Track Listing

1. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
2. Winter Wonderland
3. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
4. The Christmas Song
5. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
6. This Time Of The Year
7. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
8. I'll Be Home For Christmas
9. The Christmas Blues
10. Merry Christmas Baby
11. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?
12. Here Comes Santa Claus

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3896 in Music
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2002-10-22
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.com
This Time of Year serves up R&B and jazzy Christmas music from a singer whose style lies between the sophisticated elegance of Tony Bennett and the soulful grit of Dr. John. Tyrell clearly has a ball covering "The Christmas Song" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," the latter featuring the great jazz trumpeter Clark Terry. Though Tyrell has a versatile backing band, the arrangements on these seasoned classics are on the safe side. But he really nails the sentiment of the holiday on the soulful title track. Here, Tyrell showcases his vocal prowess, using color and nuance to underscore the season's good cheer. A little more adventurousness would have lifted the CD above a solid stocking stuffer. --Martin Keller

Customer Reviews

THIS TIME OF THE YEAR; A Joy of Joys

If you aren't ready for a really good time, you'd better watch out. Steve Tyrell's THIS TIME OF THE YEAR could blow you away. If you are, grab your copy and run--don't walk--to the nearest CD player. Smiling starts here.

Here is Steve at his rowdy, bluesy, romantic, joyful, swinging best; opening with a rollicking "Santa Claus is Coming To Town." That "rascal" "Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer" never had so much fun, with trumpeter Terry Clark as Santa and Tyrell`s son Nick and the whole gang joining in. A terrific production. It should come as no great surprise to anyone if "Rudolph, you red-nosed reindeer" becomes the call of the wild this season.

Tyrell's rendition of the title song, Clyde Otis and Brook Benton's gorgeous "This Time of the Year," already getting a lot of air play last Christmas and bound to be even more popular this year, is sure to be evergreen.

Tyrell swings "Let It Snow" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas;" he gets low-down with "Merry Christmas, Baby" and "The Christmas Blues;" he romps joyfully through the snow on "Winter Wonderland" and grabs you by the heartstrings with "What Are You Doing New Year`s" and "I`ll Be Home For Christmas." And he puts the presents under the tree, where they rightfully belong.

Even sometimes-sulky Mel Torme would have to approve Tyrell`s handling of his treasure, "The Christmas Song." And Gene Autry himself must be grinning and tapping his boot at "Here Comes Santa Claus."

As with his two previous albums, A NEW STANDARD and STANDARD TIME, you can count on sparkling arrangements, the most fabulous band, and Steve doing that thing he does with his voice. And the by-now-famous Tyrell smile is evident throughout. You may want to start now and play this album all year.

If Steve Tyrell intends to keep improving with every album he records, in the anticipation inherent in the Christmas season, one can hardly wait to see what he's going to do next. So many standards, so little time. One only hopes he makes dozens of albums and that we all live long enough to hear them.

Merry Christmas, Steve. You sho did treat us nice.

COOL, COOL CHRISTMAS...
Well, I know what I'll have on my CD player this Christmas. This records got it all, some big band, some blues, a little R&B and a few slower tunes to pull on the heartstrings a little bit for the holidays. Is there anything S.T. can't do? His wonderful voice that has become so familiar gives Dean Martin a run for his money on "Christmas Blues," and the title track "This Time of the Year" is so good I want to listen to it no matter what time of the year it is! S.T. is always so good at picking the best of the best songs, so its no suprise that this record brings all the songs you love, plus some that you didnt know you loved yet, but now you do. Now, something new to come along, thats not sappy, just good old Christmas fun and feeling to go along with your Frank Sinatra Christmas & Dino's Christmas that have been on the old record player for about 50 years now. This is that good, but fresh and new and and a combination of songs and styles that only Mr. Tyrell can pull off so beautifully.
This is THE Christmas album to own folks.

This Time Of Year CD review
I couldn't wait to get my hands on this CD! And I was not disappointed one bit! Steve put a totally new sound and feel to these holiday classics! Steve's unique voice combined with the band's expertise sounded magical. It definitely will put anyone in the holiday spirit. It's a must buy! And if you don't have his two other standard CDs - they are a must buy too! Great, great music!