I promised to list my 5 favorite Christmas albums, so here I go with number 5, Destiny Child’s 8 Days of Christmas.
Many of the reviews were not favorable when this CD was first released in 2001, so before hitting the back button on your browser and writing me off as a kook with a computer, hear me out. Granted, this album will not arouse the warm cozy images of chestnuts roasting on an open fire, but that’s exactly why it’s one of my favorites – it’s different with that Destiny Child’s sass! If you’re looking to spice up your Christmas music with more than store bought eggnog, 8 Days of Christmas is the ticket. Actually their arrangement of Do You Hear What I Hear with Kelly Rowland on lead vocals is one of the best arrangements out there of this classic tune. Will the CD stand up to some of the all time classic albums? No, but when you’re looking for a fun, upbeat, contemporary Christmas music diversion, you can’t go wrong with 8 Days of Christmas!
On to number 4, Eric Darken A Drummer Boy’s Christmas. This is the only CD I owned by drummer/keyboardist Eric Darken, and I feel very fortunate to have owned this CD since 1993 when it was first released. If not for the digital age this album would be somewhat hard to find, but these days you can get almost any music from Amazon, iTunes etc. With that being said, this is still an album off the beaten path but its well worth the excursion! This is one of the coolest jazz Christmas albums out there. BTW, I said “cool” not “smooth”. Smooth jazz is so watered-down these days and there is nothing watered-down about A Drummer Boy’s Christmas so I wouldn’t dare call it smooth. The project kicks off with a very good somewhat calypso inspired God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. There’s also a must hear R&B influenced Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. Darken’s take on Carol Of The Bells is my all time favorite version!! Back in the day I supplied the background music for a Christmas banquet. When Darken’s Carol Of The Bells played I had so many people ask the name of the artist that if I had a trunk full of his CD’s that night I could have sold them all!!! A Drummer Boy’s Christmas has been, and will continue to be, one my favorite Christmas music staples!
Tune back in for my third and second favorite Christmas album. Also, don’t forget to encourage and support a diabetic to maintain their diet regime during the holiday season!
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