Rating: 5 - Sing it, Baby!
The Little Drummer Boy by Ezra Jack Keats is a beautifully illustrated book with the words to the popular Christmas song. Each page contains only one or two lines of the song and so is perfect for younger children. The song is about a little boy who is told to bring a gift for the birth of Jesus, but he replies "Baby Jesus, I am a poor boy, too" and so he plays his drum for him instead. This is a simple story about giving from the heart. Singing the words is a perfect way to interest a reluctant child in books and also perfect to coax reluctant dads (or mums) to sing to their children. The music is written out at the end of the story if you aren't familiar with the tune but it would be easier to listen out for it at Christmas. This book is one the most requested in our household and, of course, we sing it all year long.
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This is from Westword December 14, 2000
Holidaze
Unwrapping our annual roundup of musical season's greetings -- and beatings.
By Michael Roberts
A better... bet is Christmas Time Is Here, by the veteran Denver quartet called Perpetual Motion. Following a tasteful version of "Joy to the World" that also appears on Rocky Mountain Christmas, the combo enlivens "Northern Lights," "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" and the wittily titled "The Little Drummer Boy (From Ipanema)" via stylish arrangements and the refined violin playing of Josie Quick. No, it doesn't rock -- but not everything has to, ya know?
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Alligator Records Christmas Collection, The *** Alligator [CD]
Of the blues collection gathered here, this is the most contemporary. Cuts like Ko Ko Taylor's lusty "Merry, Merry Christmas," Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials' "I'm Your Santa," and Son Seals searing "Lonesome Christmas" are a joy. On the downside, there's Tinsley Ellis' flaccid "Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin'," and the addled and meandering "Little Drummer Boy" from the addled and meandering Elvin Bishop. It's an uneven collection, that has its moments.
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"Little Drummer Boy" is based on a Czech carol "Carol of the Drum." Harry Simeone, Katherine K. Davis, and Henry Onorati are credited with writing "Little Drummer Boy" in 1957.
On November 30, 1977, shortly after Bing Crosby died, his "Bing Crosby's 42nd Annual Christmas Special" aired. In one segment, Crosby and David Bowie sing Little Drummer Boy. Before the song they discuss music and musicians:
David Bowie: Do you eh... do you like modern music?
Bing Crosby: Oh, I think it's marvellous! Some of it's really fine. But tell me, have you ever listened to any of the older fellows?
DB: Oh yeah, sure. I like ah... John Lennon and the other one with ... eh... Harry Nilsson.
BC: Mmm... you go back that far, uh?
DB: Yeah, I'm not as young as I look.
The segment was filmed September 11, 1977.
An enhanced CD which includes audio tracks of Bowie and Crosby singing "Little Drummer Boy" plus a video (playable on your PC) of the duo performing "Little Drummer Boy" is available from Amazon.com.
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REVIEW: Various Artists, _The Coolest Christmas (Oglio)
With the holiday season fast approaching, many labels are
rushing to release Christmas albums. Oglio Records has given music
lovers an especially palatable treat for the winter of 1994 with their
compilation collection, _The Coolest Christmas_.
_Coolest_ covers a wide range of Christmas songs from the 50s
to the 90s on the 14 song collection. The standout track is the David
Bowie/Bing Crosby duet, "Little Drummer Boy / Peace On Earth", which
first appeared in the 1977 special "Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas"
and most recently only appeared with special copies of Bowie's singles
collection as a 3" CD single.
The artists that are represented cover the musical gamut, from
ye olde Irish sound of "Jingle Bells" as sung by the Clancy Brothers, the
classics your grandparents grew up with such as "Let It Snow" by
Dean Martin and "Auld Lang Syne" by Guy Lombardo, artists of
the 1960s (Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, Temptations) through some of today's
alternative acts (The Alarm, Cocteau Twins)
Even the best selling holiday hit by Elmo and Patsy, "Grandma
Got Run Over By A Reindeer", is included here. This reviewer has no
tolerance for the song - but for most people, this song is a must around
the holiday time.
All in all, Oglio has done another outstanding job with _The
Coolest Christmas_ compilation. If it is unavailable at your local store,
you may purchase it at the toll free number, 1-800-COOL-CDS.
Track listing: David Bowie/Bing Crosby - Little Drummer Boy/Peace
On Earth; The Alarm - Happy Christmas (War Is Over); Roy Orbison - Pretty
Paper; Clancy Brothers - Jingle Bells (Buala Bas); The Ventures - Sleigh
Ride; George Thorogood & The Destroyers - Rock & Roll Christmas; Eartha
Kitt - Santa Baby; Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree; Beach
Boys - Little Saint Nick; Cocteau Twins - Frosty The Snowman; Temptations -
Christmas Everyday; Dean Martin - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!;
Elmo & Patsy - Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer; Guy Lombardo - Auld
Lang Syne.
