Bruce Von Stiers

People have enjoyed Jesse Colin Young’s songs throughout the years. He is in the process of re-releasing his whole catalog of albums. Jesse is also releasing an album of new material and a greatest hits album. One other album that Jesse will be releasing features Christmas music. The title of the album is Songs For Christmas. It is being released on the Liquid 8 Records & Entertainment label and distributed by BMG Entertainment.

There are twelve songs on the CD album. They are all traditional Christian and other Christmas songs. The album is a little over. 44 minutes long.

Along with Jesse on vocals, bass and guitar, there is Vito Truglio on vocal harmonies and Connie Young on violin. Betsy Curtis also does some of the background vocals. Dylan Kai does the lead guitar work on two of the songs. And a group that the album cover lists as The Magic Strings does the strings on one song. The Magic Strings consist of Connie Young on Viola, Marsha Lydiard on cello and Ursula Vietze on violin.

The first song is White Christmas. It has a contemporary smooth jazz type of beat to it. The second song is God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen. It has starts out with a Mediterranean lilt to it. It has some really nice guitar work in the background.

Away In A Manger has a harmonica intro. It has also has some wonderful guitar strumming as the background music. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town starts out with a bass tempo to it. It almost reminds you of a Dr. John tune without the Doctor’s throaty vocals. Instead we have Jesse’s smooth vocalization of the timeless fun Christmas tune.

Silent Night is the next song. It is followed by Some Children See Him. It is a song that I hadn’t heard in a couple of years. Jesse does a real good job with it.

Next up is Bring A Torch Jeanette Isabella. It has good tempo with some nice background vocals. Then there is O Come All Ye Faithful. This one, like some of the others before it, has some real nice guitar music in the background.

What Christmas album would be complete with Rudolf The Rednosed Reindeer? This song also is done in a jazzy tempo like the one I mentioned earlier.

What Child Is This has a powerful strings intro. It moves into some decent background guitar with Jesse singing the lead and the others doing wonderful background vocals. This song is followed by O Little Town of Bethlehem. The last song on the album is O Holy Night.

Songs For Christmas is a wonderful Christmas album. This will definitely be one of the albums that will be heard at my house during the Christmas season. With the fun, jazzy renditions of some of the songs, and the great guitar work on the others, Jesse Colin Young has indeed come up with a superb Christmas songs album.