It's time to Break It Down!
Merry Christmas to you! I know some people are caught up in the whole “We Are The (Secular) World” trip; thus the substitute Holiday for Christmas in their seasonal greetings. Of course those innately curious enough to conduct the requisite etymological research know that the root derivation of holiday is “Holy Day;” but I digress.
By now many of you have already begun your well-planned and richly deserved hiatus from work. You may even have finished your shopping and taken care of all the major errands that accompany preparing for the Big Day. Perhaps all that remains is packing and or traveling; maybe that throw-down cooking marathon that precedes the arrival of the family, friends, and guests whom you will host over the coming week.
As is my custom, I am not going to use this Christmas Post, if you will, to challenge you to sort between the facts, be they esoteric or mundane. No, this is your time to take advantage of the opportunity to hang out with your guests, or to be a guest, and enjoy the hospitality of friends.
In either case, I have, once again, identified and pulled together an assortment of my favorite Christmas Standards. Below, you will find bios for the 14 artists, the 13 youtube videos and interpretations, and the 12 songs listed and included in the e-concert. The information and links below tell the essence of the story; but there are a few points I wish to amplify for your consideration.
The number in parenthesis after each artist’s name is his or her current age, or the age at which the artist died, in the cases of James Brown, Eartha Kitt, John Coltrane, Nat King Cole, and Donny Hathaway. Each artist, song and interpretation is special in its own right.
The legendary Godfather of Soul, as James Brown became known, died on Christmas Day (2006), as did Eartha Kitt (2008), whom shall ever remain, to many of us, the incomparably personified Catwoman. There was both a surreal sadness and a resolute completeness associated with them ending their respective earthly journeys on Christmas Day, two years apart. Both artists were born in South Carolina; Brown in Barnwell, and Kitt, in North. Brown was renowned for his energetic performances, which earned him another of his many titles, “Hardest working man in show business.” His rendition of “Merry Christmas Baby” was a reminder that he had earned his chops the hard way, and that he was much more than flash and dash. Kitt’s “Santa Baby” is on my list, not only because it is a classic; it is, but also because like me, it was born in 1953. I’d like to think we both (the song and I) have held up well.
Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas” quite simply personifies Christmas for many of us. Hathaway, an initiate of Howard University’s Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, was a brilliant musician, but a troubled man. He endured bouts of depression and suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, which ultimately led him to commit suicide. “This Christmas,” however, lives on, and along with it and many of his other classics, so does his melodious voice.
Chris Brown has had his moments. He is known in most circles as either the Pied Piper to Generation Y (Millennials), or That Guy…you know, the one who beat down Robyn Fenty; Rihanna to you! This post will not attempt to moralize, or capitalize in any other way on the beef between these two. Rather, for the purposes of this commentary, I wanted to touch upon Chris’ cover of Hathaway’s classic tune. I think he did a fine job, and is an example that, many voices to the contrary, Gen X’ers are not only capable, but do in fact, continue to perpetuate the tradition of making great music.
Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole, father and daughter, both stellar musicians, in their own right, also represent two successive generations of the “family business.” Though the elder Cole is probably better known for his interpretation of The Christmas Song,” I intentionally chose his rendition of another standard, “O Holy Night,” to highlight another of his great performances. I included Natalie’s rendering of “The First Noel,” solely because of my partiality to the reverse spelling of “Noel!”
Having eschewed Cole’s version of “The Christmas Song,” I could not omit it altogether. Kem delivers a virtuoso performance of this classic song. He is one of my favorite contemporary artists, singing one of the Christmas songs I enjoy most. Ledisi and Lauryn Hill are two of contemporary R&B’s most accomplished female voices. Their versions of “Give Love On Christmas Day, and “Little Drummer Boy,” respectively, are special treats, and integral components of this e-concert.
John Coltrane and Dianne Reeves add an instrumental (“My Favorite Things”) and vocal (“Christmas Time Is Here”) jazz flavor to the mix. Trane, born in Hamlet, North Carolina, died of liver cancer at age 40; another life cut short, far too young. He and the combo render a cool version of the tune, so much so that it could make it one of “your favorite things.” Ms. Reeves uses her powerful and well-trained instrument to craft a compelling version of “Christmas Time Is Here.”
Christina Aguilera and Brian McKnight unite in a superb collaboration on “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” They revel in demonstrating multiple octave range and elasticity in framing their unique arrangement of this classic that makes it a song I enjoy listening to again and again. Last, but certainly not least, Will Downing, perhaps my favorite musical artist, delivers a silky smooth rendition of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” What can I say? Will...is Will!
That’s it; 14 artists, 13 videos (a Baker’s Dozen), and 12 songs. Add it all up and you get “12 Days Of Christmas: The Concert!” Enjoy, and by all means, remember the Reason for the Season!
I’m done; holla back!
Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:
James Brown (73) – Merry Christmas Baby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xg6FcaYHf4
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brown
Eartha Kitt (81) – Santa Baby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfqZmlfQEto&NR=1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eartha_Kitt
Donny Hathaway (33) – This Christmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj1mVUEHeUE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donny_Hathaway
Chris Brown (21) – This Christmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty2eya8zWyE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Brown_(American_singer)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rihanna
Nat King Cole (45) – O Holy Night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4uP32mnAjY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nat_King_Cole
Natalie Cole (60) – The First Noel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf6fTRTQrG4
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_Cole
Kem (41) – The Christmas Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jk34lUQoyQ
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kem_(singer)
Ledisi (32) - Give Love On Christmas Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehBwM0a9Hf8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledisi
Lauryn Hill (35) – Little Drummer Boy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxv88-euQtE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauryn_Hill
John Coltrane (40) - My Favorite Things
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I6xkVRWzCY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Coltrane
Dianne Reeves (54) – Christmas Time Is Here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hInJstw1cGE&feature=related
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianne_Reeves
Christina Aguilera (30) & Brian McKnight (41) – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftva4G2vmDw
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Aguilera
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_McKnight
Will Downing (47) – I’ll Be Home For Christmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhT1_ybF-tI&feature=related
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Downing
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