No comments about Alleluia Nativitas: Medieval Christmas.

No comments about Christmas Lounge.

2 comments about The Animals' Christmas.

1. This is my favorite.
   I am a parochial school music teacher and my dream would be for schools and churches across the US to start performing this excellent Christmas cantata each holiday season.
   Jimmy Webb (the composer) was certainly inspired. These songs creatively employ the basic Christmas story. The title may be deceiving in that some would think, oh, it is one of those cantatas that is more about the donkey in the stable or the sheep in the field than Mary, Joseph and Jesus. But that is not the case. Listen to it. Get a copy. I have 2, because they are hard to come by at times.



2. Jimmy Webb's Christmas classic is one that slowly grew on me(Like all my favorite albums!) and now it is on my short list of indispensible,never sell discs.My musical tastes run the gamut....this work exemplifies what I like most...a transporting experience.Though fable in nature...the reverence and magic of the Incarnation as seen through the various characters really is enchanting. There is a moment of ecstatic exuberance that is worth the price of this sometimes hard to obtain album.....at the beginning of the Carol of the Birds when....well...buy the album...hear for yourself!Buy two...if you lose it...you will miss it!!

5 comments about A Cabaret Christmas.

1. "A Cabaret Christmas" is an essiental holiday album. Ann Hampton Callaway offers a "sleigh" stopping performance of "Winter Wonderland" and "A Christmas Love Song". Andrea Marcovicci's performance of "After the Holiday's" will truly remind you of what the holiday's are all about. If you are looking for that speical holiday album for the year, order "A Cabaret Christmas" today and have a Merry Christmas!!



2. What else can be said about this collection other than is the best colection of holiday songs done in the almost lost art of Cabaret....from KT Sullivan, Ann Hampton Callaway, Barbara Cook, Julie Wilson, Billy Stritch and Barbara Carroll....comes the most beautiful sounds as never before...presented in a simple way...song, singer and piano...this cd is best heard at the last hour on the Eve, while in front of a fire place and with a glass of merlot....a great collection of songs and singers for the Holiday... A MUST HAVE....FOR ALWAYS....Happy Holidays!!!



3. This is a diamond gem of a holiday recording when most offer, at best, mere rhinestones. Warm and nostalgic without being sappy, with just enough pepper to season it all. The track listing on Amazon.com is very inadequate as is the list of performers. Miss Cook was never lovelier than on White Christmas. Karen Akers, Mary Cleere Haran, Ann Hampton Calloway, Julie Wilson, Margaret Whiting, Andrea Marcovicci and on and on. A veritable encyclopedia of cabaret "standards" doing many standards of the season,with a few specials thrown in. A vocals or cabaret lover could not go wrong with this one. I bought it the instant it came out in 1993 and have played it FIRST each season since, and play it throughout the season. Now I ask you, is this a RAVE review? You bet it is.



4. What a find! Basically new to cabaret,(but do like jazz vocal) I'm loving this CD. Unlike most Christmas CDs, this sounds good even when Christmas is over. The variety and quality of talent is wonderful...of course the material is great too. My personal fav's are KT Sullivan, Barbara Carroll, Gerry Mulligan, Ann Hampton Callaway & Billy Stritch, and Jay Leonhart; well, it's hard to stop naming names, they're all so good and so much fun. This type of music offers simplicity, irony(at times), and heaps of personality...of course delicious musicality too. The accompaniment is clever and gorgeous. I'm looking for more cabaret!



5. The fifteen songs on this CD, recorded in 1993 and re-released in 1999, show off the talents of a wide variety of singers, from the relative youngster, Mary Cleere Haran (then about 40), to the mature talents of Julie Wilson, Barbara Carroll, Margaret Whiting, Dorothy Loudon, and Barbara Cook. All are cabaret singers, accustomed to singing with minimal accompaniment in the intimate confines of clubs. Here they give Christmas songs an unusually intimate sound.
   
   Of the several outstanding tracks, Ann Hampton Callaway and Billy Stritch are in peak form with "Winter Wonderland," a jazzy treatment filled with interesting harmonies, key changes, and variations, including scat, which they do in spectacular harmony. Callaway's range is enormous, and the arrangement by Stritch shows it off. Another duet, the surprising combination of smoky-voiced Karen Akers with the intense Andrea Marcovicci in "Silent Night," begins a capella, with fine harmonies, the two echoing each other in the lead-up to Mike Renzi's piano accompaniment. The strength of Akers and the intensity of Marcovicci make this one of the best songs on the CD.
   
