New renditions of familiar songs roll in to stoke the Christmas fire

Idina Menzel "Holiday Wishes"
Idina Menzel "Holiday Wishes"

New Christmas albums began arriving in late summer, while we were "All About That Bass," the still popular catchy hit by Meghan Trainor.

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Pentatonix "That's Christmas to Me"

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Maysa "A Very Maysa Christmas"

It was weeks before Thanksgiving when the big Christmas albums rolled in, and we were still grooving to Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" (still at No. 1) and Iggy Azalia's "Fancy," feeling woozy with Dierks Bentley's "Drunk on a Plane" and enjoying Magic!'s hit "Rude."

Idina Menzel's Holiday Wishes debuted at No. 13 on Billboard's top albums list in October, riding the wave created by "Let It Go" from the smash Frozen soundtrack. A cappella sensations Pentatonix debuted at No. 9 with That's Christmas to Me; country star Darius Rucker's Home for the Holidays hit No. 7 on Billboard's country album charts; and musician David Koz debuted at No. 4 on the jazz list with The 25th of December.

Here are several new Christmas releases performers hope will jingle your bells.

• Idina Menzel, Holiday Wishes, Warner Bros.

What's it like? Broadway's big voice may be too big for those who want cozy, warm and fuzzy. But those passionate about "Let It Go" and her work on Frozen will love it.

What songs? Mostly the usual: "The Christmas Song," "White Christmas," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." More recent choices: Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" and Joni Mitchell's "River." A duet of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" with Michael Buble almost charms.

Worth the bucks? For the fans, yes.

• Pentatonix, That's Christmas to Me, RCA

What's it like? This fearless, entertaining a cappella group brings an electronica-influenced vocal sound to their second Christmas album.

What songs? Classics such as "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "Silent Night" and "Mary Did You Know," along with Fleet Foxes' "White Winter Hymnal" and a cover of Frozen's "Let It Go."

Worth the bucks? Clever and fresh approach; it's a winner.

Christmas at Downton Abbey, Warner Bros.

What's it like? If you've seen one of the Christmas specials and loved the music, this two-CD set is what you need.

What songs? Classic Christmas carols sung by stars Elizabeth McGovern, Julian Ovenden and Jim Carter. Guests include Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Thomas Hampson and the Choir of Kings College, Cambridge. Ovenden sings a lovely "O Holy Night"; McGovern shines on "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear"; and Carter sells "'Twas the Night Before Christmas."

Worth the bucks? Of course.

Christmas With Nashville, Big Machine

What's it like? The cast of ABC-TV's Nashville does Christmas.

What songs? Clare Bowen (Scarlett) sparkles on a swinging "Santa Baby"; Hayden Panettiere (Juliet) sings "White Christmas" sweetly; and Sam Palladio (Gunnar) shines on Joni Mitchell's "River." A duet fans will love: Connie Britton (Rayna) and Will Chase (Luke) on a flirty "Baby, It's Cold Outside."

Worth the bucks: Yup.

• Celtic Thunder, Holiday Symphony, Legacy

What's it like? The group is touring with a full orchestra, so the arrangements are bombastic and the vocals have no shortage of thunderous presence.

What songs? Classics such as "Away in a Manger," "O Come All Ye Faithful" and "Carol of the Bells," along with a surprise or two, such as The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York."

Worth the bucks? If you're a fan of Celtic Thunder, Celtic Woman, et al., yes.

• Earth, Wind & Fire, Holiday, Legacy

What's it like? If you grooved to the band's horn-driven funky and harmonic hits such as "Serpentine Fire" and "That's the Way of the World," welcome to your new Christmas album.

What songs? A saucy "Joy to the World," "O Come All Ye Faithful," a "Winter Wonderland" that's close to "Boogie Wonderland," a remake of "September" titled "December."

Worth it? It will get the party started.

• Blind Boys of Alabama and Taj Mahal, Talking Christmas, Columbia Masterworks

What's it like? Not as bluesy as you might think or hope. It's a gospel/R&B mix with fabulous vocals. Mahal plays banjo, guitar and harmonica and sings on "What Can I Do?" and "There's a Reason We Call It Christmas."

What songs? Killer take on "Do You Hear What I Hear?" with a lot more sass and soul; a lovely acoustic "Silent Night"; and an original "Who Will Remember?" The song's waltzy arrangement wouldn't be out of place on a Willie Nelson album.

Worth the bucks? You bet.

• Maysa, A Very Maysa Christmas, Shanachie

What's it like? Soulful diva, admired by no less than Stevie Wonder, has an expressive, powerful voice. Arrangements lean toward gospel-flavored R&B/jazz. Guests include Gerald Albright and Will Downing.

What songs? Familiar ones, including a gospel-fired "Joy to the World," a playfully rearranged "Jingle Bells," "Silver Bells" (with Albright) and a stunning "Christmas Time Is Here" from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Worth the bucks? Yes.

• Darius Rucker, Home for the Holidays, Capitol

What's it like? The former Hootie & the Blowfish singer turned country star swings a bit on this holiday collection, which seems inspired by a countrypolitan vibe filtered through '50s-era Frank Sinatra and Nat "King" Cole. Charming, but wears thin.

What songs? "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow," "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "White Christmas," etc. The original "What God Wants for Christmas" is well-intentioned but bland.

Worth the bucks? For Rucker fans.

It's Christmas on Mack Avenue, Mack Avenue

What's it like? The jazz label taps its roster for a nice compilation of holiday classics and some not as familiar. Best-known names include the Christian McBride Trio, Warren Wolf and Hot Club of Detroit.

What songs? Trumpeter Sean Jones shines on a hot "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"; singer Cyrille Aimee breathes a Hawaiian flavor into "Let It Snow, Let It Snow"; and Hot Club of Detroit swings on "Skating." But wait until you hear vibist Wolf bring "Carol of the Bells" to new life.

Worth the bucks? Yes, if you're willing to take a chance on some less-known artists.

• Felix Cavaliere, Christmas Joy, felixcavalieremusic.com

What's it like? Cavaliere was the vocalist of The Rascals, a '60s pop group with hit such as "People Got to Be Free" and "Groovin'." Cavaliere's still soulful voice shines; some arrangements evoke the lushness of Phil Spector-produced work.

What songs? Some originals: the jazzy original "Christmas in New Orleans" and the romantic "Christmas in Your Arms," plus classics "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and "Bells of St. Mary's."

Worth the bucks? For the most part, yes.

Email:

ewidner@arkansasonline.com

Top 10 albums

The 10 best-selling Christmas albums, as reported by Billboard magazine.

  1. Elvis Presley, Elvis’ Christmas Album, 10 million

  2. Kenny G, Miracles: The Holiday Album, 7.3 million

  3. Nat “King” Cole, The Christmas Song, 6 million

  4. Mannheim Steamroller, Christmas, 6 million

  5. Mannheim Steamroller, A Fresh Aire Christmas, 6 million

  6. Josh Groban, Noel, 5.7 million

  7. Mariah Carey, Merry Christmas, 5.3 million

  8. Celine Dion, These Are Special Times, 5.2 million

  9. Barbra Streisand, A Christmas Album, 5 million

  10. Johnny Mathis, Merry Christmas, 5 million

Billboard compiled the list using RIAA certification information and point-of-sale data from Nielsen Sound-Scan. For albums released before SoundScan started in 1991, the magazine used the RIAA certification to determine sales.

Style on 11/23/2014

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