Christmas by Al Jarreau - VitaMusik

ALBUM

If ever there was a singer suited for a holiday album it was Al Jarreau, whose friendly, honeyed croon always felt warm and welcoming. Those traits are evident on his 2008 seasonal album Christmas but so are his scatting roots, perhaps a little bit too much so for this to be the kind of soothing soundtrack to a Christmas party that it might initially seem to be, particularly as the first section of the album is loaded with just a little bit too much syncopation and swing. As Christmas rolls on, things settle down into a smooth quiet storm groove, never pushing too hard on either the vocal or arrangement front, which is a bit of a relief after the slightly overcooked first half. This back-end -- containing a silken "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," a light "The Little Christmas Tree" and a mildly funky "Gloria in Excelsis" -- is what Jarreau fans would hope, even expect, from an Al Jarreau Christmas album and it's the reason to give this a seasonal spin.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

1. Winter Wonderland

Primary Artist: Al Jarreau; Main Performer
Composer: Felix Bernard, Dick Smith
Felix Bernard; Composer
Dick Smith: Felix Bernard; Other

2. Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Primary Artist: Al Jarreau; Main Performer
Composer: Traditional; Composer

3. White Christmas

Primary Artist: Al Jarreau; Main Performer
Composer: Irving Berlin; Composer

4. By My Christmas Tree

Primary Artist: Al Jarreau; Main Performer
Composer: Al Jarreau; Composer

5. Carol of the Bells

Primary Artist: Al Jarreau; Main Performer
Arranger: Gary Hoey; Composer
Composer: Traditional; Composer

6. Oh Come All Ye Faithful

Primary Artist: Al Jarreau; Main Performer
Composer: Traditional; Composer

7. The Christmas Song

Primary Artist: Al Jarreau; Main Performer
Composer: Mel Tormé
Robert Wells; Composer

8. I'll Be Home for Christmas

Primary Artist: Al Jarreau; Main Performer
Arranger: Gary Hoey; Composer
Composer: Buck Ram
Kim Gannon
Walter Kent; Composer

9. Gloria in Excelsis

Primary Artist: Al Jarreau; Main Performer
Composer: Larry Williams
Al Jarreau; Composer

10. Christmas Time Is Here

Primary Artist: Al Jarreau; Main Performer
Arranger: Roger Treece; Composer
Composer: Vince Guaraldi
Lee Mendelson; Composer

11. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Primary Artist: Al Jarreau; Main Performer
Composer: Hugh Martin
Ralph Blane; Composer

12. Christmas in Kilarney

Primary Artist: Al Jarreau; Main Performer
Composer: John Redmond
Frank Weldon
James Cavanaugh; Composer

13. Some Children See Him

Primary Artist: Al Jarreau; Main Performer
Composer: A. Burt
W. Huston; Composer

14. The Little Christmas Tree

Primary Artist: Al Jarreau; Main Performer

15. Up on the Housetop

Primary Artist: Al Jarreau; Main Performer
Composer: Traditional; Composer

Technical Specifications

Volume

1 volume only

Tracks

15 tracks available

Type

ALBUM

Format

Digital Media

Duration

55 minutes and 20 seconds

Explicit

None

Coverart

Available and up to 1417x1417 px

Booklet

Not available

Max Quality

CD Quality (Lossless)

16bit / 44.1 kHz

Stereo

Audio Extension

Lossless: FLAC, M4A, WAV, WV, AIFF

Lossy: AAC, MP3, M4A, MP4, OGA, OGG, OPUS, WMA

Archive Format

Available in these formats: ZIP, TAR, RAR

Lyrics

12/15 tracks have lyrics

Synchronized Lyrics

Only 1/15 tracks has synced lyrics

Genres

R&B, Soul, Holiday, Jazz, Contemporary Jazz, Rock, Vocal, Christmas, Christmas: R&B, Crossover Jazz, Smooth Jazz, Vocal Jazz

Label

Rhino

Music Distribution Service

WMG Mora

Country

United States

Language

English (United States)

Popularity

Release Date

Oct 13, 2008

Track Preview

Available

Delivery Charge

Free

Delivery Method

Digital download link via Email or Personal Dashboard on this site

UPC

603497977864