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White Christmas Album, The ***1/2 Doctor Dream [CD]
Another in-house project. In spite of that it's still kinda interesting, if only because it's cheap; about four bucks I think. There's a passel of pop styles scattered throughout. Joyride do the full-on power pop thing ("Little Drummer Boy"), Blackwatch shimmer a bit (appropriately on "Brilliant Tinsel Christmas") and The Super 8 Project ("Sleepy Santa") are dreamy. Walking Wounded do a Merle Haggard cover and end up sounding like Ian Tyson, which, if you don't know, is a good thing. The Cadillac Tramps put the proper trash into their version of "Blue Christmas." One of the savviest selections is the swamp Zombies' cover of "Mr. Heat Miser," from that old stop action animated Christmas special with Fred Astaire, The Abominable Snowman, Rudolph, and a dentist elf named Shermie.
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Very Special Christmas, A ***** A&M [CD]
Very Special Christmas 2, A *1/2 A&M [CD]
Both of these CDs are aimed at raising funds for the Special Olympics, so that oughtta be reason enough to buy them both. The first volume is exquisite. The Pointer Sisters pay homage to Phil Spector with their version of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" with Clarence Clemmons on hand to recreate the sax solo from Springsteen's version. The Boss himself drops by with his version of Charles Brown's "Merry Christmas Baby" by way of Otis Redding. Chrissie Hynde croons through "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" with a vocal that's full of heartbreak, while John "still using Cougar at this point" Mellencamp turns "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" into an Appalachian hoe-down. U2, never one's to back down from a challenge, tackle "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" and finish well behind Darlene Love, but closer than you'd have expected. (See Phil Spector's Christmas Album). Madonna pouts through Eartha Kitt's "Santa Baby," revealing that she doesn't take herself as serious as we sometimes do. It's not all great; Bob Seger, with half of Grand Funk on hand, stumbles through a leaden "Little Drummer Boy," and Bryan Adams is his usual clumsy, awkward self on "Run Rudolph Run." Run-D.M.C. sample Clarence Carter's "Backdoor Santa" for their strong "Christmas In Hollis," while Bon Jovi eviscerate the same song in their slick, keyboard packed, arena mush version.
The second volume is pretty dreary by comparison. Tom Petty, in one of the least bad cuts, goes for a big Spectorish production with "Christmas All Over Again," but it sags under it's own weight - come on, 25 musical credits on a Tom Petty song? Sinead O'Connor does a good job in Bob Dylan's "I Believe In You," but what's it doing on a Christmas record? Run-D.M.C. prove that they can still throw it down, Old School style, with "Christmas Is." The best cut is Ronnie Spector and Darlene Love's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," which doesn't reach the glories of either's earlier performances but is still damn fine. The biggest surprise is Vanessa Williams, who turns in a smoky, jazzy "What Child Is This?" Pretty good are Paul Young's blue-eyed soul and the Wilson sisters bluesy country take on Elvis' "Blue Christmas." There's a handful of schmaltzy crap, Luther Vandross, Boyz II Men, Aretha Franklin, and Debbie Gibson, as well as a couple of good arguments for the death penalty, Michael Bolton and Extreme. But the most completely weird and twisted cut is the surreally bad duet between Frank Sinatra and Cyndi Lauper on "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town."
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The Wave Benders mix rock n’ surf with pure holiday magic creating an unimaginable combination. Hear your favorite songs of the season recorded on 50s and 60s guitars and amplifiers as well as the theremin...a totally awesome collection of wave-pounding sounds! Twelve songs including “Little Drummer Boy,” “We Wish You A Merry Christmas,” and “Twelve Days Of Christmas.”
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... Robert Berry had no problem working with this concept. In fact, he has worked with people from the aforementioned bands before. On some of the album's tracks, Berry and his studio have supplied equipment that members of The December People used to use and haven't seen in years. On other tracks, Berry himself has recreated - as a sort of Christmas gift to his new band mates - sounds which are near and dear to the hearts of The December People; sounds that, perhaps, they are used to hearing within their more well-known mother bands.
"Of course all the tracks have drums and they're all real drums, no drum machines, nothing fake on this album. Some of the songs like 'Little Drummer Boy'; we used a Hammond B3, which is something that Keith Emerson is famous for. He's also known for the Moog synthesizer, which he made famous in the song 'Lucky Man' years ago. I feel that I know the players and I understand how they would play and I feel like I know how they think a bit'...
Source {Click on "Group List")
Lump Of Coal, A ***1/2 First Warning [CD]
As the title would lead you to believe, this a pretty irreverent collection. The Hoodoo Gurus launch things with a vindaloo surf treatment of the Harry Simeone Chorale with "Little Drummer Boy (Up The Khyber)." The Wedding Present's version of Elton John's "Step Into Christmas" is nice and opaque, while The Primitives are suitably light and fuzzy for their version of "Silent Night." The always great Young Fresh Fellows crank out a delightful rendition of "Little Town Of Bethlehem." The record version of The Crash Test Dummies' "The First Noel" is not bad, but catch the video of the song if you possibly can. The weirdest track is Henry Rollins' napalm-in-the-morning reading of "Twas The Night Before Christmas," complete with Darth Vader vocals effects, sirens, bombs and machine guns. Happy holidays to you too, Hank.
