Track Listing

1. This Christmas - The Braxton Brothers
2. Island Christmas - Michael Franks
3. Feliz Navidad - Spyro Gyra
4. Gift of Your Love - Maysa, Tom Scott
5. Spirit of the Season - Hiroshima
6. We Three Kings - Stefan Dickerson, Earl Klugh
7. I'll Be Home for Christmas - Tom Grant
8. In the City - Ricky Peterson
9. It's That Time of the Year - Double Scale
10. Magic - Chieli Minucci
11. Joyous - Chieli Minucci, Special EFX
12. Please Come Home for Christmas - Etta James

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #202072 in Music
• Released on: 1999-09-14
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
Mixing old and new pop jazzers, A Jazz Noel features a dozen mostly instrumental cuts and a couple vocal tracks. R&B legend Etta James gives "Please Come Home for Christmas" a gritty workout that sounds like an arctic gust, blowing through tunes by comfy mainstream players such as Spyro Gyra, Tom Scott (with singer Maysa), the Braxton Brothers, Hiroshima, Special EFX, Earl Klugh, and others. Vocalist Michael Franks--all but off the radar recently--reprises "Island Christmas" in his singular style while virtuoso Minneapolis sideman, producer, and songwriter Ricky Peterson pens a natty little original with his siblings and friends called "In the City." Radio friendly and taking no risks, this set of standards and catchy, creative, new tunes is rich in polish, professionalism, and predictability, perfect for the person with mainstream tastes. --Martin Keller

From Jazziz
Each year, Windham Hill releases a successful holiday compilation. This year, the label has issued Jazz Noël, a disc featuring 12 holiday-oriented, mostly smooth-jazz songs. Vocalist Etta James, is a bluesy take on "Please Come Home for Christmas." Other tracks feature performances by Michael Franks, Spyro Gyra, Tom Grant, and Tom Scott.

--- JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Wonderful!
It never ceases to amaze me how people will give a terrific CD like this a 1 star rating. Are they just having a bad day? Do they hate music and/or musicians? Whatever the reason, the other reviewer must be a true "Scrooge" with a tin ear! This CD is a wonderful smooth jazz collection of beautiful holiday tunes.

Uninspired
This new holiday release is a holiday fizzle. Michael Franks "Island Christmas" is about the only memorable song on a otherwise ho-hum holiday album. I don't want to sound like a "Scrooge" but save your money on this one.

Christmas in the elevator
You know how some soft jazz sounds like elevator music? You know how Christmas elevator music puts your teeth on edge?

There are 2 or 3 interesting tracks in the dozen, but the 4 awful songs made me put this disc in the trash.