   In Karen Akers's own solo, "I Don't Remember Christmas," a dark, ironic, and fast-paced song, she comments on her ability to "forget" a lover, whose echoes are "gone without a trace," though she remembers the smallest moments throughout the year in which she has "forgotten" him. Akers's Piaf-like passion makes this another high point, though it is more about lost love than about Christmas. Mary Cleere Haran, in "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve," is in complete control, making easy key changes and giving new interpretations to the intimate lyrics.
   
   Of the "mature" singers here, Julie Wilson (aged 69) sings "Season's Greetings" with dark irony and a whispery interpretation. Barbara Carroll (aged 68) still swings and plays a mean piano, Barbara Cook (aged 66) still has fantastic range, Margaret Whiting (aged 69) has almost the same great range, and Dorothy Loudon (age 60) still interprets with great passion. Their amazing professional skill (and longevity) more than compensates for any tremulo in their voices.
   
   The out-of-the-ordinary selection of songs, the widely varied talents and obvious enthusiasm of the singers, and the outstanding arrangements, many of them by pianist Mike Renzi, make this a Christmas album which will delight lovers of cabaret music. n Mary Whipple

2 comments about Mendelssohn: Piano Works, Vol. 2.

1. First of all, because I have not deep knowledge about piano music genre and do not play piano, I want to express the thinking as I want without detailed things.
   
   Though it might not be natural way, the chance that I met the songs was demo playing of digital piano sold in a music store. Because I was a amateur music fan, did not care about the artificial sounds without accoustic instrument. Naturaly, I was moved the beautiful melodies of Mendelssohrn neverthless Etudes.
   
   I tend to love music with minor chords rather than with major chords. In such tendency, especially love his minor chords songs. After that, I have known that he was active as a musician at Romantic era like Chopin and so on. His songs have the beautiful and sentimental melodies on minor chords songs especially. His a little free style that was expressed in the songs included his messages or expressions as he want is just Romantic sounds.
   
   Especially, I love Prelude in B minor. People may think that the song is just a Prelude at first listening. But the more I listen to the song, the more I feel that the song is not just Prelude, beautiful melodies. The melancholy alppegio tell my mind his incredible expression power directly. The dismay and high speed passage is like Chopin's Etudes though both quality is different. In addition to that, the melodies of low bass sounds is great.
   
   Even if you are not deep piano music fans, this cd may be splendid album for you like me.
   
   Thank you for reading poor English.



2. Naxos started off well with its first volume of Mendelssohn's piano music, and it continues the trend with this recording. With the exception of the Variations serieuses and Sonata Op. 6, I hadn't heard any of these works before. What surprised me were the Op. 104 preludes and etudes. They are quite exceptional little gems from Mendelssohn's piano opus. Benjamin Frith's playing seems especially enthusiastic and energetic with regards to the Op. 104. Overall, Frith does an excellent job with all of these. His Variations serieuses and Op. 6 Sonata are, in my opinion, not nearly as exciting and passionate as Murray Perahia's. But Frith makes up for it with being one of the few to record the smaller and less famous pieces in addition to these two gigantic compositions.
   
   The Op. 104 is the main reason I appreciate this disc. After hearing the Preludes from this opus, I'm quite astounded and perplexed at Mendelssohn's refusal to make a full set of 24 preludes like Chopin or Heller. Mendelssohn, who is so keen and proficient with writing compact smaller pieces (hence his Songs Without Words), would have really made a good compilation of Preludes, just from hearing these three. I agree with the reviewer below me that the Prelude in B minor is simply an excellent virtuosic piece in the style of Chopin. Mendelssohn's taste for delicacy and understated showmanship are all present. But the other two are also worth praise; the B flat major has its moments of Romantic verve and Classical elegance. The Prelude in D sounds like a tune from Mozart's Don Giovanni with descending scales embellishing its attractive harmonies. The three etudes from this Op. 104 are also remarkable. The Etude in B flat minor is full of lush repeating arpeggios and a beautiful melody in the middle; I might suggest its reminiscence of Thalberg. The A minor etude, with its Perpetuum mobilesque character, is spellbinding as well. These are definitely under the radar and deserve to be revived.
   