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Babyface Christmas With Babyface (Epic)
Er, so now that Christmas is over does that means the end of this? Or will Babyface fans who missed this album given a muted release still go out and buy it, ready for next Christmas? By the way, have you wondered about who actually buys patently Christmas singles weeks after Christmas is gone, cos you sometimes see these Christmassy singles still lurking in the charts well in January. Anyway, back to Mr Edmonds’ effort, there’s no surprises here. You already know that Babyface’s smooth as his baby face. And here, he just does the expected, covering Yuletide songs in smooth, poppy, soulful, and occasionally jazzy, ways. He puts a bit of an effort into his rendition of ‘The Christmas Song’. Guess if you don’t like the MOR versions of ‘White Christmas’, Babyface’s version with its pop-soul vibe may be more up your street. And what about ‘The Little Drummer Boy’? Well, Babyface definitely surprises as he’s turned out a reggae version, and seriously, considering how badly most Americans handle reggae, this is a good effort, which indeed makes it one of the album’s standout tracks. And it sounds like Babyface’s enjoying himself rocking! ‘I’ll Be Home For Christmas’ is just too soppy. However, the mainly vox and acoustic guitar-backed introed ‘It Came Upon A Midnight Clear’ sounds sweet as it moves into a soulful version ‘The First Noel’. Babyface manages to put his own stamp on the favourite Christmas carol ‘Silent Night’. Ends with one original song, ‘You Were There’, which is your typical Babyface smooth, mid-tempo ballad.
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PHILIP JECK "Vinyl Coda IV" (Intermedium, Germany) CD $13.99
RealAudio: http://64.27.65.90:8080/ramgen/othermusic/pjeck1.rm
RealAudio: http://64.27.65.90:8080/ramgen/othermusic/pjeck2.rm
British sound artist Philip Jeck creates a haunting sound world
from laminations of discarded vinyl that more closely resembles
the disembodied etherea of dub reggae than the dry self-serious
experimental music. Jeck sets a battery of antique Dansette record
players in motion to sound thousands of beaten and bruised records
that speak to each other in a flickering chorus of cries and
moans. He approaches the vinyl recording as a score, letting the
pops and clicks guide him as he stitches together accidental
synchronicities into ghostly, folk-art assemblages. "Vinyl Coda
IV" is a tactile recording--one can see Jeck's hands on the tone
controls and delay pedal, capturing, worrying, extending. The
element that differentiates Jeck from the growing ranks
of 'glitch' music producers is his patience: instead of forcing
accidental pops and clicks into accessible, head-nodding rhythms,
Jeck allows the accretions of sound to run their own course,
swelling and folding back upon themselves with minimal
interference. In the music of Morton Feldman and AMM, fragments
of melody often appear briefly, then disappear for stretches of
time only to reappear in a transfigured form, only familiar enough
to raise a faint memory. The same happens here as strains
of 'Little Drummer Boy', Flamenco guitar, piano concerti, mexican
ranchero rhythms, church bells and R&B break-downs all drift to
the surface as if transmitted by a radio on the ocean
floor. "Vinyl Coda IV" is the sound of a record player at the end
of its life, remembering all the records that it has played over
its lifespan in one long, drifting, shuddering free association.
[DHi]
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CHRISTMAS SOUL SPECIAL
CD VAR 015
15.50 (1987 'Varrick') (40:20/12)
WILSON PICKETT: Jingle Bells MARY WELLS: Silent Night BEN E. KING: Drummer Boy MARTHA REEVES: Oh Holy Night MARY WELLS: Jingle Bell Rock BEN E. KING: The Christmas Song SAM MOORE: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town MARTHA REEVES: Noel SHIRLEY ALSTON: Winter Wo...
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Typically Low, December 24, 2002
Reviewer: charlesdexterrward (see more about me) from Boston
And I mean that as a compliment. Extremely mellow and mind-bogglingly minimalist, Low stays in form with Christmas. Low performs Little Drummer Boy in such a way as only Low could envision it and make it sound not just nice, but actually cool. Sparhawk's vocals make the words sound as meaningful as I am sure they were intended to be. The sound of Drummer Boy is not indicative of the overall sound of the CD, as Drummer Boy features a Mazzy Star or possibly Slowdive-ish fuzzy drone and the rest of the songs are acoustic guitar-based, like most of Low's other works.
It's nearly Christmas as I write this, and I realized that I haven't listened to this CD since last winter. The title, cover art and some of the songs may be about Christmas, or just winter in general, but the music itself is inviting any time of year (something I will have to remember myself).
If you are a fan of Low, and you appreciate their sparse sound and the incredibly slow pace of their music, then you should like Christmas.
Other great songs include the cover Blue Christmas, Long Way Around the Sea and If You Were Born Today, which is as depressing a song as I have ever heard possibly outside Leonard Cohen or Arab Strap, but is unquestioningly beautiful.
