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Two contemporary jazz takes on the Christmas
standards.
Will Downing's Christmas, Love, and
You is exactly that-romantic and smooth with a Yuletide bent.
With a voice is reminiscent of Luther Vandross, Downing's smooth
jazz runs through the usual standards rendered with some distinct
variation, including reggae on the opening "The Little Drummer
Boy." The record balances familiar favorites ("Christmas
Song," "White Christmas," "Have Yourself
a Merry Little Christmas") and lesser-known songs ("Love
Over Christmas Morning," the title track). Essentially this
is a Christmas album for lovers to sleep or wake up to.
Dianne Reeves's contribution to the Christmas
music market is a little less slickly produced than Downing's.
Christmas Time Is Here is more rooted in old traditional
jazz with a little soul and spirituality, and Reeves's warm voice
provides a breath of sanity and grace especially on the tender
tracks in "Christ Child's Lullaby" and "A Child
Is Born," and her renditions of the standards like "Let
It Snow" and "The Christmas Song" are both swinging
and elegant. At times you forget the holiday novelty sheen on
the songs and think of them as jazz numbers-and a heartwarming
collection at that.
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