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Written by Gregg Shapiro
Nov 17, 2010
The Superions, "Destination Christmas."
Annie Lennox “A Christmas Cornucopia.”
The Superions
The B-52s never put out a holiday record and that’s a shame. But fear not, out B-52s front man Fred Schneider has teamed up with Noah Brodie and Dan Marshall to form The Superions and release “Destination…Christmas!” (Fanatic). Even without Kate Pierson or Cindy Wilson, “Destination…Christmas!” sounds like it could be a lost B-52s record – in spirit, at least. The 11 new songs, with titles such as “Christmas Conga (Jungle Bells), “Crummy Christmas Tree” and “Christmas Tears,” have the kind of kooky lyrics we’ve come to expect from Schneider. There are also plenty of opportunities for dancing on “Santa’s Disco,” “Santa Je T’aime” and the Cerrone-like “Teddy and Betty Yeti.”
Indigo Girls
Amy Ray and Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls wrap up a dozen songs on their first holiday disc “Holly Happy Days” (IG Recordings/ Vanguard). Originals such as the bouncy banjo number “The Wonder Song” and the inclusive “Your Holiday Song” are welcome additions to the Christmas music songbook. Their distinctive interpretations of such standards as “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and “Angels We Have Heard On High,” as well as out singer/songwriter Chely Wright’s “It Really Is A Wonderful Night” and Beth Nielsen Chapman’s “There’s Still My Joy,” are glorious. The inclusion of Woody Guthrie’s “Happy Joyous Hanukah” is a delight.
Annie Lennox
One listen to the beautiful and abundant “A Christmas Cornucopia” (Decca) and you will wonder why Annie Lennox (who was born on Dec. 25) hasn’t recorded an album like this before. The dozen songs range from well-known selections, including “The First Noel” and “Silent Night,” to less-familiar fare, such as “See Amid the Winter’s Snow” and “Angels From the Realms of Glory.” Lennox closes the disc with the original composition “Universal Child,” a powerful number with a message that extends beyond the holiday season.
Mariah Carey
What a difference 16 years makes. Further embracing her urban identity on “Merry Christmas II You” (Island), Mariah Carey’s sequel to her 1994 holiday disc, the 40-year-old diva continues to embrace her sex-kitten image while trimming the tree. A mixture of carol medleys and originals, including an “extra festive” rerecording of her Xmas hit “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and two co-written by out songwriter Marc (“Hairspray”) Shaiman – “Christmas Time Is In the Air Again” and “One Child” – the whole affair seems less festive than it does forced, a prettily wrapped package that lacks warmth and feels as frosty as spray-on snow.
“Black Sabbath”
Let’s face it, despite the Indigo Girls’ inclusion of a Hanukkah song on their holiday CD, there is a real dearth of music for that holiday. The various artists comp “Black Sabbath: The Secret Musical History of Black-Jewish Relations” (Idelsohn Society) doesn’t have any Hanukkah songs on it, but it does feature Johnny Mathis performing “Kol Nidre” (a chant sung on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement). Of course, “Fiddler On The Roof” is included (“Sabbath Prayer” is performed by Cannonball Adderley and there’s medley from the musical by The Temptations), Additionally, Yiddish favorites, including “Utt Da Zay” (Cab Calloway) and “Ich Hob Dich Tzufil Lieba” (Alberta Hunter) are highlighted.
Allan Sherman
One thing you can say for the Jewish people: They have maintained their sense of humor. The late Allan Sherman, a purveyor of great musical comedy, released a series of albums during the 1960s that still induce LOLs today. “My Son, the Folk Singer,” “My Son, the Celebrity” and “My Son, the Nut” have all been reissued on Collectors’ Choice Music. Sherman’s gift for parody lyrics has rarely been equaled. Just try not to crack a smile when Sherman transforms “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” into “The Ballad of Harry Lewis,” a tribute to a mensch of the cloth (read: rag trade); revises the Harry Belafonte hit “Matilda” into “My Zelda”; or sings his biggest hit, the letter from camp song “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduch, based on “Dance of the Hours” by Ponchielli from “La Gioconda.” If this isn’t Hanukkah party music, what is?
The Wailing Wall
As mystical as modern Jewish music gets (just listen to sitar on “Bones Become Rainbows”), “The Low Hanging Fruit” (JDub) by The Wailing Wall (a.k.a. Jesse Rifkin) makes it safe for Brooklyn vegan hipsters and their contemporaries everywhere.
Kat Parra & The Sephardic Music Experience
“Dos Amantes” (JazzMe), by Kat Parra & The Sephardic Music Experience, on which the former Cisco Systems graphic designer-turned-jazz musician explores her Jewish heritage, closes with the song “Hanukia (Hannukah).” Some may also recognize “Fiestaremos,” a version of “Hatikvah.”
