The Secret Of Christmas

Racquel has a very pleasing warm voice filled with soul and rhythm. She is an accomplished actor and vocalist that will certainly find a new audience with this recording. She can count in one more fan right now, as I enjoyed this album from start to finish.

From the viewpoint of a listener that dreads a plethora of holiday albums every year, I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied after taking in this modern tribute to time tested tunes. Racquel composed her own vivid and energetic musical interpretations of the tracks with the help of Los Angeles jazz composer Nick Mancini. Having a seasoned composer in your camp can never hurt and it is evident that there were some good synergies going on with the entire process of recording this project.

The most agreeable aspect of this album is the use of several genres, including jazz, rhythm and blues, pop, funk, and more. I can see Racquel transforming into a blossoming jazz diva listening to this album.

There are 12 tracks on this CD and never will you lose interest or feel it goes flat for a moment because of the excellent backing instrumentation the vocalist enjoys. You cannot build a house without a foundation and it is quite apparent that Racquel took advantage of what was set in place prior to getting in front of the microphone. Her stellar support aided in bringing out her very best vocals.

This one is a real keeper and if you have been yearning for something different in your stocking this year, this CD is a sure bet to make you smile for years to come. This artist has given the greatest gift of all this year, her heart and soul with good music to deliver the meaning of Christmas.

Artist: Racquel Roberts
Title: The Secret Of Christmas
Genre: R & B-Jazz-Pop
Label: Peace Rock LLC
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Tracks:
01. The Christmas Song
02. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
03. God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen
04. Christmas Time is Here
05. The Christmas Waltz
06. Do You Hear What I Hear?
07. What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)
08. Joy to the World
09. I’ll Be Home for Christmas
10. Give Love on Christmas Day
11. O Holy Night
12. What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? (Auld Lang Syne)

© MuzikReviews.com

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

Peek in the stocking or rummage under the tree for a spectacularly fab package of Christmas cheer. Joy to the world! The always hard working and dedicated Frank Lee Sprague returns with his latest yuletide classic, Merry Christmas, Traditional Carols Arranged as Traditional Rock Songs!

What do some of the most cherished Christmas carols of all time have in common with rock ‘n’ roll? Only a year after his highly regarded Merry Merseybeat Christmas, Frank Lee Sprague went back into the recording studio aiming to find out. What emerged was a song selection both spiritual and playful, a celebratory homage to some of Frank’s favorite music and musical styles.

Listen closely for snatches of familiar songs, from “Thank You Girl” by the Beatles, to “Mr. Tambourine Man” as done by the Byrds, from “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis, to “Love Reign O’er Me” by the Who. The album opens with the lovely and timeless “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring,” by Johann Sebastian Bach, ingeniously rearranged as an instrumental in the style of the Ventures. There are several other instrumental standouts here, including an intense, pounding “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” in which Frank manages to quote from Dick Dale’s “Miserlou,” and the Chantays’ “Pipeline,” while ending with the brooding coda from Bobby Fuller’s “The Chase.”

Noted for his mastery of British Invasion styles, Frank pays tribute to the Liverpool beat of the Swinging Bluejeans on “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem,” the intricate harmonies of the Hollies on “Away in a Manger,” and even takes us for a romp with the Beatles via the “Hard Day’s Night” style “O Christmas Tree.” “Jingle Bells” will never quite sound the same once you hear Frank’s frantically rocking reinvention of “Jingle Bells” as a piano pumping Jerry Lee Lewis stomper straight out of Sun Records. “O Come All Ye Faithful” captures some ringing Byrdsian 12 string electric guitar magic along with a chorus straight out of “Turn Turn Turn.” Special guest Randy Fuller of the Bobby Fuller Four joins Frank for a rollicking “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” arranged to sound like Bobby Fuller’s 1966 hit version of Buddy Holly’s “Love’s Made a Fool of You.”

Merry Christmas, Traditional Carols Arranged as Traditional Rock Songs! closes with a surf instrumental interpretation of Handel’s “The Messiah.” This remarkable version is a stunning example of Frank’s ability to pay respectful tribute to a familiar melody, while creating a fresh and original arrangement. “The Messiah” quotes from “Mr. Moto” by the Belairs, and demonstrates once again Frank’s fluid, brilliant lead guitar playing. Frank Lee Sprague loves Christmas. Throughout, Chris Sprague’s incredible drumming adds to the musical brilliance of this milestone L.P.

