Ho Ho Ho! - Upcoming Holiday / Christmas releases?

Grabbed this one.
$5
https://www.discogs.com/Johnny-Cash-The-Christmas-Spirit/release/2335515

 

For any of Universal's pre-1950's material (like the two Waring albums), it's now at the LOC

Universal Music Group's vintage recordings head to Library of Congress »

 

Picked up Simply Christmas, the new one by Leslie Odom Jr (Aaron Burr in Hamilton)... It's a good one for traditionalists, with low-key renditions of several standards, mostly with minimal piano accompaniment.

 

I received this today!!! I can't wait to listen tonight.

 

Mine is supposed to be delivered today!

 

Received mine yesterday, listening now.

A great album, and a nice little surprise was to find the cover had been autographed by the three artists.

 

We listened to it last night and thought it was great. I love the mood and vibe of the songs. I can see this getting a lot of play during the holidays. The autographs were awesome. I couldn't remember if that was an option to select or a nice surprise.

For comparison, we listened to David Bazan's Dark Sacred Night last night and while it was beautiful, it was very melancholy, but deliberately so, it seemed.

 

I honestly don't remember seeing anything mentioned about the autographs when placing my order.

 

For the vinyl version? It's on the album's sub-site order link.
Jane Lynch Christmas »

My copy arrived with my US-based fence last week, but it won't reach me in time for Sunday, so I'll have to rely on the mp3s. Nice record though.

 

LOL -I must have not been paying attention or just absolutely forgot.

I'm hoping it was the lack of attention.

 

The LPs were listed as limited edition signed. Yay! Got home and mine was waiting on me!

I have to say Good King Wenceslas is one of my least favorite Christmas songs. But Kate's version on here has me dying laughing! Love it!

 

QQ - is there a download card with the vinyl?

 

I did not get one with mine.

 

-Unfortunately no. Amy Grant did the same thing with her new holiday album.

 

Bought this for our kid for Chrissy.

 

The vinyl seems to be available in Poland! He released a successful duets album with a Polish singer named Margaret last year, so I guess he is "big" there!

Old School Yule! »

 

Italian singer Laura Pausini has a Christmas album available this year:

 

And it's FREE, too!

 

Not sure if it's been mentioned yet, but Erasure's 2013 disc, "Snow Globe", was released on white vinyl this year complete with bonus tracks:

Erasure-Snow Globe-Vinyl Record|Acoustic Sounds »

LP Side A

1. Bells Of Love (Isabelle's of Love)
2. Gaudete
3. Make It Wonderful
4. Sleep Quietly
5. Silent Night
6. Loving Man
7. The Christmas Song

LP Side B

1. Bleak Midwinter
2. Blood On The Snow
3. There'll Be No Tomorrow
4. Midnight Clear
5. White Christmas
6. Silver Bells

LP Side C

1. She Won't Be Home (Redux)
2. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Redux)
3. Make It Wonderful - Acoustic
4. Stop The Calvary - Acoustic
5. Sleep Quietly - Maps Remix

LP Side D

1. Gaudete - Dave Aude Remix (Extended Club Mix)
2. Make It Wonderful - Bright Light Bright Light remix
3. Loving Man - Knocking Ghost Remix
4. Yes Virginia, There is A Santa Claus - Jeff Baringer Vs. Skerik Remix Edit

 

Boo

I ordered this from the UK last week when I read about it. I can't wait.

 

I'll admit that Make It Wonderful does not really sound like a Holiday song to me but I do believe that it's their best song.

 

Just stumbled across this album from Ann Hampton Callaway released in 2015 -- and released by the fantastic Manchester Craftsmen's Guild here in my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA (and surprisingly available on vinyl, a rarity for the label).

MCG Jazz - Ann Callaway "The Hope of Christmas" Vinyl Record »





ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY SINGS THE LYRICS OF TWO-TIME EMMY® AWARD WINNER WILLIAM SCHERMERHORN
Release Date: October 9, 2015

Featured artists include FIVE PLAY, NEW YORK VOICES, HUBERT LAWS, CLAUDIO RODITI, GERALD ALBRIGHT, THE TED ROSENTHAL TRIO & MORE

Proceeds from the recording to benefit MANCHESTER CRAFTSMEN'S GUILD and its mission to preserve, present and promote Jazz.

"One of the miracles of songwriting is how anyone can possibly create a new effort when seemingly everything has already been expressed. Add to that notion the thought of writing a new Christmas song with something to say that feels familiar yet fresh… Enter William Schermerhorn with pen in hand and nimble mind at the ready." - Michael Feinstein, From THE HOPE OF CHRISTMAS liner notes

"Ann possesses what I think of as a quintessential Christmas voice. Sweet and pure… her sound transports you." - Stephen Holden, The New York Times

THE HOPE OF CHRISTMAS is a new collection of Christmas songs interpreted by multiplatinum-selling singer, Tony nominated actress, pianist and leading champion of the American songbook, Ann Hampton Callaway, with lyrics by two-time Emmy® Award winner William Schermerhorn, and featuring twenty-nine of the world's best jazz musicians, including Five Play, New York Voices, Hubert Laws, Claudio Roditi, Gerald Albright, The Ted Rosenthal Trio and more. The recording will be released on Friday, October 9 by the MCG Jazz record label (Marty Ashby, producer).