   I must now address Frith's Variations serieuses and Sonata Op. 6. On the whole he gives an effulgent performance for both, preferring a slower pace and strong lyricism rather than emphasis on brilliance. I think this is a mistake. Perahia's interpretations are much more appealing as he has the necessary brio to make these works glow with passion. Frith's last 4 variations from the Op. 54 are somewhat sedate; I simply wish he would let loose some fire from his fingertips. Mendelssohn's music doesn't have to be perpetually reserved all the time. In the Sonata, Frith also reveals his propensity for staccato which undermines some of the rich harmonies that sound so powerful when glued together with pedaling. The last movement of the Sonata is where this is most obvious. Honestly, though, there aren't enough flaws in his execution that would force me to blast Frith any further. He just has a different interpretation of the Sonata, choosing a strictly Classical point of view. As a composition, the Sonata itself is phenomenal. Anyone who likes Beethoven would love it. It's unnecessary to analyze each movement, but I find each one of an unusual high caliber; it is definitely one of Mendelssohn's best piano works he ever wrote.
   
   The remaining pieces here are less noteworthy. The Kinderstuck Op. 72 for instance... Eh, these kinds of pieces do not capture my attention. I'll admit that the Andante sostenuto is charming but since they were written for children, these tend to be frivolous miniatures. The Gondellied in A major is a little better but all too brief, while the one-minute Scherzo in B minor has a demonic little rhythm with explosive moments. They are still rather mediocre and shouldn't stimulate multiple listenings.
   
   Bottom line: The Op. 104 is outstanding and I think many will be glad to discover these. For those familiar with the Variations serieuses and the Op. 6 Sonata, I don't think Frith will impress you; Perahia and Arrau's are better. But for those curious to explore Mendelssohn's piano works, this disc is actually a fantastic collection of great music, some of Mendelssohn's best actually: the Variations and the Sonata. Bear in mind you're also getting some mediocre miniatures, but since the Op. 104 are so rare and unique, I think it's worth buying this CD just for them.

3 comments about Soulful Christmas.

1. Makes a great companion CD to Soul Christmas(on the Atco label) & belongs on your cd player this holiday season. I've worn out the cassette version of this & recently purchased it on cd. Along with old favorites such as Christmas Ain't Christmas by the O'Jays, This Christmas by Donny Hathaway & What Are You Doing New Year's Eve by Nancy Wilson you will find Winter Wonderland by Patti LaBelle & The Bluebells, Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas by the Staple Singers & Alone On New Year's Eve by The Manhattans, among others. One listen to this collection definitely gets you in the Christmas spirit. Highly recommended.



2. Although this CD has some nice christmas oldies, it did not have several of the songs listed on the jacket. There is no Patti Labelle, Jerry Butler or Baby Washington on the recording. Instead, these selections (6 in all) have been replaced by various Motown selections, mostly mediocre, by the Jackson 5, Diana Ross and the Temptations. Whatever the reason, the cover needs to be corrected. If that's not what you're expecting, fine. My main reason for purchasing the CD was to get those very old gems. Otherwise, the CD's sound quality is fine and the selections are as listed.



3. Several of the tracks are not what is listed. I bought this for The Drifters singing "White Christmas." Luckily that particular track is correct, so I'm OK with the CD because I just happen to like all the other songs too. But if you are looking for a particular track, like I was, then chances are very good that it might not be there.
   
   By The Way, here is a cool animated version of the Drifters singing "White Christmas" courtesy of Reuters: http://www.reuters.hu/card_dom/index_content.html

3 comments about Quad City: All-Star Christmas.

1. Yo,Yo,Ho,Ho,No,No cracker Santa her'~ hey player give it up ya all for the com"YULE"ation crafting with the big beat. Now tis' ain't my bang up stylin' of choice, but me and my elfies be chill'n in the crib this yule thanks be to the fresh fun on this here CD.~~~Merrily Mix~ 2$, 3#1\2, 4#1\2, 5#1\2, 9#, 10$, 12#1\2, 14#1\2, 15#, and 16#1\2~~~ Post Script: Shout out to those Seekers and\or those in the kNOw get ya botty out and jolly jam the boX and added thanks as the mixmiesters added in hooty and remixes fo free! ***buyit*saveit*shareit*giveit*** YULEridGEMality Factor = 10



2. East Oakland in the house! I have had this CD since it was first released. I even went back and bought some to distribute as Xmas presents for friends and family. It is classic old-school rap. Every Xmas my kids would ask to hear it. They are 19 years old now! I enjoy the variety of the selections. It is a Xmas classic in our household.