Frank Lee Sprague loves rock ‘n’ roll. Merry Christmas, Traditional Carols Arranged as Traditional Rock Songs! is a delicious and delectable taste of both – untie the ribbon, rip open the paper and please open this package first.

Known for his unparalleled ability to synthesize authentic rock ‘n’ roll styles into his own West Texas imprint, Frank Lee Sprague’s work has wowed reviewers in Rolling Stone, Playboy, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, and many other magazines and newspapers. He has appeared on CBS nationwide television and National Public Radio, and performed live around the world, including several successful tours of Japan.

Over the last few years, this charismatic songwriter and musician has recorded and released the critically acclaimed albums, Merseybeat, Cavern, Merry Merseybeat Christmas and Fulton Avenue, while also revered by fans for his long-time work as leader of the fabulous rock ‘n’ roll duo, the Sprague Brothers.

Now available at CD Baby and Amazon.com

Los Angeles, CA –

On The Secret of Christmas, Racquel took traditional holiday arrangements and transformed them by composing her own bright and spirited musical interpretations with the help of Los Angeles jazz composer Nick Mancini.

Racquel has been singing since her older sister introduced her to music as a child. While in college at UC Irvine in 1999, she auditioned for the Broadway musical Rent which led to several years performing on stage around the world with Rent, Hairspray, and The Lion King. Throughout those great experiences, Racquel has learned more than she could have ever imagined about the business and along the way, it has established her as a legitimate voice in the independent music business and on stage.

The Secret of Christmas takes what you would expect from a holiday album and turns it upside down, in a refreshing and pleasing way. Holiday music lifts the spirit and everyone has his or her yearly favorites however, how many Christmas albums that are in your collection could you play all year and enjoy? Few recordings have that kind of versatility and appeal.
The Secret of Christmas draws from the foundations of jazz and dips into the well of the blues, rhythm and blues, funk, and pop. Racquel Roberts is true to her heart and turns out an outstanding overall recording, that will touch your soul, enliven your spirit and renew your faith in humankind, and most importantly will make you move to the beat and inspire you to dance. The originality and feeling of these recordings touches upon the true meaning of Christmas and you realize that the secret to unlocking what it all means is inside you. Great music and words can help to bring the truth to light.
You can visit the special The Secret of Christmas website for additional information and news or order your copy through CD Baby or iTunes.

Contact: Gabriel Richards
Company: Peace Rock LLC
Address: 24404 S. Vermont Ave. Suite 300, Harbor City, California 90710
Voice Mail: (310) 922-8277
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With Christmas around the corner, I wanted to introduce to you an extraordinary new release called “Christmas in Rhythm & Bossa” – Franco & Guests.

The CD is distributed worldwide and can be found in most e-stores including iTunes, AmazonMp3.com, Yahoo! Music, AOL Music, e-music, etc.

The artist is Franco Sattamini, and his Christmas CD features a long list of amazing Brazilian and American artists. Refreshing and unique recordings by greats such as 5-time Grammy winner Phil Woods, co-inventor of the Bossa Nova Roberto Menescal, Claudio Nucci, Torcuato Mariano, Latin Grammy winner Danilo Caymmi, Luiz Avellar, Mariana de Moraes, Romero Lubambo, and many others.

Family and friends will love this CD and you’ll love it too. Enjoy!

About Franco
www.justfranco.com

He is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, producer and composer.

His long list of credits includes commercial recordings, TV scoring, world touring, arranging and producing numerous CDs, including Sharp Awards winner “Chica de Cidra – Louca Paixão” – Brazil.

Earlier in 2007, Franco arranged a track for Brazilian star Zé Ramalho new CD/DVD, contributing to the CD’s Latin Grammy Nomination for Best MPB Album.

He has worked with the very creators of the Bossa Nova movement, writing with Antonio Carlos Jobim and collaborating with Roberto Menescal, as well as many other Brazilian luminaries. Franco is part of a privileged generation of artists who can, first-hand, bridge the traditional roots of Brazilian music with the modern influences of today’s mainstream music.

That being said, It’s Christmas of Course is actually a pretty cool album. I was kind of expecting some over-the-top Broadway production, but this album has an intimate, live-blues club feel with music that is reminiscent of that old Stax Volt rhythm and blues sound. Love’s voice is thick like molasses and comes from a deep place as she sings contemporary Christmas songs, making them sound like standards from decades earlier.

