CELaudio Systems

Amazon.com Editorial Review:
As the song goes, “Merry Christmas” has already “been said many times, many ways.” Diana Krall’s Christmas Songs is a worthy–though not particularly unique–addition to the holiday catalog. On it, she excels with an approach mastered long ago: elegant delivery that gives extra polish to a very familiar lineup. Some might find her style frosty at times, but that will come as a relief to those who want their carolers to cut through some of the holiday treacle and create a festive, yet grown-up vibe. And Krall does show off her playful side with little, personal touches. In “Winter Wonderland” she promises to “frolic and play the Canadian way,” which should draw smiles from her native land. (That’ll mean toasting the holiday with Molson, eh?) Elsewhere, she ends “Jingle Bells” with the girlishly giddy statement, “I’m just crazy about horses.” Well…can’t argue with that. – Leah Weathersby

Various Holiday-themed Diana Krall tracks have popped up over the years, but CHRISTMAS SONGS is her first full-length Christmas album. In recent years Diana has not rested on her laurels, musically-speaking. Some such as myself have thought highly of her later albums, while others missed her earlier forays into pop/jazz standards.

CHRISTMAS SONGS should appeal to those on both sides of the fence, and will likely reach out to many newcomers as well. The sense of effervescent, swinging fun that marked portions of her earlier albums is back on a number of tracks (“Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” “Jingle Bells,” etc.). Meanwhile, those of us who feel she’s emotively-deepened as a vocalist in the last few years will find ample evidence of that too, particularly on the ballads (“I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” “White Christmas,” etc.). Diana’s accompiament also tries something new (for her): there’s a tasty, compatible big-band on many tracks (courtesy of the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra). In addition, several ballads have string-dominated orchestrations (somewhat similar to those on THE LOOK OF LOVE).

Quite unusual for contemporary holiday albums is the lack of any attempts to write a new classic; there are no Krall-penned tunes here. Most of the songs are among the holiday season’s most oft-heard classics, but Diana’s voice brings a fresh touch to them. At times she effectively breaks out into scatting, and frequently tweaks the melodies to just the right extent as one would expect of a jazz singer. Of course, her piano moves into the foreground at times as well. Most if not all fans of Diana’s late-1990s albums will be satisfied with this album from beginning to end, as will many who favor the recent discs. It’s safe to say that CHRISTMAS SONGS will prove to stand the test of time and become a classic seasonal album. - J. Lund, Amazon.com Customer Review

Format : CD
Original Release Date : November 1, 2005
Number of Discs : 1
Label : Verve
Genre : Jazz

Track List:
1. Jingle Bells	3:25
2. Let It Snow	4:01
3. The Christmas Song 4:23
4. Winter Wonderland 3:14
5. I'll Be Home For Christmas 3:07
6. Christmas Time Is Here 3:34
7. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 2:53
8. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas 4:18
9. White Christmas 4:31
10. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? 4:09
11. Sleigh Ride	3:26
12. Count Your Blessings Instead Of Sheep 3:40

Personnel:
Diana Krall - Vocals/Piano
Jeff Clayton - Flute/Alto Saxophone
Keith Fiddmont - Clarinet/Alto Saxophone
Rickey Woodard & Charles Owens II - Clarinet/Tenor Saxophone
Adam Schroeder - Bass Clarinet/Baritone Saxophone
Clay Jenkins, Gilbert Castellanos, William Barnhart, Rick Baptist - Trumpet
Joe Meyer , Rick Todd, Brad Warnaar - French Horn
George Bohanon, Ira Nepus - Trombone
Tommy Johnson - Tuba
Tamir Hendelman - Piano/Fender Rhodes Piano
Alan Broadbent, Gerald Clayton - Piano
Randy Waldman - Keyboards
Stefon Harris - Vibraphone
John Clayton, Robert Hurst , Ben Wolfe - Double Bass
Joe Porcaro, Emil Richards - Percussion
Anthony Wilson , Russell Malone - Guitar
Jeff Hamilton - Drums

Diana_Krall_-_Christmas_Songs_mp3_Samplers

Code:
Password if required : celaudio-systems
"If you liked this post, your subscription will be highly appreciated."
Broken or deleted links can be requested by posting it in comments. Thanks...