By the way, to the reviewer from Shelton, I believe the lyric which you were wondering about was "by age eight." Like I said -- depressing, but beautiful
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Low, Christmas, Chair Kickers' Union: This collection of three covers and five originals was intended by the Low to be a Christmas gift for its fans. Kicking off with the peppy-by-Low-standards "Just Like Christmas," the 30 minute disc mixes classics like "Little Drummer Boy" and "Silent Night" with songs like the band's meditation on Jesus, "If You Were Born Today" (which is particularly interesting in light of the band's rumored affiliation with the Church of Latter Day Saints). Perfect music for listening to while lying on the floor in the dark, staring at the lights on the Christmas tree. Buy it now and tuck it away for next year.
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Malibooz Yule, The Malibooz (BCI)
More surf music for Christmas, but with a twist; a lot of these tunes are apparently originals, unless I somehow overlooked the Percy Faith Orchestra's version of "Santa Drives a Super Stock Dodge:" "And I heard him exclaim as he headed down Vine/Merry Christmas to all, now hear my Hemi whine!" These guys apparently are trying to channel the Beach Boys and come pretty close on many of these songs. This album is a reissue of A Malibu Kind of Christmas, circa 1992; they changed the title but very little else to tie in with another album of theirs, Malibooz Rule. The group is John Zambetti and Walter Egan, the latter the author of a solo album produced by Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, and they have a website. "It's Just Not Christmas" evokes middle-period Brian Wilson after the breakdown but before "Smile," and many others, like "When Santa Comes to Santa Cruz," "And a Happy New Year" and "Santa Man" definitely touch on several Beach Boys hits. Non-originals include "Little Surfin' Drummer Boy," something that's been done before but the Malibooz throw in a little "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" vocalizing, and "Carol of the Swells" surfs up the carol about the bells. Then there's "Rudy, the Hodad Surf Dude," based on Rudolph's song, in which a stranded Santa gets a loan of a surfboard to salvage the holiday. And the album ends with "Christmas Wrap," another surf adaption, in this case "A Visit From St. Nicholas," who was, wait for it, surfing. Fourteen tunes was a little too many for a one-joke album, but the good stuff bails out the rest of the CD.
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I Don’t Believe In The Little Drummer Boy
{Erik is away on Christmas vacation -- or so he says -- so we will be reprinting a couple of his favorite columns for the next two weeks.}
Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. Other favorite times include my birthday, my anniversary, and any other occasion where someone gives me presents. After all, Christmas is about giving, and I'm happiest when people give me stuff.
To get into the Christmas spirit, I do what other people do: listen to Christmas music. This means that I start hearing the Muzak version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" in department stores at least times a day. After being subjected to that torture, it's a wonder most store clerks don't go postal on their customers by mid-November.
I like a lot of the classics, like "Jingle Bells," "Silent Night" and the Sex Pistols' "Have Yourself a Merry $%@&! Christmas." But the rest of the songs are extremely annoying, and I always chase off the carolers with a pitchfork whenever I hear them.
One of the most annoying Christmas songs ever written is the Bruce Springsteen version of "Santa Claus is Coming To Town" (I'm not too wild about the Jackson Five version either). The Springsteen version is about 20 minutes long, and the last 19.5 minutes are nothing but Bruce singing "Santa Claus is coming to town" over and over.
And over.
And over.
By the time Bruce has finished with his Yuletide mantra, Santa has left town and is already back home, slamming some Upside-Down Margaritas with the elves.
But the song that really makes me want to skip the entire holiday and go straight to Easter is "The Little Drummer Boy." Yes, I know I'm a Grinch for saying it, but you wouldn't say that if you ha really examined the song. It's not that believable.
"Oh, and I'm sure that songs about a fat guy sliding effortlessly down a chimney, and a flying reindeer with a halogen nose are believable," you're saying to yourself.
Yes they are. I've seen the reindeer myself. Now quit interrupting me.
Let's look at the song, and see where the problems occur.
First of all, what's up with this "pa-rum pum pum pum" business? As any parent of a child with a toy drum knows, a drum does not make a pleasant sound like "pa-rum pum pum pum." Drums are percussion instruments. They do not make pleasant little melodies sung by children's choirs. They make headaches. Drums go "KA-WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM!!!!!"
So, when the little drummer boy asked if he could play a song for the Baby Jesus (pa-rum pum pum pum), no one really notices that the kid is just going to pound a drum at Him. I admit that giving the gift of music is a very noble sentiment. After all, it's the thought that counts. But when your newborn baby has just gone to sleep after 6 hours of constant screaming because his bedding is made of straw, do you really want someone making loud pounding sounds at him?
And what did Mary do during this time? According to the song, she just nodded (pa-rum pum pum pum), and listened attentively, smiling quietly to herself. I think all mothers can back me up on this: if you've just been riding on a donkey for several days while carrying a huge watermelon in your belly, and then spent the last 36 hours in labor, would you want some snot-nosed kid to show up and start beating on a drum? Of course not! You'd want to rest, and enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasted. The song would be more accurate if it said "Mary leapt out of her stool and chased the little brat away, pa-rum pum pum pum."
What about the ox and lambs that kept time (pa-rum pum pum pum? Not likely. Everyone knows that oxen are tone deaf and don't have a well-developed sense of rhythm.
