My Favorite Holiday!
Bandolera, 2021
8/10
There’s certainly no shortage of holiday themed albums floating around, but the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Patricia Vonne puts a unique spin on hers by penning 10 originals with some well known guests, as she embraces her Hispanic heritage with plenty of culture present.
“Santa’s On His Way” starts the listen with Vonne’s smooth pipes alongside Scott Plunkett’s graceful piano and Rick Del Castillo’s playful drumming, and “Nochebuena” follows with a duet with Alex Ruiz, where Vonne also brings castanets to the cultured landscape.
Entering the middle, the soft and spirited “Christmas Without You” places Joe Reyes on electric guitar and Stephen Ferrone on drums for the intimate delivery, while “My Favorite Holiday” bounces and shakes with plenty of melody in the sing-along climate that benefits from Johnny Reno’s saxophone. “Santa’s On A Rampage” then brings in the legendary Rosie Flores on back up vocals as some grit enters the rockabilly nods.
Approaching the end, the vocally strong “Carol Of The Bells” recruits Patricia’s sisters for a very cozy interpretation of the lone traditional, and “Old Man Santa” exits the listen with Del Castillo’s rugged electric guitar punctuating the throbbing finish.
A very diverse and atypical take on a Christmas album, Vonne and company bring a whole lot of fun and memorableness to the affair, effectively making My Favorite Holiday! quite possibly your favorite holiday album.
Travels well with: Cruzados- She’s Automatic; Los Lobos- Native Sons