Blues Christmas
Putumayo, 2019
9/10
Leave it to the esteemed world music label Putumayo to assemble one of the best Christmas albums to date, as Blues Christmas brings in some serious talent for the themed affair.
Charles Brown’s “Christmas Comes But Once A Year” starts the listen with jumpy keys and playful horns on the snappy, bluesy opener, and “Kenny Neal’s “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” follows with gritty vocals and a lively rhythm where intricate harmonicas complement the mood.
Elsewhere, Anson Funderburgh And The Rockets offers us the soulful and blues inspired “Lonesome Christmas”, where the guitar licks from Funderburgh illuminate the setting, while “Please Come Home For Christmas”, by Chuck Leavell and Lisa Fischer, offers a stylish and warm duet with some Motown feeling amid Leavell’s incredible keyboard work.
Back half highlights include Paul Oscher’s “Christmas Blues”, where horns and spirited keys help make this one of the album’s best, though the guitar acrobatics of “Merry Christmas” make this contribution from Jesse Thomas a close second. Earl King ends the listen with “Santa, Don’t Let Me Down”, where a classic blues delivery solidifies this as one of the most essential holiday records in recent history.
If you’re a fan of the blues done properly and holiday music, you’re in luck- it just doesn’t get much better than this.
Travels well with: Paris Cafe- Paris Cafe; Putumayo- Joy To The World