New music for the holiday season (Pt 12) - from Jamie Cullum

For my final installment for my “12 Faves of Christmas” selections, I’m choosing a record that was actually released last year, but was re-released with a second disc of for this year – I’m talking about The Pianoman at Christmas – The Complete Edition from Jamie Cullum.

If you are anything like me, then you’re a sucker for those old Firestone Tire Christmas albums that your folks used to get back in the 1960s. All the great ‘voices’ were performing there is all their ‘Sinatra Rat Pack’ style & it was glorious!

Cullum takes a page from that songbook and add a bit more on this release with a second disc that features eleven covers of classic Christmas songs, as well as two originals, including his latest release “Christmas Don’t Let Me Down.”

Drawing from the past and inspired by the present, The Pianoman At Christmas – The Complete Edition sees Jamie team up with London jazz innovators Kansas Smitty’s, as well as composer and producer The Vernon Spring and acclaimed LA-based jazz singer Lady Blackbird to complete a piece of work that is imbued with seasonal sophistication. Alongside those two original tracks, Jamie breathes new life into classics such as “Winter Wonderland,” “Silent Night” and “Frosty the Snowman,” ranging from “Amazing Grace” to “Man with The Bag” and “Sleigh Ride.”

While the majority of the record really swings, Cullum can also move the listener the quiet hush on his take of “In the Bleak Midwinter,” a stand-out performance on a collection of wonderful fun – Sure to put you into the Christmas spirit!

Give a listen here:

This concludes my "12 Faves of Christmas" for 2021... Hope you enjoyed the series & learned about some of that GREAT music that is out there - Sometimes hard to find while we live our busy lives, so hopefully this helped guide you along your way to discovering some awesome new music - Thx for following along! All the best!