4Play: Sting, Johnny Cash, Andrea Bocelli, Bob Dylan

Dec. 20, 2009

Sting - If On a Winter’s Night -
Deutsche Grammophon
Who better to send out soothing, holiday-friendly vocals than Sting?
The singer and multi-instrumentalist carefully selected an “arc of
songs” for this album that span both the centuries and the various
moods of the holidays, and he selected a three-piece musical ensemble
(fiddle/pipes, melodean, and harp) to accompany him, as well as
several guest artists to add touches of trumpet (Chris Botti),
percussion (Bijan Chemirani), and cello (Vincent Segal). The songs
themselves range from traditional English melodies like “Soul Cake”
and “The Snow it Melts the Soonest” to 14th-century carol “Gabriel’s
Message,” as well as Sting’s own original, “The Hounds of Winter.”
It’s pretty, and seasonally-appropriate, too.

Johnny Cash - The Christmas Spirit - Columbia
Cash’s seventeenth album, this festival collection, although a little
older, is a necessity for Cash (and Christmas) fans; it includes eight
cover Christmas songs, as well as four original holiday tunes penned
by Cash himself. Opening with the title track, the set moves through
classics like “Blue Christmas” and “Silent Night” and expands the
appeal of “Little Drummer Boy” with an interestingly spare arrangement
that focuses on the percussion. “Christmas As I Knew It” is about
Cash’s early holidays in Arkansas (and was co-written by his beloved
wife, June); and several of the songs also feature 1950s-style backing
vocals to add texture and beautifully retro charm.

Andrea Bocelli - My Christmas - Philips
With a golden voice of his own, of course, Andrea Bocelli’s soaring
tones assist him in capturing something that he says has long been a
dream for him - a holiday album that “captures the beautiful
traditions” of the holiday season. As produced by the accomplished
David Foster, the rich, beautifully-layered arrangements perfectly
underscore and support Bocelli’s distinctive vocals on a full
tracklisting of holiday music, including Bocelli’s own interpretations
of traditional songs “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “O Tannenbaum,”
and “Adeste Fidelis.” Also included here is Bocelli’s appealing
lighter side, on which he sings cheerfully through “Santa Claus is
Coming to Town” and duets on “Jingle Bells” with the Muppets.

Bob Dylan - Christmas in the Heart - Sony
This may be Dylan’s 47th album, but it’s his very first Christmas
album, and it’s for charity, too; in a commitment to helping end
hunger, Dylan’s U.S. current and future royalties from the sales of
this particular set will be donated to the Feeding America
organization, a favorite of the famed singer-songwriter. Fifteen
holiday tunes - with Dylan’s distinctive vocal stamp, of course - are
included here, from standards “Little Drummer Boy” and “O Little Town
of Bethlehem” to newer and quirkier holiday songs such as “Must Be
Santa,” and “Christmas Island.” It’s a nice and well-performed series
of holiday tunes from the folk legend, and offers the bonus of a
worthy cause.