Isbn: 0190758835921 (1 résultats)

CD. Etat : Good. John Legend did not need any prodding to record a holiday album and is in the spirit throughout A Legendary Christmas. Produced by Raphael Saadiq, with whom Legend collaborated on Once Again highlight Show Me, the LP is joyously nostal gic, decked with strings, horns, and a trio of background vocalists including se cret weapon Sy Smith. The majority of the material dates from the '40s through t he '70s, while the six originals are similarly styled. Most of the new songs hol d their own. The dashing Wrap Me Up in Your Love could pass for a vocalese ver sion of a song intended for a Sky High Productions holiday album shelved since 1 974, as it resembles something Fonce and Larry Mizell might've whipped up for Bo bbi Humphrey or Donald Byrd. Another standout, Bring Me Love, fits in with the thoughtful mix of Motown numbers: What Christmas Means to Me (popularized by Stevie Wonder, heard here on harmonica), Give Love on Christmas Day (recorded by Jackson 5, coincidentally co-written by Fonce Mizell), and Purple Snowflakes (originally cut by Marvin Gaye but not released until 1992, 27 years after the original composition was reworked/repurposed as the single Pretty Little Baby ). Legend brought the ham to the recordings of the best-known selections. These include the Esperanza Spalding duet Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and especially The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire). They're s traightforward renditions, whereas Saadiq and Jamelle Adisa's upbeat, uptown sou l-style arrangement of Silver Bells brims with energy, and Legend beams throug h it like he can't wait to make Another Legendary Christmas. The booklet, filled with Legend family photos, make a strong case for physical over digital. ~ Andy.…