5 comments about In the Spirit: A Christmas Album.

1. Yes, this is not your typical holiday cd.
   And thank you Michael for that. It has
   alittle something for everyone. A few
   holiday standards, some blues, some jazz,
   some gospel. The only problem I have is
   his beautiful voice on the softer songs
   makes me want to hear more. The hilights
   for me are Peace, On This Night and
   the uptempo Everytime Christmas Comes Around.
   But, it is his version of Kenny Loggins new
   classic, On Christmas Morning that is worth
   the cost of the cd alone. When he sings
   "you hold me in your arms, we watch the
   snowflakes fly" --well you just have to
   hear it yourself. Thanks Mike, Thanks Kenny.
   Get this cd!



2. Really, Really enjoyable holiday music! Can listen to this all day!



3. When I first heard of this album, I was a little weary of getting it. Michael's my favorite singer, but the thought of him doing original holiday tunes didn't sound real appealing to me.
   
   What a nice surprise I got when I finally did hear this album. This contains some of his best songwriting ever! In fact, I think a lot of the stuff on here sounds like some of his Doobie Brothers' music. This is really a good thing. Even though I've enjoyed most of his solo albums, most of his solo stuff hasn't sounded like his Doobies' stuff.
   
   It sounds like Michael was very inspired in his writing and singing on this album. There's a lot of passion to be heard on this one. It's definitely one of his best albums.



4. What do you say when you discover an instant classic? This is what Michael has given us in this collection. I discovered this disc Christmas of 2003 and being a huge fan of Michael's since his days with the Doobies, I bought it without ever hearing any of the tracks. What I found was a collection of songs that best conveyed the true meaning of Christmas.
   
   With songs like "Angels We Have Heard On High," "To Make A Miracle," "Children Go Where I Send Thee," "Peace," "One Gift," "World Out Of A Dream," and my personal favorite, "On This Night," Michael eloquently reminds us all that there would be no hope of "Peace On Earth" without the Promise and Gift of God's Son, Jesus Christ.
   
   Also, with songs like "Everytime Christmas Comes Along," "White Chrstmas/Winter Wonderland" (how cool is that blazing blues guitar on Winter Wonderland!), "House Full Of Love," " and "On Christmas Morning" Michael reminds us that our family and friend relationships help to make Christmas the most wonderful time of the year.
   
   By focusing on the true meaning of Christmas, Michael has created a classic that will endure for many, many years. I have spent many hours listening to this wonderful music all year long.
   
   Michael, I want to thank you for such an inpirational recording. It has moved me to tears of gratitude and joy many times because of the awesome Gift that God gave us in our Lord Jesus Christ. Your gift is also a gift from God that we are so grateful that you chose to share it with us. I pray that God will richly bless you for your willingness to share your heart and that you were not afraid of what the "PC" crowd might say, but that Jesus is the "Reason For The Season."



5. I ordered a CD from Froggysflix, but I ordered the wrong one. They took it back with a great attitude and found me the one I wanted very quickly. Nice job!
   Also got a CD from FBShaw and also had a wonderful experience.
   You guys rock!
   
   JK

5 comments about 40 Years: A Charlie Brown Christmas.

1. We enjoy this CD very much in the car and as a relaxer in the evening. It's smooth & jazzy and we like the variety of talented performers and performances mixing vocals and instrumentals. It's a pleasant addition to our holiday collection and we'll enjoy it for many years. Kudos & Thanks to David Benoit for producing this CD.



2. I was really excited to get this CD, being such a fan of everything Charlie Brown and Vince Guaraldi. But, all this CD did was make me want to go find the "Happy Anniversary Charlie Brown" CD and listen to it, instead!
   
   I'm not sure what the producers were thinking about when they were developing this drek, but it clearly was not Charlie Brown OR Christmas. It is the swishiest-cheesiest-smoothjazziest-elevatoriest piece of junk and I'm appalled they were willing to let it out of the studio.



3. If you're looking for anything remotely resembling the songs that were in Charlie Brown Christmas you will hate this. If you're looking for random artists to listen to for easy listening you would like it. But I bought this CD being a big fan of the Vince Guaraldi Trio. I thought this would be a great remix of the awesome music they created. I listened to this entire CD 3-4 times, and out of all the songs on the CD only 2 were half way decent to listen to. I actually threw it out my balcony in the pond about an hour ago. I swear to God.
   
   Save your money.



4. Heard this on the radio, could not find in any store. It is a great addition to my Christmas collection. My family knows that is my favorite thing to do is play Christmas music during the holidays.



