No comments about All-Time Christmas Favorites.

1 comments about Winter Serenade.

1. I own two of Jon Schmidt's CD's and enjoy them both immensely. "Winter Serenade" is an appropriate title as it has a wintry feel not limited to Christmas. The slower pieces are exquisite, a delight to listen to by a crackling fire on a chilly night. I like this CD in the month of November--before the more typical Christmas songs take over--and again in January and February as winter grinds on.

5 comments about The Harlem Nutcracker.

1. I am afan of the play and i have the cd playing all the time. Than during the christmas holiday i saw the metro...perform the harlem nutcracker and let me tell you my entire family enjoyed it....it swings but it still has the enchantment of the play....this is a must have...



2. The arrangements and performances are outstanding!
   I'll put this up against any swing music, now or from the 40's, it really swings, and it's excellently written and the musicianship is great.
   
   Oh, and it includes some jazz-arranged Nutcracker Suite tunes.
   
   If you like good swing jazz, you'll like this!



3. david berger's entire career is almost completely based on transcribing other musician's genuis - most notably Duke Ellington. to any of those who think that these are new "jazzy" arrangements of the nutcracker you should be interested in picking up the original, scored and arranged by Ellington and Strayhorn on a CD entitled "Three Suites". dont get me wrong - his band is good and he has some very accomplished musicians - but c'mon now - you really need to go with the Duke on this one.



4. As I understand it, Billy Berger was commissioned by the choreographer Donald Byrd, who wanted to create an evening-length ballet called Harlem Nutcracker. (As you may know, Tchaikovsky composed two scores -- a full-length Nutcracker, which is used in the evening-length ballet, and a shorter Nutcracker Suite. Ellington's jazz arrangement is of the shorter "Suite.") Donald Byrd used all of the original Ellington music, and commissioned Berger to fill in around it to create an evening-length work. (For the record, I have never met Billy Berger, though I do know Donald Byrd.) Thank you.



5. An excellent variation of Ellington's arrangement of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. Sound quality was excellent also.

5 comments about Gift.

1. Liz Story's album The Gift is just what it says. It is the most soothing Christmas present you can give to anyone. A true joy.



2. I never heard Liz until the disk arrived. She can both play and interpret. Put this one on, follow it with C. Chesnut's Christmas disk and the Holiday's meaning becomes clear.



3. I love every track on this CD, just like I love every track on all the Liz Story CDs I own. It's a permanent part of my holiday season.



4. Pianist Liz Story has been a mainstay in the Windham Hill label since her first releases in the 80's. Her dreamy song, "Wedding Rain" showcased a fresh talent that bathed the listener in delicate atmospheres and lovely tonal colorations. But with such lumanescent textures is a corresponding musical intelligence that only comes from being an composer as well as performer (she writes most her music).
   
   This classically-trained talent allows her music to rise above the more superficial "nice sounding background piano music" of this genre. Her style is reminicent at times of the French classical masters Debussy or Ravel for its emphasis on tonal beauty and cascading effects. To me her music has always exuded something special ... something very deep and resonant ... something tangibly spiritual and with a sense of celebration of life.
   
   Story brings these same qualities to her seasonal collection, fittingly titled, "The Gift." In a world riddled with too many cheesy and trite holiday recordings, Story's "Gift" here is a true treasure and sanctuary for music lovers. Its "spirit" is similar to George Winston's legenday recording, "Winter" in the way it creates a sense of solace, warmth and comfort.
   
   Probably the piece that best exudes this sensitive playing is her magical rendition of the beloved English song, "Greensleeves" (track 4) in which she creates a fleeting, transcendent mood through her seamless playing, feathery touch and delicately evocative effects. This piece is emmensely beautiful and moving to hear, transporting you to imaginative vistas and memories.
   
   Especially when doing the more well-known seasonal pieces, it takes true musical insight to find the true, spiritual core of the music to avoid a trite-sounding result. Holiday CD's come and go, but certain ones and certain songs are timeless such as those performed here by Liz Story. The sound quality is excellent with a most-fitting resonance that brings out the rich harmonic overtones of her piano. A most lovely recording. Compositions - 5 stars; Performance - 5 stars; Sound quality - 5 stars.



5. We love holiday music of a pretty wide variety. This is a very nice choice when the hustle and bustle starts to hit. Liz Story's arrangements are gentle and soothing but still hold interest. A nice addition to our collection!

1 comments about Ricky Van Shelton Sings Christmas.

1. Ricky van Shelton is a wonderful singer and he brings his talent to a great mix of classic and folk Christmas music. Ricky doesn't try to change the classics, but sings them straight and clear. His ability to sing all types of music is evident here, and I have some new favorites from his "folk" selections. This is my favorite Christmas CD.

5 comments about Our Favorite Things - Christmas in Vienna / Tony Bennett, Vanessa Williams, Placido Domingo, Charlotte Church.

