Track Listing

1. Holiday Celebrate
2. Christmas in Jamaica - Toni Braxton, Shaggy
3. Snowflakes of Love
4. Christmas Time Is Here
5. Santa Please...
6. ...Pretty Please (Interlude)
7. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
8. This Time Next Year
9. Christmas Song [*]
10. Snowflakes of Love
11. Christmas in Jamaica [Remix] - Toni Braxton, Shaggy

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #118600 in Music
• Released on: 2001-10-29
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import

Amazon.com
Jumping high heels first into the Christmas genre, Toni Braxton has come up with a spectacular first effort. Teetering into smooth jazz territory, Braxton gives her sophisticated, breathy vocals a workout on this untraditional Yuletide collection. Instead of revamping old holiday standards, Braxton has cowritten seven new songs--with husband Keri "Mint Condition" Lewis, her sister Tamar, David Foster, and Kenny "Baby Face" Edmonds--and has created what sounds more like a proper Toni Braxton album than a seasonal offering. When Braxton did decide to cover a classic, she choose more contemporary tunes such as perennial favorite "The Christmas Song," which she revives with aplomb and crisp pacing, and the beloved "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," which she doesn't tinker with at all. Braxton also pulls Charlie Brown's "Christmas Time Is Here" out of mothballs and gives it a contemplative, melancholy spin that serves the tune well. "Snowflakes of Love" is penned by Braxton and Lewis, and uses the same instrumental that Memphis soul giant Isaac Hayes recorded for the soundtrack for 1974's Truck Turner, giving it a jazzy, masterful feel. The real standout on the album is the reggae-spun "Christmas in Jamaica" with the raunchy, comic vocals of Shaggy. Like the snowflakes it's named after, this CD is a real original. --Jaan Uhelszki

Customer Reviews

Perfect mix of holiday and soul
I have to admit that I was skeptical before listening to this abosolutely flawless collection. The thing that I hate about most christmas albums is that they're all just rehashing songs that were probably done better by earlier artists. Not so in Toni's case.

The vast majority of the material is original, rhytmic, well orchestrated, and soulfully delivered. It's a holiday album that stands on its own and can really be played all year round.

I think this is one of the best non-christmas (christmas) albums i've ever heard. Great compositions, arrangements, and flawlessly sung by Ms. Braxton.

A can't miss Christmas Album

Toni shines with her snowflakes
Toni's xmas album is one of the best albums in its type.Full of beautiful melodies transcending from classical songs like "have yourself a merry xmas" to the modern duet with shaggy "xmas in jamaica" we find a very mature voice,Toni definetely knows how to use her vocals perfectly as she brings the words to life as in the case of "snowflakes of love"."holiday celebrate" as well is a total work of art having her sister Tamar on the background vocals.So if you are looking to make your xmas a little more original please buy a copy of this album i swear it's worth the money!

"Snowflakes"- is a MASTERPIECE
This album will be a SureFire Hit throughout the holiday season and Even After ! I never would have believed that I could actually groove to a holiday cd,(BUT IT'S POSSIBLE) because Ms. Braxton's cd is more (love/passion/fun )with the holiday's in mind on this album. The vocals are superb on "Holiday Celebrate" where Toni coo's "Holiday Celebrate-with my babe",and "Snowflakes of Love" which sounds as if she is transported to the days of real jazz music,can be only described as "Breathtaking". This album will really have hits like "Christmas in Jamaica" - where Toni Braxton is magically transported to Jamaica to hook up with her man for the holidays. This album can truly be listened to through out the year and is really worth picking up.ALSO CHECK OUT- "Santa Please"- "Toni Braxton" asks "Santa Claus" to bring her man home in time for the holidays,which is so sweet, this album is really unique, it is the bomb ! I MUST GIVE A HATS OF TO TONI BRAXTON-LEWIS AND KERI LEWIS FOR A JOB WELL DONE !