A Few Of My Favorite CDs

I thought I'd share a few of my favorite Christmas CDs.

I'm a BIG fan of soul and R&B music, and one of the best CDs you can find in that genre is Michael McDonald's "In the Spirit - A Christmas Album." There are a couple of standards here, which are only so-so, but the rest of the CD is full of stellar originals that cover a wide range of seasonal sentiment, from the joys of family to the coming of the Savior. It's hard for me to pick a favorite; they're all great. The lyrics, particularly the song "Peace," reflect an abiding faith in God.

Vince Guaraldi's "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is so familiar to those of us who grew up on the Peanuts TV specials that we can often overlook the fact that it's just plain fine jazz. Guaraldi has a free, joyful improvisational style that breathes new life into many Christmas favorites. The CD also includes classics like "Linus and Lucy" and "Christmastime is Here."

If you want a good country Christmas CD, check out Tricia Yearwood's "The Sweetest Gift." Yearwood's voice is so strong, yet so sweet, and she can "sell" a song as well as anybody in country music. Among the gems on this CD are "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" and "Take a Walk Through Bethlehem," the latter being one of my favorite contemporary Christmas songs.

Just plain fun is "Christmas Gumbo," a collection of songs from various Cajun/Creole artists. The most pleasant surprise on this CD is "Peace in the World" by the Subdudes, which belongs in every Christmas catalog. Tons of great listening here, including "Christmas Gumbo," "Louisiana Santa" and "Papa St. Nick." You'll love this one, I garontee!

Chris Isaak is another artist I enjoy a lot, particularly his "Baha Sessions" album. His holiday offering, "Chris Isaak Christmas," serves up a pleasant collection of Yuletide classics as well as originals, all done in Isaak's trademark style, a blend of rockabilly, country and 50's/60's rock and roll. Be sure to check out "Brightest Star," an original penned by Isaak. I don't know and haven't read anything about Isaak's faith, but the lyrics speak of a young but growing faith in Christ.

People either love or hate Aaron Neville's distinctive vocal style, with its over-the-top, warbly vibrato. I've always liked him, ever since his soul classic "Tell It Like It Is" hit the charts in the 60's. Neville's "The Best of Aaron Neville - The Christmas Collection" is a wonderful compilation of songs from Neville's several Christmas releases. It contains classics like "O Holy Night," soulful tunes like "Please Come Home for Christmas," and rollicking goodtime songs like "Louisiana Christmas Day." You gotta check this one out.

That'll do for a start. Tell me about your favorites!