“Santa Claus Go Strait To The Ghetto” is a really fun song; it’s got a wonderful Memphis blues beat, and the horn section punctuates the verses in a nice way. “Christmas All Over Again” begins with spirited organ flourish that leads in to an early 60’s style rock and roll jam with Tom Petty fashioned electric guitar. The drums on this track sound great with the snare having a crisp snap to it, and the beat has an authentic golden-era R&B feel. I’ve always enjoyed Billy Squire song, “Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You,” and these guys do a fine job on this version. The lead-in is a little weird though. I think they were going for a street corner a cappella sound, but the echo effect they used is phony and bad sounding.

It’s Christmas of Course is sure to get everybody’s hips swiveling at this year’s big holiday party. The album is mostly up-beat and the music is catchy and with a good vibe. My Christmas wish would be for all of these guys to get together and do a non-Christmas album that I could enjoy the other fifty weeks of the year, but for now I’ll be sure to add the spinning of this disc to my annual holiday traditions.

Artist: Darlene Love
Title: It’s Christmas Of Course
Genre: Christmas/Holiday/R&B
Label: Shout! Factory
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It’s Christmas Of Course Amazon Link
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Credits:
Gary Leonard: guitars
Zev Katz: electric and acoustic bass
Billy J. Stein: piano, Hammond B3, Wurlitzer, Rhodes and synthesizers
Nir Z: drums and percussion
Pattie Darcy Jones and Ula Hedwig: background vocals
Cissy Houston: guest vocalist on “Happy X-Mas (The War Is Over)”
Horns arranged by Steve Bernstein
Steve Bernstein: trumpet
Paul Shapiro: alto and tenor sax
Eric Lawrence: tenor and baritone sax

Tracks:
01. Christmas All Over Again
02. Who Took the Merry Out Of Christmas
03. Christmas Wish
04. Santa Claus Go Straight To the Ghetto
05. Please Come Home For Christmas
06. 2000 Miles
07. Christmas Is the Time To Say ‘I Love You’
08. What Christmas Means To Me
09. Christmas Must Be Tonight
10. Thanks For Christmas
11. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
12. Night Of Peace

© MuzikReviews.com

– Chad Adams

Los Angeles, CA – Shout! Factory will release Darlene Love’s first Christmas album, It’s Christmas, Of Course, which is sure to start a holiday tradition of its own! For the album, Darlene gives us her take on 12 tastefully selected holiday neo-classics of the ‘70s and ‘80s from a diverse array of artists like The Pretenders, The Band, James Brown, Tom Petty, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and more.

On this album of modern day classics, the Wall of Sound that surrounded her voice on her Phil Spector-produced hits has been stripped away, leaving her beautiful voice front and center.

Darlene Love is a woman of many talents. She’s primarily recognized for her vocal contribution to some of Phil Spector’s biggest hits like “He’s A Rebel” and “He’s Sure The Boy I’m Gonna Marry” (The Crystals), and her unmistakable backing vocals for such luminaries as Sam Cooke, Elvis Presley, The Mamas and Papas, Dionne Warwick, The Beach Boys, and Cher. Love has recently been seen lighting up Broadway with her performances in “Grease”, the Tony-Award nominated “Leader of the Pack”, and her current 2-year run as Motormouth Maybelle in Tony-Award winning “Hairspray”.

In addition to these notable accomplishments Love cut the classic “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” for Phil Spector’s Christmas Gift To You album in 1963. She’s performed the tune for the past 20 years, on David Letterman’s Late Show, where Dave has stated that the performance is his favorite thing about Christmas.

Love holds an annual Christmas concert in New York, selling out the Rose Theater in Lincoln Center last year. This year’s concert is scheduled for December 17th at Lincoln Center and is sure to in high demand as well. Now we have even more reason to celebrate one of the country’s most talented performers during everyone’s favorite time of year, Christmas.

Shout! Factory is a diversified entertainment company devoted to producing, uncovering and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their careers sharing their music, television and film faves with discerning consumers the world over. For more on Shout! Factory, visit www.shoutfactory.com.

Contact: Chip Schutzman
Company: Miles High Productions
Address: 6622 Delongpre Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90028
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Fax: 323-462-0829
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