"Then He smiled at me" (pa-rum pum pum pum). I have an easier time believing the ox and lambs broke out into a little song and dance number. How would you feel if, after being forcibly removed from a nice warm womb and placed in a bed of itchy, smelly straw, some jerk shows up and starts beating a drum at you? Good intentions or not, just hearing that infernal whacking noise over and over would be enough to make any adult cry, let alone a small baby. Still don't believe me? Go find a newborn baby and start beating out the pa-rum pum pum pum rhythm on a cooking pot with a couple of wooden spoons. If a baby smiles at something like that, he's colicky, not happy.
"But what about Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?" you're huffing and crossing your arms in disgust.
What about them?
"Are you saying that those songs aren't believable either?" you're re-huffing.
Not at all. I know mothers, I know newborn babies, and I know how mothers feel about their newborn babies. You're more likely to find a living, breathing snowman and a reindeer with a searchlight for a nose than you are to find a mother that wants a kid to bang a drum around her child.
"That makes sense," you're saying now. "Your arguments are well-thought out and logical, and you have easily convinced me. How do you do that?"
Easy. I write this column as well as your dialog, so I can make you say anything I want. Now tell all the nice people 'Merry Christmas.'
"Merry Christmas, nice people!"
And have a Happy New Year!
=====
Erik Deckers
(published week of December 15th, 2000)
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My Gift to You [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] ~ Alexander O'Neal
A Christmas classic reissued at last! November 24, 2002
After three or four years out of print, My Gift To You is finally available again - and with the original cover art restored - thanks to the folks at reissue label The Right Stuff. And it's about time, too.
Some fourteen years after its original release, My Gift To You still ranks as the best Christmas album I've ever heard. It's a fine mix of contemporary and traditional songs and arrangements, all tied together by the best vocalist that Jam & Lewis have ever worked with, Alexander O'Neal.
The Jam & Lewis-composed originals are concentrated mostly during the album's first half, with modern-day classic "My gift to you" as the opening track. The funky "Sleigh ride" (not the classic tune, but a new song) comes next, followed by the romantic "Our first Christmas" and Christmas tale "Remember why (it's Christmas)".
The album's second half consists mostly of Christmas standards. The first of these is "The little drummer boy", in a funky arrangement produced by Denzil Foster & Thomas McElroy, who are probably best known for their subsequent work with En Vogue. Mel Torme's "The Christmas song" is next - this one in a more traditional arrangement (think Nat King Cole). O'Neal's version of Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas" is still my favorite; every other singer's take on it seems either thin or overwrought in comparison. "Winter wonderland" (probably my favorite track on the album) is performed with full orchestra - and it swings! Another Jam & Lewis original, "Thank you for a good year", and a reprise of "Remember why" close out the album.
One of the really nice things about this reissue is the restoration of the original cover art. When Tabu switched distribution in the early '90s, the album was inexplicably given a cheesy new cover, which it was stuck with until going out of print a few years later. The Right Stuff have corrected this by bringing back the original cover, adding only a border around the edges. In fact, the newly restored cover looks slightly better than the original, which looks sort of dull in comparision.
A minor complaint: The song lyrics are no longer included in the booklet. However, the new liner notes, while a bit thin, are entertaining.
This edition's remastered sound was a happy surprise. Mastering engineer Bob Fisher deserves more than a few compliments for his work here. Rather than follow the pack and use loads of compression and limiting to make everything sound loud for the sake of loudness, he used the 24-bit processing to ensure the best possible reproduction of the original master. So, rather than sounding louder, the remaster simply sounds better - slightly warmer, with improved definition.
In short, this is still the best Christmas album ever.
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Little Drummer Boy VHS
THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY retells the classic story of a lonely little boy who visits a manger in Bethlehem and discovers the greatest gift of all-love. Teddy Eccles provides the voice for Aaron an orphaned boy with a knack for drumming whose only friends are a lamb and a donkey. After joining a party of three royal kings Aaron finds himself part of a convoy to witness the birth of Jesus. As the wealthy kings bestow incense and myrrh on the babe Aaron searches for a gift of his own-a song. Featuring a compelling soundtrack sung by the Vienna Boys Choir THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY is a perfect holiday film. The movie both evokes a feeling of nostalgia from the early 1970s and demonstrates the timeless lesson of generosity to the unfortunate and poor. Directors Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin have adapted another winner with the biblical tale of THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY.
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Desert Wind - Christmas: Rhythms of the Holy Land
Here's something different; on this 1999 release, familiar Christmas songs are created again with luscious ancient rhythms from the Middle East. Several drummers provide a rich tapestry colored by Andalin Bachman's warm wooden flute tones. Her flute interplays with the passionate virtuoso drumming of Rami Ziadeh (currently residing in the Bay Area, he was raised as a child in Bethlehem and born on Christmas Day -- no wonder he shines on Little Drummer Boy!) While mostly instrumental, several songs feature the lovely voice of Amy Faust. We now have Christmas music from many parts of the world, but this is the first we know about with more direct links to where it all happened in the first place. Source
The Vocal Majority
The VM® has come a long way since 1972. What began as a dozen men with a vision, has blossomed into a chorus of about 200 that enjoys continually seeking new musical vistas. Some have likened their experience with the VM® to being a member of an Olympic team - it may be the only time in their life they can be the best in the world at something. The growth over the years has not just been in size and the improvement of the sound, but has also included a very strong fraternal love among the chorus members.