1. Placido Domingo has done several holiday concert special for PBS over the years. The ones I've seen usually pair him with Jose Carreras on the classical end and maybe one pop diva like Dionne Warwick or Diana Ross. That makes for a mixed bag, and maybe a few awkward moments when the vocal styles don't quite mesh. But with the visuals, the glitz and glamour of the stars usually make these spectacles enjoyable enough.
   
   I've never seen the DVD version of this concert, which also aired of PBS, as I understand it. But I'll wager it works better with the visuals. As a pure listening experience, OUR FAVORITE THINGS comes up short. Domingo is really the only singer who is in top form for the occasion, and his Spanish language carols (probably unfamiliar to most American listeners) are a real treat. Tony Bennett, who has been fine in other recent broadcasts and recordings, sounds a bit hoarse here. He improves as the concert progresses, but he relies more on phrasing than chops and is at a disadvantage when duetting with Domingo. (On the other hand, Domingo's noticeable discomfort with idiomatic American English weakens his performance on tracks like "My Favorite Things" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas").
   
   On the distaff side we have Charlotte Church and Vanessa Williams, whose work I am less familiar with. Church sounds a little nervous and out of her depth when duetting with Domingo. She has a pleasant enough voice, which I hope she does not subject to too much strain before reaching her potential. I am not an expert in these matters, but I have been told by classical singers that too much too soon can be disastrous for a developing voice.
   
   Williams is less distinctive a pop singer than, say, Dionne Warwick or Diana Ross, who could at least begin to hold their own against the classical singers in those previous holiday concerts. She has her moments, but even her duet with Tony Bennett on "White Christmas" seems a bit strained.
   
   Fans of the individual singers featured here may well want to purchase this CD, but (even without having seen it), I'm betting that the DVD would be a wiser purchase. With the visuals of Vienna, the concert hall, the gowns and the glitter, I'm guessing it holds up a bit better. Strictly on a musical level, though, this is none of the stars' shining hour.



2. ONE AT A TIME IF YOU PLEASE!!!!
   
   This disc includes four of the best voices of our day, BUT they simply do not belong together in one program!!!!Somehow hearing 'O Holy Night' by two classical sounding singers following 'The Christmas Song' sung by a jazz-pop singer doesn't 'light my fire'. Now if you offered me a complete album of anyone of these singers, I probably would take it and enjoy it. Obviously, this is a money-making venture of the extreme sort; after all(say the great commercial powers) if you don't like Tony Bennett, then you have Placido Domingo etc. etc. etc. As I recall the same type disc was recorded 2 years ago (1998) with four diverse singers, Domingo again included.
   
   Oh well, the individual contributions are, for the most part enjoyable, but you will notice I did say: for the most part.



3. Maybe you had to be at the performance to appreciate it. Perhaps the concert itself, with the presence of these four performers, had some sort of flow and dazzle.
   
   But this CD is merely a strange assortment of singers, songs, and stylings, in no particular order. For instance: Placido Domingo's Jesus de Nazareth (the reason I'm giving this three stars instead of two) - followed by Tony Bennett and Vanessa Williams warbling a swinging "Winter Wonderland." Which detracts from my enjoyment of both those pieces.
   
   And then there are the inexcusable versions of "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "Silent Night," in which Tony Bennett's voice is just not up to the music anymore. It should have been obvious during rehearsals, and Bennett removed from the ensemble or given easier solos, or other songs selected. (And I still love him as a singer, just hate to see his aging voice be bested by the wrong music. In public.)
   
   It is an odd little CD, as is suggested by the cover. I found it in a bargain bin and was puzzled by the selection of these four performers, and decided to buy it and find out how well it worked. I'm so glad I didn't pay full price.



4. My favorite holiday music performed by top professionals and the gifted Charlotte Church. The amazing abilities of the featured artists supported by the magnificent orchestra and chorus make this an album that I wait all year to hear.



5. An odd assortment of singers you never thought of putting together, come together to produce a truly delightful Christmas concert. The visuals are beautiful to look at as well.

4 comments about Christmas Joy EP.

1. I heard one of Mandisa's Christmas songs on a local easy listening station during Christmas 2007 and decided to check out her Christmas album. It's a very good Christmas EP. Just wish it were a little bit longer. My favorite song on the album is "Christmas Makes Me Cry". It's a very beautiful song with heartfelt lyrics.



2. This chile can sing! No, seriously, this is a wonderful EP. 'Christmas Makes Me Cry' is wonderful but the real song that made me cry was 'O Holy Night'. This song is a masterpiece, it is ridiculously beautiful! The instrumental arrangement along with Mandisa's extraordinary vocals is absolute unsurpassed genius. All I have to say is, if you don't catch the Spirit after listening to this, you are dead.



3. We saw Mandisa in concert and loved her. Had to have this c.d. and it did not let me down. She is just an awesome singer and a great living testamony to God.
   Highly reccommend it.



4. Iwanted to hear the amazing depths of her voice.Not heard to an advantage. However my grand-daughters loved it as Christian Rock is their thing.

5 comments about We Wish You a Hairy Christmas.

1. 80s metal fans should own this alblum. Most of the tracks are quite good except the last one by Faster Pussycat ( doesn't sound like 80s metal at all ). Overall is a great X'mas alblum to own.



