Cool and easy Christmas sounds

The George Benson/Al Jarreau performance at the Araneta Coliseum a few months ago was certainly one of the highlights of the concert scene of 2008. Unfortunately, after discovering what a great vocalist he is, I didn’t see any new Benson products in the stores these past weeks. But Jarreau makes up for the lapse. There was a Love Songs collection earlier this year and then this month, there came Christmas.

There is plenty of traditional stuff in Christmas like the old carols Hark the Herald Angels Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful, and Gloria in Excelsis. There are also lots of Yuletide tunes of more recent vintage like Winter Wonderland, White Christmas, The Christmas Song and others. But because the CD is by Al Jarreau, there is nothing traditional about the interpretation.

A Jarreau CD is really all about the remarkable things he can do with his voice. This is often a source of conflict among listeners. Some like their melodies to just flow along and object to embellishments or ad-libs. Others, however, love to be impressed with vocal agility. And admit it, no other singer has pipes more agile than Jarreau’s.

But no matter how people like their music, the great thing about Jarreau is that his singing is always honeyed. It is so smooth and sweet that although his chords are turning cartwheels, he is still a delight to listen to.

Other cuts included are Interlude by My Christmas Tree, Carol of the Bells, I’ll Be Home for Christmas featuring Take 6, Christmas Time is Here, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Some Children See Him and The Little Christmas Tree.

Corrine May’s singing is also sweet and smooth but it seems like she goes out of her way to be almost unobtrusive. Sometimes it does feel like the international pop sensation from Singapore is actually working her magic on her audience through the subliminal. No fireworks have been known to emanate from such a beautiful voice but every note she sings and I must say, also her inspirational messages, always work to great effect.

Corrine May is known as much for her songwriting as her singing. Her other CDs are made up of her own compositions. This time around though, for her very first Christmas release, she limits the originals to only two cuts, The Answer and her own take on the Hail Mary. The rest of The Gift is made up of songs we have heard so many times through so many Christmases.

But she makes the old songs sound so new again. Corrine May’s purity of tone and serenity of style envelop her listeners with the warmth of the truly calming Christmas spirit. In fact, it can be said that her interpretation is so full of the true meaning of Christmas and the whole world is in dire need of feelings like that today.

The old favorites in the CD are Silent Night, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Joy to the World, Angels We Have Heard on High, What Child Is This? Away in a Manger, Be Thou My Visions, O Come All Ye Faithful and O Come O Come Emmanuel.

Here is another great, jazzy, easy listening CD for Christmas but I cannot help but say I feel shortchanged by this one. But it is also so good that I cannot help but listen to it and hope that Michael Bublé and his producer David Foster would soon come up with a full-length Christmas CD.

It is classified as an EP, or Extended Play because there are only six cuts and one is even a live track. The title is Let It Snow and it includes Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow, plus The Christmas Song, Grown Up Christmas List, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, White Christmas and the live version of the title cut.

Bublé sings the Yuletide hits with all the aplomb of the crooners of old and he sounds like he means every word. It is truly a fact that he was born to sing these songs and it would be most unfortunate if he will not be able to do more. Maybe we will finally get the totally package on Christmas, 2009.