Seeking musical excellence is the common thread that links all the members. This love for excellent music and for each other is what many of the audience feel when they articulate that the performances take them on a spiritual and emotional journey. Like so many other singing ensembles, there are very few individual voices that have the professional soloist quality, but together... well, you've seen the results.
The success of the chorus is indeed due to many factors. But the real heart of the VM® comes from not one but all of these events that have impacted its members so much that they have seen, first hand, the emotional and spiritual power of music, and its positive influence on other people's lives. The chapter is looking forward to its silver anniversary year in 1997, and the chorus continues its commitment to musical excellence.
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Twelve Days of Christmas
Winter Wonderland
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Songs Of Christmas Medley
Carol Of The Bells
The Lights Of Hanukkah
The Christmas Song
Jingle Bells / Sleigh Ride
Twelve Days of Christmas
Have Yourself A Merry Litle Christmas
Little Drummer Boy
O Holy Night
SPEBSQSA's current International Gold Medalists, their ninth such title since their founding in 1972, The Vocal Majority have the numbers and the talent and aren't afraid to use them! On their brand new "Twelve Days of Christmas" you may be taken aback to hear what the liner notes call "magnificent orchestral accompaniment" on the first two songs, "Winter Wonderland"and "Do You Hear What I Hear."Beautiful, but it's almost like whipped cream on frosting, because the VM hardly need violins, having already cornered the magnificence market. The proof is in the a cappella numbers, especially "Songs of Christmas Medley," a wonderful "Carol of theBells," "The Christmas Song," an incredible "Jingle Bells/Sleigh RideMedley," the title tune, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," and a "Little Drummer Boy" to remember. Lush and rich as Christmas eggnog with rum and nutmeg, incredibly arranged, effortlessly, perfectly performed, what more could we ask? "Twelve Days" is a treasured gift to yourself or anyone you love at Christmas.
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Placido Domingo, Patricia Kaas, Alejandro Fernandez: Christmastime in Vienna
All the supertenors have their indulgences. Luciano Pavarotti has charity concerts in which he sings with Sting, José Carreras makes disc after disc of soppy love songs, and Placido Domingo can't stop making Christmas recordings--usually in Vienna. This one, recorded in 1998, features a particularly odd assortment of guest stars: Mexican pop star Alejandro Fernández lends his pleasingly mellifluous voice to songs such as "Blanca Navidad" and "El nino del tambor," but those not already in love with French star Patricia Kaas may be baffled, even repelled. The French love to mix pop genres in ways that sound illogical to American ears, and she proves no exception, delivering pale imitations of Ethel Merman grace notes and Aretha Franklin phrasing with no sense of artistry, expression, or musical point of view. Domingo maintains his integrity throughout, even though this whole enterprise sounds hastily arranged, with some bad tuning in the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and Gumpoldskirchner Spatzen (that's a choir, in case you couldn't guess).
--Patrick Stearns, amazon.com
The fifth song in the final Christmas Medley here is The Band's "Christmas Must be Tonight" from Islands.
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The Star Ledger
BY: George Kanzler
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. CDs cranked on the hi-fi.
Setting the holiday mood, Christmas music is as essential as tree trimmings, Yule logs and gingerbread men. Every year, a new crop of musicians -- from jingle rockers to smooth balladeers -- take on perennial classics and offer up their own carols, Santa themes and symphonic cheer. Here are a few of this season's top Yuletide releases, reviewed by the Star-Ledger's eternally jolly music critics. "Have Yourself A Merry ...," Oliver Lake Steel Quartet (Passin' Thru -- www.passinthru.org)
There's nothing sentimental about the acerbic alto and soprano saxophonist Oliver Lake's take on Christmas music. Caribbean and funk rhythms mix and match like an island carnival in Brooklyn in his Steel Quartet, a unit featuring the steel pans of Lyndon Achee, electric bass of Reggie Washington and drums of Pheeroan Ak Laff. The album also is billed as "introducing vocalist Judy Bady," who appears on four tracks.
Bady's bold, deep voice works fine with the variety of beats and sprung rhythms cooked up by Lake's rhythm section. She brings a gospel-blues edge to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and rides a samba beat over a "Christmas Song" where "coconuts" might be more appropriate than "chestnuts" in the lyrics. The non-vocal tracks include a contender for the funkiest "Little Drummer Boy" ever and a "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" that bounces along on Washington's hip-hoppy bass line.
