( MCA ) , which includes the King originals ( "Christmas Love" and "Christmas Celebration" ) , along with "Backdoor Santa," "Lonesome Christmas," and "Blue Decorations," among others. Christmas At Rao's: A Celebration of Family, Friends & Holiday Spirit ( Columbia/Legacy ) , with songs performed by Frankie Pellegrino, Michael Amante, Jerry Vale, Lou Monte, Dion and Johnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge, suggests what Christmas might sound like on the jukebox at the famed Italian eatery.
