With the joy of late fall weather offering the tokens of the coming winter for some northern climates, I was moved to look into a holiday album released November 26th, 2008. The album Home for Christmas by Sheryl Crow of Kennett, Missouri.
Go Tell It on the Mountain is an African American spiritual dealing with the nativity of Jesus Christ. The compilation of the song is attributed to John Wesley Work Jr., with the singing in Crow‘s version incorporating singers suggesting the song’s origins to the middle of the 19th century.
The Christmas Song offers a distinctly jazz feeling to the song originally written by Mel Tormé of Chicago, Illinois and Robert Wells. Nat King Cole of Montgomery, Alabama is credited with the first and definitive version of the song, having recorded it multiple times through the years. Over time, the song has carried the subtitle Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire and Merry Christmas to You since the original recording in 1946.
White Christmas presents with uplifting horns, guitars and drums that brings a light and fun experience. The uplifting tempo is as catchy as any offering on the album. Original writing credits for the song belong to Irving Berlin, born in the Russian Empire of the 19th century.
I’ll Be Home for Christmas offers an unexpectedly older fashion instrumentation that would land favorably long ago. This is a welcome addition to this album in the offering of what becomes so many distinctive musical presentations throughout the album. The original presentation in 1943 by lyricist Kim Gannon of Brooklyn, New York and composer Walter Kent New York City, New York included the singing of Bing Crosby, of Tacoma, Washington, with John Scott Trotter & His Orchestra playing the instruments.
Merry Christmas Baby brings a clear pop sensibility to a studio recording featuring keyboard play that gives the song a fusion rhythm and blues and jazz flavor. The original writing credits belong to Johnny Moore of Selma, Alabama and Lou Baxter.
The Bells of St. Mary’s includes music written by A. Emmett Adams with lyrics by Douglas Furber, dating back to 1917. The sound is very modern, with a vocal range offered by Sheryl Crow that brings a pleasing effect open to continued listening.
The Blue Christmas as presented here offers a distinctly jazzy and gospel fusion to a song most famously performed by Elvis Presley, originally of Tupelo, Mississippi. Writing credits rest with Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson.
O Holy Night opens with a partial singing of It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, with the latter accounting for nearly 1-minute and 10-seconds of the 3-minute and 39-second performance. Distinct production differences points to what feels like performances intended to have been separate. The singing proves inspired and moving, making for a rewarding experience.
As written by Sheryl Crow, the song There Is a Star That Shines Tonight has perhaps the most authentically true song on the album. Strongly piano based with stringed instrument accompaniment, the quiet sweetness invokes celestial inspiration, missing one’s loved ones and the inspiration of the newborn spiritual king.
Hello My Friend, Hello offers a gentle meditation of friendship and winter’s regeneration. The accompanying instrumentation offers a sweet accompaniment to Crow‘s singing. Bill Botrell is credited with writing this song.
The final song for the 2008 release of the Home for Christmas album is All Through the Night, a sleepy meditation of a song with seemingly Welsh origins under the name Ar Hyd Y Nos. As noted here, the song “is still sung in Welsh, especially by male voice choirs, [although] it is better known by its English title “All Through The Night.”
Matt – Saturday, November 26, 2022
Matt Lynn Digital 