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Iain Mac Harg,
A Celtic Christmas
(Lightening Ridge Music, 2000)
If you want your Christmas carols, and bagpipes too, this is the CD for you! Multi-talented Iain Mac Harg displays his finesse on great Highland bagpipes, Scottish smallpipes, flute, pennywhistle and bodhran, combining contemporary Christmas music with standard pipe repertoire for an interesting mix of music. This CD has the feeling of a Christmas concert as performed by a collection of Celtic musicians, combining music of the season with some of the classic repertoire of the bagpipes. Mac Harg is joined by fellow musicians Joe Egan (percussion), Mary Fran Stafford (harp), Andrew Adams (Highland snare and congas), Arron Flinn (guitar, bass and drums), and Howard Wooden (guitar) to create a diverse and textured Celtic and Christmas offering.
The CD opens with a bold and exciting rendition of "Good King Wenceslas" on Highland pipes, with striking harmonies overdubbed by Mac Harg. After a couple of rounds, the Christmas carol segues into "Irish Jig," a rollicking pipe tune featuring more exciting harmonies. The second track, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/Paddy's Leather Breeches" continues in the same vein, with the marriage of a Christmas song and Celtic tune performed on the Highland pipes, this time without the harmonies.
The Scottish smallpipes take the lead on "Away in a Manger/Rocking the Baby," another Christmas/Celtic coupling, this time with a beautiful harp accompaniment by Stafford. The harp drops out after "Away in a Manager," leaving the pipes to rock the baby to sleep alone. The harp reappears on the next two tracks, however, to accompany the flute on "Greensleeves/What Child Is This?" and "Oh Christmas Tree."
The Scottish smallpipes are the perfect instrument for "We Three Kings," giving just the right exotic flair to this carol. The whistle joins in at the start of "Come All Ye Faithful," lifting the mood from somewhat melancholy to upbeat. "The Little Drummer Boy" works well on pipes with guitar and percussion accompaniment, although the arrangement leaves out a line I am used to hearing in the melody.
Returning to bagpipe repertoire, Mac Harg performs a contemporary pipe tune, "Highland Cathedral," with snare accompaniment, but we return directly to the Christmas theme, still emphasizing percussion accompaniments on "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Who'd have thought that one would fit on pipes?
The CD closes with a few standard pipe tunes, including "Highland Laddie" (with a couple rounds of "Talis Canon tacked on the end) and the oft-requested "Amazing Grace." This version features one verse on solo pipes, followed by a couple of verses with harmony pipes and snare percussion. The encore to this concert is a whistle, pipes, and guitar rendition of "Auld Lang Syne," sending the listeners from the Christmas season into the new year.
This is an enjoyable CD, giving the true feel of a performance setting. Part of this atmosphere is created from the order of tracks, which seems to proceed in a logical progression. Mac Harg brings his guest instrumentalists on for their bit, and then returns to interspersed solos between the guests. There are excellent performances by the instrumentalists, with a few bobbles in coordination between instruments or at transitions to tunes here and there, much as you might expect in a concert setting. Several of the tunes don't get much of a chance to shine, while others go on a bit too long, but the overall effect is quite rewarding.
This is a unique collection of tunes, and deserves a better title than A Celtic Christmas. There are many other "Celtic Christmas" CDs out there, and it would be a shame to get this one confused with any of them. Also, there are no Celtic Christmas carols on the CD. There are Christmas carols, and there are Celtic tunes, but the title doesn't quite seem to fit. I would be more inclined to call it "A Piper's Christmas," indicating that the bagpipes are featured prominently on the recording, and that pipe tunes as well as Christmas tunes are presented in this pleasing piping concert.
[ by Jo Morrison ]
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Over the years, all kinds of American artists have recorded Christmas music -- rock, soul, country, blues, dance-pop, folk, adult contemporary, you name it. Hard bop instrumentalists have used "Winter Wonderland" as a vehicle for jazz improvisation and hardcore rappers have written Christmas rhymes (Kurtis Blow's "Christmas Rapping" is a great party song even in August). Streetcorner Carols finds a vocal quartet calling themselves the Alley Cats offering a doo wop-oriented take on Christmas standards. Although this pleasant, if unremarkable, album came out in 2001, the performances recall the '50s; the Alley Cats are mindful of classic doo wop groups like the Platters, the Flamingos, the Drifters, and the Five Satins. And while the Alley Cats aren't in a class with those outfits, Streetcorner Carols is competent and likable. A few of the songs are traditional carols that are in the public domain, including "Away in a Manger" and "The First Noel" -- public domain meaning that under intellectual property laws, artists don't have to pay royalties or get permission to record a particular song. Had the Alley Cats decided to record the European Christmas carol "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentleman" (which isn't on this album), they wouldn't need anyone's permission. But for the most part, the quartet doesn't get into European carols. Their main focus is American Christmas pop standards of the 20th century, and that includes everything from "Jingle Bell Rock" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas" to "Let It Snow," "Winter Wonderland," "White Christmas," and Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song." Streetcorner Carols isn't exceptional, but it's a likable illustration of how Christmas music can be relevant to '50s-style doo wop. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
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Various Artists
TIDING OF JOY
(EverSound)
This unique collection is a delightful musical journey into the heart of the holidays. Putting an appealing new spin on de riguer seasonal chestnuts, the album reflects a diversity of styles and smooth instrumentation. From the traditional sounds of classical music and medieval Gregorian chant to lively Spanish rhythms and the soulful musings of a five cello ensemble, listeners are guaranteed a joyful listening experience from first note to last. Especially tantalizing tunes include a brilliant world music excursion by Eduardo Del Signore, "We Three Kings," that features truly inspired improvisations, and "The Little Drummer Boy" as performed by noted flamenco guitarist Manual Iman and his very talented daughter, young vocalist Lucia Iman. Familiar names like spacemeister Jonn Serrie and acclaimed pianist Michael Whalen are joined by new EverSound artists, including drummer/guitarist Geoff Bridgford (Bee Gees) and former Motown soloist, singer Kim O'Leary, for smooth instrumentals and several vocal interpretations that sparkle like snowflakes. INSTRUMENTATION: vocals, keyboards, guitars, flute, bell tree, cello, percussion, oboe, French horn, recorder, drums, bass, chime harp, viola, fluegel horn, pennywhistles.
