In the groove
Last week I wrote about brand new Christmas CD releases by the likes of Carole King, Justin Bieber, She & Him, Michael Buble, Dean Martin and Dave Koz. This week, I would like to write about several of my favorite Christmas CD’s, most, if not all, of which I would think you may never have heard of. I’m sure that all eight of my readers (I’m thinking that’s about all the people who read my weekly word fest) are sitting on the edge of their chairs waiting to read about a few records that nobody knows.
My favorite CD of all time is A New Orleans Christmas by Allen Toussaint & Friends, originally released in 1997 on the Nyno label. Toussaint is one of the best known musicians (behind Fats Domino, Pete Fountain and Louis Armstrong) ever to come out of the Big Easy. More R&B than jazz, Toussaint worked with The Meters for many album releases and scores of singers and musicians in that city. On this album, a compilation of Christmas songs by a variety of artists, he brings together the New Birth Brass Band who perform “Santa’s Second Line” and “Jingle Bells,” both with that New Orleans’ soul. Toussaint himself contributes two songs, both of which are just him on piano – “Silent Night, Holy Night” and “Winter Wonderland.”
The remainder of the disc is songs by Larry Hamilton, Raymond Myles, Tricia Boutee, James Andrews, Wallace Johnson and Grace Darling. Not exactly household names, but excellent singers all. Several of the songs are new, like Hamilton’s “Christmas This Year,” which leads off the CD, and “Christmas in New Orleans” by Andrews. Wallace Johnson contributes “Christmas Comes but Once a Year” and the Mel Torme chestnut “The Christmas Song.” Tricia Boutee joins Larry Hamilton on a duet titled “New Year’s Resolution,” which is probably the best song on the disc, and solo’s on “Do You Hear What I Hear.” And Raymond Myles contributes a pair of classics, “We Three Kings” and “Oh, Holy Night.”\
The rhythm section on most of the disc includes Toussaint (who also produced the disc) on piano and/or keyboards, Scott Goudeau on guitar, Charles Moore on bass and Bernard “Bunchy” Johnson on drums. Horns and backing vocals are added as needed, and the result is one fine Christmas album that sounds like nothing else. Full of funk and spunk, A New Orleans Christmas is one disc that never gets old. Even though it is some 15 years old, it is still available and may be obtained by going on the label’s website, www.nynorecords.com to order it. While on the site, you will see a variety of solo discs by many of the artists who made contributions to the Christmas release.
My second favorite disc, also a golden oldie, was released in 1998 on the now defunct Capricorn label. The artist, Chuck Leavell, is an Alabama native who gained prominence as a member of The Allman Brothers Band when he was recruited in 1972. He made his mark in the band with the release of Brothers and Sisters and brought a new dimension to the band with his scorching musicianship on songs like “Jessica,” “Ramblin’ Man” and “Southbound.” In addition to his work with the ABB, he also played on records by Alex Taylor (James’ older brother), Laid Back, Gregg Allman’s first solo record and Highway Call, the first solo release by Dickey Betts. Following his tenure with the band, he was tapped to become keyboardist and musical director for the Rolling Stones, a job he has had since the 1980s. He has also worked with Eric Clapton, George Harrison and others.
What started out as a musical Christmas card for his relatives and friends eventually became What’s in the Bag, full-fledged Christmas album, produced by Johnny Sandlin (a long-time Capricorn Records producer) and features musicians that Chuck has worked with over the past three decades including drummers Bill Stewart and Roger Hawkins, guitarist Scott Boyer, Bobby Keys on saxophone and Charles Rose, Harvey Thompson, Doug Moffatt and Jim Armstrong, who were once known as the Muscle Shoals Horns. The disc is a gumbo of self-penned tunes, traditional Christmas songs as well as some new twists on old gems such as “O Holy Night,” “Greensleeves,” “We Three Kings,” and “Joy Boogie,” a different take on “Joy to the World.” Filled with Southern fried funk and a touch of New Orleans swagger, What’s in the Bag makes listening to Christmas music fun again. While the disc may be out of print, you can go on Chuck’s website, www.chuckleavell.com to ask about it.
Next up is Irish Christmas, a recording that was made in Nashville and is all traditional Christmas carols featuring authentic Celtic instruments. While a disc like this can get old after a while, it truly is great background music for opening presents, at Christmas parties, or to just sit back and imagine the simplicity of the music. Released on Green Hill Music in 2003 and produced by Craig Duncan, the songs include “I Saw Three Ships,” “The First Noel,” “The Sussex Carol,” “Galician Carol,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman,” “This Endris Nyght,” “The Wexford Carol” and many more. The disc may be obtained from the Green Hill website at www.greenhillmusic.com. It’s a change of pace that may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but fits in nicely with the Michael Buble’s and Andy Williams’ of the world.
Lastly, it is more of a soundtrack than a Christmas album, but the music from the 2003 film Love Actually does contain three Christmas songs, two of which are stellar. Otis Redding does an incredible version of “White Christmas” that I never knew existed until I saw the film, and Bill Nighy, who plays Billy Mack in the film, does a fun version of “Christmas is all Around,” which is a take-off on the Troggs’ “Love is all Around,” and a big part of the film. I am a big fan of both the film and the soundtrack which also includes songs by Dido, Kelly Clarkson, Texas, Eva Cassidy, Norah Jones and Maroon 5 among others, and both are always great to pull out at Christmas.
So there you have it, a few rare holiday gems to put some funk back into your Christmas! These recordings are not the usual Christmas fare, but each in its own way, can brighten up the season if you are in the mood for New Orleans, Southern fried, Celtic or soundtrack Christmas music. Enjoy.