Composers for the twelve songs on the recording are Ann Hampton Callaway; Milton Delugg (Orange Colored Sky, Just Another Polka); Mary Ehlinger; two-time Emmy® and five-time Grammy® Award-nominated entertainer Michael Feinstein; Stephen Fox; Emmy® & Tony® Award-nominated composer Matthew Sklar (Elf, The Wedding Singer); and Emmy® Award-winning composer Wesley Whatley (Yes, Virginia, There's A Santa Claus).

Featured tracks to include the title song The Hope of Christmas with music by Ann Hampton Callaway and lyrics by William Schermerhorn. Performed by Ann Hampton Callaway and New York Voices.

All proceeds from the sale of this CD to go directly to support the MCG Jazz program and its mission to preserve, present and promote jazz. MCG Jazz, mcgjazz.org, is a social enterprise of Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, a subsidiary of Manchester Bidwell Corporation, a non-profit arts and learning center.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The eighteen-month collaboration between singer, lyricist and record producer to bring THE HOPE OF CHRISTMAS to the public has kept the holiday season and its inspiring message at the forefront for the many artists involved. Starting with a list of approximately thirty songs, the Ashby-Callaway-Schermerhorn team ultimately came up with the dozen songs (including two brand-new compositions by Callaway/Schermerhorn) that make up the playlist.

With the exception of the Emmy® nominated song I BELIEVE, which was first performed by Kermit the Frog and released as a single with Kermit the Frog and Disney star Tiffany Thornton, the songs on THE HOPE OF CHRISTMAS recording will be available to the public for the first time in these dynamic, all-new jazz arrangements by Jay Ashby, Marty Ashby, Callaway and Mike Tomaro.

"Christmas music, in all its styles, touches the heart like no other music I know," says William Schermerhorn. "For over two decades, I have been blessed to have the opportunity to tell new Christmas stories for a wide variety of events through the lyrics of my songs. It's a gift to now hear these songs interpreted by Ann Hampton Callaway and the extraordinary jazz musicians that Marty Ashby has assembled for this recording. Knowing that proceeds from the sale of this recording benefit MCG Jazz to carry out its mission is like having extra tinsel to make the holiday season shine even brighter."

"MCG Jazz is honored to be a part of this important project," says Marty Ashby. "Bill Schermerhorn's lyrics are such a powerful representation of the spirit of the holiday season and there is no one more elegant than Ann Hampton Callaway to deliver the message in a most profound way."

Reflecting on this collaboration, Ann Hampton Callaway comments that "Singing and composing music for this collection of Bill Schermerhorn's new holiday songs has been a joy and an honor. Since music has the power to open hearts and unite us, may the spirit of this record inspire each listening heart to bring more love to each day, so that the season of love can last all year round!"

PLAYLIST All lyrics by William Schermerhorn

1. ON UNION STREET (Wesley Whatley, music)
2. THE HOPE OF CHRISTMAS (Ann Hampton Callaway, music)
3. ONE STAR (Stephen Fox, music)
4. DISCOVERY (Wesley Whatley. music)
5. I BELIEVE (Wesley Whatley, music)
6. I SAW A SPARROW (Matthew Sklar, music)
7. SANTA DOESN'T LIKE ME (Matthew Sklar, music)
8. CHRISTMAS ISN'T CHRISTMAS AT ALL (Milton Delugg, music)
9. I WANT TO PLAY SANTA (Wesley Whatley, music)
10. WHAT GOOD IS BEING CRANKY (WHEN IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME) (Mary Ehlinger, music)
11. MY GIFT OF THANKS (Michael Feinstein, music)
12. FLY WITH THE ANGELS (Ann Hampton Callaway, music)

QUOTES ON THE HOPE OF CHRISTMAS

CABARET SCENES SAYS:
Sung with her impeccable intonation and perfect pitch, Ann takes each song to untold heights. It's classic Ann Hampton Callaway, sung in a voice that just gains in substance the deeper she digs into a phrase. Those vocals and her definitive phrasing on every note, along with a quickening vibrato on drawn-out notes as she expresses emotion as only she can, make her the one-of-a-kind artist she remains. Ann Hampton Callaway has given followers a special gift. Order it before it sells out.

Q ON STAGE SAYS:
The album is jazzy, hopeful, modern, and infused with the dark golden honey of one of the finest voices in jazz today. The pure heart and the hope that Christmas feelings will last all year.

WESTCHESTER WAG SAYS:
From the title track to "One Star" to "I Believe," the musical selections will kick off the season on just the right note.

MIDWEST RECORDS:
ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY/The Hope of Christmas: There's fun songs, there's straight songs, there's serous songs and there's a killer crew of jazzbos bringing up the rear. A totally new album from top to bottom, Killer stuff that's going to become part of the ages.

 

Nope... but being the OCD person I am, I downloaded it from iTunes (which includes a 15th track, the instrumental of "Silent Night").