5. This album/recording is ok,but I like the original 100 times better! Some of the artists here are not to bad,but I think some of them were looking for a way to make a 'fast buck' and should be ashamed they did what they did on this recording! I will always be a fan of Peanuts and the gang,but this recording is not on my top lists of remembering Charlie Brown. Like I said above,I don't hate it,but I really don't appreciate it either!!

2 comments about Carols of Christmas: 25 Christmas Favorites for Solo Piano.

1. This beautifully done solo piano album is a refreshing counterpoint to the endless unimaginative monotony of vocal Christmas albums. With these relaxing arrangements the artist invites you to sit back in a comfortable chair before a roaring fire on a cold December evening and contemplate the miracle of the season. He does not attempt to dazzle the listener with elaborate orchestral backup productions, neither is there any hint of tedium in his presentations. This is a delightful combination of old favorites and some not-so-familiar carols. The quality of the recording is excellent. We have played this album more often than any other during the Christmas season through our perpetually playing sound system. We have also gotten enthusiastic responses from friends to whom we have given this album as gifts.



2. The CD was beautiful. I bought it for background music at a holiday party. It was perfect for that, but enjoyed listening to it at home all through the season.

2 comments about The Peace Album.

1. Paul Horn weaves a hauntingly magical experience with his collection of flutes. Like no other collection of Christmas music. It draws you in and fills you with the peace and spiritual mystery of the season.



2. I bought this cassette tape years ago and have wore it out and searched Amazon.com to see if I could get a copy in CD, much to my joy I can. It's a beautifuly orchestrated piece of work. Melodic tunes you know, very calming and relaxing, it's xmas music with class. I love it and look forward every year to listening to it. I highly recomend it for your holiday colleciton.

No comments about The Best Christmas Album Ever.

1 comments about Noël.

1. Leave it up to wonderful mezzo Anne Sofie von Otter to offer a second enterprising Christmas CD that takes us away from typical carols and songs and present something really musical and interesting. This time it's on an intimate scale, a Christmas recital featuring some recognizable (Max Reger and Peter Cornelius) Christmas lieder, but mostly unfamiliar compositions in a bouquet of languages with the expert accompaniment of pianist Bengt Forsberg. Several times Ms. von Otter yields the soundstage to Mr. Forsberg who plays several piano solos, including his own arrangement of Bach's "Jesus Joy of Man's Desiring". This CD offers holiday-bombarded music listeners a quiet respite.

1 comments about Soulful Sounds of Christmas.

1. This compilation features R&B Christmas songs recorded between 1985 and 2000. Contemporary R&B isn't really my bag, but this isn't bad. Run-D.M.C.'s "Christmas in Hollis" is a classic, of course. Dru Hill does a very good version of "This Christmas". Whitney Houston's version of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" is quite good. And Take 6 does a great a cappella rendition of "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem". The other songs are ok, but the ones I mentioned are my favorites. If you enjoy modern R&B, you will probably like this CD a lot.

5 comments about The Narada Nutcracker.

1. I got this CD for Christmas last year. It was a change to P.T.'s classic, that's for sure! This record is missing tracks, like the fight scene and the Parent & Grandfather dance. If you're sick of regular Nutcracker, this is great. If not, save your money!



2. As a listener of traditional classical music, I'm usually a bit aprehensive about buying "new age" recreations of a reliable old staple. With the Narada series, i've found that this version is an enjoyable fresh approach to this particular suite of music, even though i still enjoy the listening to the older versions. But for some reason, i keep coming back to this one.

   I think there are enough subtle touches here to really add some style to the pieces, without ruining the feeling that an old classic has been tampered with. The versions of Pine Forest and Pas De Deux, in my opinion really encapsulate the feeling of the story, without loosing the emotion. The piano in Pine Forest can best be explained by being enchanting and melodic. In all, this recording is a staple in my play list during the holidays.




3. I have a very large Holiday CD collection and this is by far one of the best in the collection. The arrangement and performance are excellent and the recording engineering is superb! This CD will show you just how good a stereo system you have. You'll hear all the great nuances of the arrangement which is "fanciful and fun" as it should be. The playing is "bright" and "crisp". The overall feeling is uplifting, joyful, playful and fun. It does what I think music should do but often fails to, it moves you, it makes you "feel", it creates a vision. This CD passes with flying colors! The producers chose just the right number of musicians and instruments to give this a more light and fanciful feeling than it usually gets with a full orchestra. I listen to this one all year round. This CD is in keeping with a long line of outstanding CDs from Narada. I have given this CD as a gift over and over and it has become a favorite in every collection. Recommending this CD is a "no brainer". Give yourself a holiday gift ~ buy this one!