2. Like most other reviewers, I think Track 2's Naughty Naughty Xmas is the standout track. I also like Won't Be Home For Christmas by Every Mother's Nightmare. The CD was released in 2003 but there's no tellin' when each recording was actually done. To bad we don't have more of this type of music to pick from. I was and in certain moods still am a Hair Band Fanatic. I bought em all working in a Record store during Hair Band heydays. If nothing else, this CD is a change from the traditional stuff on a day when you want to let loose. WTF was Faster Pussycat thinking on Silent Night. If I arranged this cd that song would have been left on the cutting room floor in place of some other song submitted by another band.



3. These bands are kind of before my time, but I love Christmas music and after hearing snippets of the songs, I decided to buy the album. I love it! Every song is very fun and entertaining. Faster Pussycat's version of "Silent Night" is unfortunately the least appealing track on the CD, but the rest of the songs more than make up for it. If you're a Christmas music junkie like me, I highly recommend adding this CD to your collection.



4. Was hoping for something a little different; something fun to listen to during the holidays. The songs and the sounds are weak -- nothing stands out -- except for how bad Silent Night really is. Twisted Sister Christmas is much better.



5. This CD features Christmas songs by '80s heavy metal performers. I'm not really a fan of this type of music, but this isn't half bad. The covers of classic Christmas songs are decent, although not among the best versions of these songs. As for the original songs, they aren't bad. "Naughty Naughty Xmas" by Danger Danger is enjoyable in a dopey way. And "Won't Be Home For Christmas" by Bullet Boys shows surprising sensitivity. But "Happy Family" by Pretty Boy Floyd is awful. It's a cheap ripoff of the Ramones' "We're a Happy Family", rewritten as a Christmas song. But other than that, it's not such a bad album. Fans of heavy metal will probably like it even more than I do.

No comments about Music Box Christmas Treasures.

5 comments about American Christmas.

1. The Boston Camerata is the foremost group dedicated to early music performance in the country ... This recording is one of my favorites, and it always gets heavy rotation around the holidays. The tunes are all American, taken from 18th and 19th-century sources, and definitely remind modern audiences of the religious heart of Christmas. Some of the tunes are familiar ('Joy To The World'), and some have unfamiliar texts ('The Watchman' and the evocative words sung to 'Adeste Fidelis'). Many of the tracks feature the beautiful harmonies of the shape-note traditions. The performances are, of course, stunning. Don't miss the terrific liner notes by Joel Cohen, calling Americans to reclaim our musical heritage from the classical and ethno-musicologists.



2. There are many delightfully refreshing tracks on this CD. While I'm not a fan of soloists, there are many tracks with a chorus. Many of these selections have a real Civil War-era sound to them. I especially like track 18: While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks, done in the form of a round. I've become addicted to track 24. This is a CD for all seasons.



3. A note to non-early music fanatics (as, contrary to the Mr. Cohen's notes, this CD mainly attracts early music fans):

   This album is decent provided you don't listen to the entire CD in one sitting. It is a nice break from the run-of-the-mill Christmas music, whether it be of the "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" or "Jingle Bell Rock" variety. However, the arrangements become tedious after a while. There are only so many open-fifths one can hear... Most people will find themselves gritting their teeth 2/3 through the disc. The non-early music fanatic would do well to listen to several tracks at a time.

   The classical enthusiast will not be pleased with Mr. Cohen's notes as he tends to disdain most "classical" music as pompous, "stuff shirt" nonsense. He seems to believe that the music on this disc is FAR better than that of, say, Handel's Messiah, simply because it is the music of lower/middle class (18/19th Century) America. He laments the Europe's influence on American music; after all, we should not be following the horrible examples set by Bach, Handel, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, etc. Good four part writing, where--gasp--the tenor parts are not constantly following the sopranos?? And--Beautiful, full, varied instrumentation?! Counterpoint?!?! Hpmh!...what unmitigated gall! What sheer snobbery!

   ...Please don't misunderstand me. I respect both Mr. Cohen's expertise (his sentiment is a different matter) and this music, and I do agree that the music presented on "American Christmas" is an enjoyable break from "Santa Claus is comin' to town. And, yes, SOME of this music deserves more credit than it is given nowadays (it sure beats anything sung or written by Britney Spears...) But lets be realistic: Handel's Messiah this is not.

   So, with that said, buy this CD... and remember, extreme moderation is the key to enjoying this album; if this sort of music was played as often as that oh-so-awful "music of reindeer," as Mr. Cohen puts it, you (provided that "you" are not an early music fanatic or Mr. Cohen) would find yourself desperately longing for the return of "Santa Claus is comin' to town."




4. While some tracks may be a bit tedious, there are some real gems here - enough to make you wonder why they remain mostly forgotten. The performaces are spectacular.



5. I happened to hear this in an mp3 newsgroup and immediately bought it for my folks and several other people. It is an incredible performance and unlike anything usually heard around Christmas . I listen to Classical music all day while working and yet I've never heard this before . Everyone who received it loved it.