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Endless Christmas
1993/1998, BWE Music
Joni Bishop is the stage name of Ilze Platais. Endless Christmas, recorded with Electra Reed, includes Christmas songs in English and Latvian ("Skaistu rozit' zinu" and "Klusa nakts") with guitar and oboe accompaniment. Rereleased in 1998 with a new cover.
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One of the more mainstream discs to pop up in my mailbox is the generically titled My Christmas Album (MCA), a collection of traditional and original tunes (I don't seem to recall Perry Como doing a version of "Christmas Came to the Ghetto" on any of his Christmas specials) from R&B veterans (Patti LaBelle, who's never sounded so annoying as she does here, and Gladys Knight) and new-schoolers (K-Ci & JoJo, Mary J. Blige and Cherokee) alike. Highlights include Rahsaan Patterson's "Christmas At My House," which comes off as more of a supersexy slow jam -- and a damn good one, too -- than a Christmas tune; and Mary J. Blige's "Someday at Christmas" sounds especially winning in context, as she's one of the few performers here who doesn't feel the need to completely over-sing her part, cooing subtly instead over a shuffling hip-hop beat. Jesse Powell's hauntingly sparse "O Holy Night" is a fine addition to the collection as well. On the other hand, Pam and Dodi's "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" is unintentionally hilarious and laughably awful, and Cherokee's hip-hop flava'd take on "Little Drummer Boy" is misguided at best. I swear to God when I first heard it I thought she was doing the spoken word intro to C.W. MaCall's '70s trucking opus, "Convoy."
Ever since the Hendrix estate finally (and deservedly) obtained the rights to their son Jimi's catalog a few years ago, the late guitarist's section in your local music store has been ever-expanding with previously unreleased live material and other lost treasures. Which brings us to the first-ever release of Jimi's medley of "Little Drummer Boy/Silent Night/Auld Lang Syne" as recorded whilst ####ing around in the studio with the Band of Gypsys in 1969. This "special holiday single," generically titled Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (Experience Hendrix/MCA) includes two versions of the medley, one edited for brevity, the other in its full seven-and-a-half minute version: tossed-off wankery of the highest order. The disc also includes a nifty little throwaway ditty called "Three Little Bears," recorded with the Experience, and previously unreleased, as well. No one besides Hendrix completists need waste their time with this one, though.
Utah world music combo Desert Wind's holiday release, Christmas: Rhythms of the Holy Land (Desert Wind Music), looked promising at first, its premise being to incorporate Middle Eastern rhythms with traditional Christmas songs. The result is a mixed bag. Far too often the renditions end up sounding like typical New Age pap with lots of drums laid over it, but there is the occasional stunner, too, like the group's "Little Drummer Boy," which positively delivers on the album's grand concept, a delicious fusion of the familiar and the exotic.
And for completely tasteless fun, we turn to the (I swear to God) Blowfly Christmas album, appropriately titled Blowfly Does XXX-Mas (Pandisc). In case you don't know, Blowfly is a guy who's been recording parody songs since the early '60s so completely filthy they'd make Larry Flynt blush. He is often cited as having a major influence on the early days of rap, and now at age 54, he unleashes his Blowfly'd versions of all the holiday classics: "Jingle Bell Rock" is recast as "Jingle Bell Cock," "Deck the Halls" becomes "Dick the Hoes," and so on and so forth. Only bust this one out at the family dinner if you intend to send grandma into cardiac arrest. It also merits the honor of being the only Christmas album I've ever heard that opens with the words: "All you freaky mother####ers!!! Merry Christmas!!"
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"Go Tell It on the Mountain," The Blind Boys of Alabama (Real World): This is the freshest sounding Christmas music CD of the year {2003). The Boys deliver a sack full of mostly traditional songs that not only feature an expanded gospel sound but also gives listeners Tom Waits, Chrissie Hynde, Aaron Neville, Mavis Staples, George Clinton and Shelby Lynne. Songs include "Little Drummer Boy" and "Joy to the World."
-Ed Will
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