4. I have heard many versions of the Nutcracker and felt the Narada version was the best yet. In fact, I play it year-round when I feel stressed. It helps me relax.



5. I am a avid classical musician who likes to listen to all sorts of traditional music. I ran across this CD in grandma's house as a teenager. This performance preserves the mood and spirit of the original while infusing a distinctly modern flavor. It made me appreciate what contemporary compositional styles and instrumentations can add to traditional music. The standard orchestral interpretation can get dull sometimes. The synthesis of old and new elements of style make for an interesting and entertaining hearing. This is an excellent buy.

3 comments about Christmas at the Movies.

1. I recently purchased the CD "Christmas At The Movies" by pianist Michael Chertock for the simple reason that it contained one of the few existing piano arrangements of Howard Blake's "Walking In The Air" from the cartoon "The Snowman." When I got over my obsession with this cut and finally listened to the rest of the disc, and I was astounded at the brilliant, creative, and sensitive arrangements of some of these all-too-commonly heard Christmas classics. Chertock's arrangements seem at times to sound as if he is actually channeling the spirits of Debussy, or Ravel, or even Samuel Barber (Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer) as he weaves his beautiful tone paintings on the piano. Carol Of the Bells is the first track on the CD. Just as he does in each selection, Chertock takes us through a myriad of different emotions. It's been such a long time since I've been moved to tears by someone's playing. When someone like Michael Chertock can make me fall in love with even my most hated Christmas carol from childhood (Silent Night), they are on the verge of sainthood! What is Christmas to me? Mysterious, magical, funny, reflective, even dark....This disc is all that, and more! Probably the best Christmas piano recording available! Get it before its out of print! You'll find yourself listening for many a Christmas to come.



2. This is the first CD of Michael Chertock's that I've listened to. It quickly became my favorite Christmas CD! The music was very relaxing. I often played it when I was paying bills or doing other paperwork. The compilation was enjoyable because he played some traditional carols and some other whimsical pieces like "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch", which is probably my favorite. If you enjoy piano and Christmas music, I think you'll become a fan of this CD and Michael Chertock.



3. Like a previous reviewer, I bought this for the hauntingly beautiful "Walking in the Air," written by Howard Blake for The Snowman, and have gotten SO very much more! The songs, all solo piano, are wonderfully and wittily arranged, and Michael Chertock plays them with astounding ability and emotion. It is impossible to listen to "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" and not smile, nor to listen to "You.. You/Once Upon a December" (Scrooge/Anastasia) without a lump in the throat - and how often can you find these gems written for movies along with traditional favorites? The choice of pieces, and the way Mr. Chertock combines, them is genius! I adore GOOD holiday music of all types and this is one of my very top favorites, a "can't wait to play/last to put away" (which is why my CD is already getting worn out). This will appeal to EVERYONE on your Christmas list. Truly a treasure!! Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to this unique holiday treat - then spread the word!

2 comments about Coffeehouse Christmas.

1. I bought this CD a few years ago on CDBaby, and it became one of my favorite Christmas albums. Jazz guitar is a small world, so I knew Steve Cardenas; and I recognized Dave Carpenter, who has played bass on more than a hundred recordings. They're joined by Luis Conte on percussion, and the date belongs to alto saxophonist Brandon Fields. The quartet recorded this session on November 2, 1994.
   
   The problem with jazz Christmas albums is inconsistency. Because they're recorded specifically for a sales niche, they're often used as an opportunity to assemble an all-star session. When they're not blatant compilations featuring various groups, they usually feature a rhythm section playing behind a revolving cast of singers and soloists. It's sadly rare that you'll find a solid band recording a true Christmas album without gimmicks. This is one exception.
   
   Conte's percussion doesn't include a drum kit or ride cymbal, and you won't find traditional swing here. Nonetheless, it's not a Latin album; it's firmly rooted in the jazz tradition, with plenty of room for solos and a healthy dose of humor. Unlike holiday albums that are mired in melancholy and nostalgia, "A Coffeehouse Christmas" maintains a cheerful tone. It would be a wonderful addition to a holiday party, or even background music during Christmas dinner.



2. All the songs on this CD are great. The arrangements are superb. It is very soothing to listen to at home or at work, but not too soft to put you to sleep like some Muzak you hear in the elevator.
   Brandon Fields did a great job on this one.