New Christmas albums

The new Christmas releases are always something to get excited about every year. And for 2014, I came across three superb albums that are sure to be part of the Yuletide celebrations from now on.

The first to be added is The First Christmas by the country’s premiere balladeer Basil Valdez. “First Christmas” here does not only mean that first Christmas that happened thousands of years ago in Bethlehem although that is what Basil is singing about.  First Christmas literally means Basil’s first Christmas album ever.  That is right, Basil, who has been in the music business for over 40 years and whose hit songs are part and parcel of the Filipino life, has recorded a Christmas album for the very first time.

 There were several reasons why he had not recorded one before. One is that there were always new songs available for him to sing. Another one is that he had been hard put choosing what Christmas songs to do. Will he go Filipino? What about pop with foreign songs? His dilemma here is that Christmas songs have already been recorded masterfully by so many artists. But he certainly cannot go all new as it would be difficult to complete an album of new originals. Still, Basil felt he has reached the point in his career when he should do a Christmas album.

To solve his problem, Basil decided to go traditional. He went for the songs he sang as a child and the most popular among kiddie carolers and Silent Night, O Holy Night, What Child Is This, We Three Kings Of Orient Are.  He also included classics he had always wanted to record Ave Maria and Our Father. Then to spice up the mix, the Philippine Madrigal Singers were invited to join Basil in O Come All Ye Faithful, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, and in A Christmas Carol, the only non-traditional song in the batch. Taken from the musical Scrooge, it was the first Christmas song Basil performed on TV early in his career.

Holiday by Earth, Wind & Fire: Just as in the case of Basil, it took Earth Wind & Fire 40 years to get to its first Christmas album but believe you me, it was so well worth the wait. Holiday is simply amazing. It is Christmas tunes but in the classic Earth, Wind & Fire mode. It is so good, that I feel glad they waited this long to take on Christmas. Of course, it feels sad that the iconic founder Maurice White is now retired from performing. But had these guys done Christmas earlier, they wouldn’t have had all those great hits to use in the album.

That is just what Philip Bailey, who sings like a dream, Mayron McKinley’s piano and Verdine White’s bass have done in the Holiday album. They have taken some of their oldies and used the songs to give that distinctive EWF flair to Christmas music.  This is why you will hear After the Love Is Gone in O Come All Ye Faithful, why Winter Wonderland beats like Boogie Wonderland, why What Child Is This? sounds like Fantasy, why there is September in Sleigh Ride and why the same hit tune has been turned into December.

Listen and find out what other Earth Wind & Fire songs you will find in Joy To The World; Happy Seasons; Away In A Manger; The Little Drummer Boy; Every Day Is Like Christmas; The First Noel; Snow; and Jingle Bell Rock.

The 25th Of December by Dave Koz & Friends: Sax wizard Dave Koz must really love Christmas. Every year, he goes on tour around the Holiday season in the Dave Koz & Friends show, where they perform Christmas songs in the jazzy style. Then it also seems like every time I look that, he has a new Christmas album out. Well, he has actually released only three, Smooth Jazz Christmas, Ultimate Christmas Collection and The 25th of December. But it feels like a lot.

This is because I have always believed that an artist will usually do one Christmas album during her early successful years. Then there will be another one about 10 or 20 years later and that’s that. But Koz, now at his peak as an artist and album seller, is already poised to do even more. And the great thing is his albums just keep getting better. The 25th of December his latest is so far, his best. The billing Dave Koz & Friends features a stellar line-up of artists in a cheery Christmas mood, very smooth, very relaxing and giving extraordinary performances.

You will love this line-up: The First Noel by Koz; It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year with Johnny Mathis; This Christmas with Eric Benet; Do You Hear What I Hear? with Gloria Estefan; Another Silent Night with Richard Marx; Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow with Kenny G; a medley of O Come All Ye Faithful, Angels We Have Heard On High and Hark The Herald Angels Sing featuring Fantasia; a rousing All You Need Is Love  with Eric Benet, Johnny Mathis, Heather Headley, Richard Marx, Jonathan Butler, Maysa, Bebe Winans, Gloria Estefan and Stevie Wonder; plus other great cuts.