3. This is definately a song you will want to share with others. It's good, clean comedy. I give Otis 5 stars for being a cleaver, ghetto fabulous man! What a great Christmas gift for anyone under the age 35!~

2 comments about Christmas with the Platters.

1. This Christmas album represents the Platters (minus original lead singer Tony Williams who departed in 1960) as recorded in 1963.

   I picked this album up after having bought a 1990's album by some ensemble of the Platters containing only 1 original member and sounding nothing like the Platters at all. The CD was packaged with a picture of the 1950s members but the arrangements and singers sounded nothing like the hit 50's group.

   As a Christmas record this album is actually quite fun and actually sounds like The Platters. The best songs are the slow numbers: White Christmas, Silent Night and For Auld Lang Syne, produced and performed in the style of their great 50's ballads.

   The album also features original members bass singer Herb Reed (now the ONLY member of the current Platters) on Rudolf and Santa Claus Is Coming To Town and Zola "The Dish" Taylor on All I want For Christmas...

   As all good Christmas albums need some novelties, these actually work, as do the unique upbeat arrangements on Jingle Bells and others.

   Don't be fooled by cheap imitations. Get this Platters Xmas album!




2. This Christmas album by the Platters was originally released in 1963. This was one of the last albums that they made for Mercury Records. Incidently, their producer Buck Ram was the co-writer of the Christmas classic "I'll Be Home For Christmas", which unsurprisingly is included here. The Platters were one of the most important vocal groups of the early rock and roll era, but this album doesn't rock very much (with the exception of the redundantly titled "Jingle Bells Jingle"). Most of the songs are accompanied by strings, with "rock" instruments pushed into the background. But that's fine, because the songs still turned put pretty well. Nothing earth-shatteringly original here, just well sung Christmas songs. And there's certainly nothing wrong with that.

4 comments about A Paul Brandt Christmas: Shall I Play For You?.

1. For those of you out there who like Christmas songs, this is definitely an album you should pick up. I especially like the duet with Terri Clark on "Santa looked a lot like Daddy," very cute! This is a good album and the duets with other artists add a bit of uniqueness.



2. I have listened to Paul Brandt from the beginning and when this Christmas album came out in Canada first, I had to order from Canada so that I could hear it. The album lets you into Paul Brandt's feelings of Christmas. You can feel every emotion through his voice. Two self-penned songs allow another peek into Paul Brandt's Christmas season.



3. I have never been a fan of christmas albums, but being a huge Paul Brandt fan I thought I would give it a go. I was extremely happy to find that yet again Paul has not let his fans down, he sings with a richness and emotion that is lacking in a lot of musicians today.



4. Paul Brandt burst onto the country music scene in 1996 with his debut CD and several hits, including "My Heart Has a History" and "I Do." Since that time, this Canadian's success in the U.S. has been somewhat limited, leading to his more recent CDs being rather overlooked. Fortunately, he's still making some very good music, including this Christmas CD, first released in 1999.

   The song selection here is a bit uninspired, as you're likely to have several versions of songs such as "Jingle Bells," "Silent Night," and "O Holy Night." However, Brandt brings a pure voice and unvarnished country sound to the music that's very appealing. His version of the oft-covered "Little Drummer Boy" is particularly beautiful, with a stripped down feel that adds emphasis to the lyrics. Brandt also covers some more up-tempo humorous Christmas songs, such as "Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy" and "Run Rudolph Run," which are much fun.

   In addition to the Christmas chestnuts, Brandt wrote two new songs for this collection. "A Star Is Born" is kind of a modern day Christ parable and a credible addition to the holiday cannon. He also wrote "The Way in the Manger," which is a beautiful song, with added luster via backing vocals by Union Station. Overall, this CD would be a solid addition to anyone's Christmas music collection. While the music selection is not earth-shattering, Paul Brandt's beautiful voice makes them sound fresh. Highly recommended.

No comments about Christmas Regrooved, Pt. 2.