12 Songs of Christmas (Etta James album)

1998 studio album by Etta James May 2025 12 Songs of Christmas studio Etta James Etta James, 12 Songs of Christmas.jpg 1998 10 13 May 7 – June 19, 1998 Blues, Christmas 62 41 Private Music John Snyder Life, Love & the Blues 1998 Heart of a Woman 1999 12 Songs of Christmas is the twenty-second studio album and the first Christmas album by American blues singer Etta James. Private Music released the album in October 1998. Produced by John Snyder, the album includes standards arranged mostly by pianist Cedar Walton and solos by Walton, George Bohanon on trombone, and Red Holloway on tenor saxophone. Critical reception of the album was positive overall. Following its release, 12 Songs reached a peak position of number five on Billboard Top Blues Albums chart. Composition 12 Songs of Christmas consists of twelve standard holiday songs with arrangements mostly by pianist Cedar Walton and solos by Walton, George Bohanon on trombone and Red Holloway on tenor saxophone.https://www.nytimes.com/1998/12/18/movies/pop-go-holidays-with-jazz-reggae-rap-holiday-albums-etta-james-12-songs.html?src=pm Pop Go the Holidays (With Jazz, Reggae and Rap) -- Holiday Albums; Etta James: 12 Songs of Christmas (Private Music) Jon Pareles Jon Pareles The New York Times December 18, 1998 August 30, 2011 0362-4331 https://web.archive.org/web/20120225215647/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/12/18/movies/pop-go-holidays-with-jazz-reggae-rap-holiday-albums-etta-james-12-songs.html?src=pm February 25, 2012 live 12 Songs was recorded during May and June 1998 and produced by John Snyder with Lupe DeLeon serving as executive producer.https://allmusic.com/album/12-songs-of-christmas-r355399 12 Songs of Christmas Allmusic August 27, 2011 Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://web.archive.org/web/20160225141550/http://www.allmusic.com/album/12-songs-of-christmas-mw0000040848 25 February 2016https://books.google.com/books?id=HwoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22 Reviews & Previews November 14, 1998 September 1, 2011 Billboard 22 110 46 0006-2510 Nielsen Business Media https://web.archive.org/web/20120225215648/http://books.google.com/books?id=HwoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22&lpg=PA22&dq February 25, 2012 live The album opens with "Winter Wonderland", originally by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith, followed by James Pierpont's "Jingle Bells". A "bluesy" rendition of Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore's "Merry Christmas, Baby" trails "This Time of Year" (Hollis, Owens).http://articles.nydailynews.com/1998-12-03/entertainment/18077075_1_white-christmas-merry-christmas-baby-two-bells Old Chestnuts Top Our Holiday Cd List Rock & Gospel Are Cool For Yule – But Crosby And Martin Are Best David Hinckley Daily News December 3, 1998 August 30, 2011 1 New York City, New York 9541172 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120225215649/http://articles.nydailynews.com/1998-12-03/entertainment/18077075_1_white-christmas-merry-christmas-baby-two-bells February 25, 2012 Other holiday standards appearing on the album include: "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin), John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie's "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", and "White Christmas", originally by Irving Berlin. "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)", originally by Mel Tormé and Robert Wells, "The Little Drummer Boy (Carol of the Drum)" (Katherine Kennicott Davis, Henry Onorati, Harry Simeone), Franz Xaver Gruber and Joseph Mohr's "Silent Night", and "Joy to the World" (George Frideric Handel, Lowell Mason, Isaac Watts) follow. The album closes with a rendition of Adolphe Adam and John Sullivan Dwight's "O Holy Night". Reception The Cincinnati Enquirer 2 4https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ee9DAAAAIBAJ&pg=1328,3108568&dq This year, rock, swing and hop around the Christmas tree Larry Nager C7 November 22, 1998 September 1, 2011 33 41 Ohio Valley Publishing Sunday Times-Sentinel Gallipolis, Middleport, Pomeroy, and Point Pleasant, Ohio https://web.archive.org/web/20130401153836/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ee9DAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5q8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=1328,3108568&dq April 1, 2013 live Daily News 2.5 4 Entertainment Weekly Ahttps://ew.com/article/1998/12/04/twelve-songs-christmas/ Music Review: Twelve Songs of Christmas Entertainment Weekly December 4, 1998 August 30, 2011 Matt Diehl 461 1049-0434 live https://web.archive.org/web/20121022043231/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C286000%2C00.html October 22, 2012 The New York Times positive Rolling Stone 3.5 5https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac registration The New Rolling Stone Album Guide 418–419 Nathan Brackett Christian David Hoard 2004 Simon & Schuster September 1, 2011 9780743201698 Critical reception of the album was positive overall. Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrote a positive review of the album, claiming that James turned standards into "suave after-hours jazz arrangements" that seemed "cozy and intimate". He wrote that James was "surprisingly reverent" and sounded "downright devout" on "Joy to the World". Entertainment Weekly Matt Diehl felt that James' performances brought both "sass and class" and "ooze[d] passionately with old-school soul". David Hinckley of New York City's Daily News awarded 12 Songs "two-and-a-half bells" out of four. Rolling Stone called 12 Songs a "tour de force of interpretive rethinking" with "scintillating, bluesy spins on Yuletide evergreens". The Spartanburg Herald-Journal Dan DeLuca also complimented the set.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pi4fAAAAIBAJ&pg=5079,813516&dq Holiday recordings: Sugarplums and coal Dan DeLuca December 19, 1998 September 2, 2011 153 353 Spartanburg Herald-Journal Spartanburg, South Carolina The New York Times Company https://web.archive.org/web/20130401153837/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pi4fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qs8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5079,813516&dq April 1, 2013 live The album received some negative criticism. Larry Nager of The Cincinnati Enquirer awarded the album two out of four stars and wrote that James had the ability to make "the ultimate blue Christmas disc" but failed to do so. Nager complimented "Merry Christmas, Baby" but considered the performance to be a "rare bit of juke joint" among "supper club sounds" that left him "wanting more". Track listing "Winter Wonderland" (Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith) – 4:26 "Jingle Bells" (James Pierpont) – 5:26 "This Time of Year" (Jesse Hollis, Cliff Owens) – 5:47 "Merry Christmas, Baby" (Lou Baxter, Johnny Moore) – 6:10 "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin) – 4:45 "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (John Frederick Coots, Haven Gillespie) – 6:22 "White Christmas" (Irving Berlin) – 5:52 "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells) – 4:23 "The Little Drummer Boy (Carol of the Drum)" (Katherine Kennicott Davis, Henry Onorati, Harry Simeone) – 4:59 "Silent Night" (Franz Xaver Gruber, Joseph Mohr, traditional) – 4:49 "Joy to the World" (George Frideric Handel, Lowell Mason, traditional, Isaac Watts) – 5:30 "O Holy Night" (Adolphe Adam, John Sullivan Dwight) – 4:50 Personnel 30em Robi Banerji – assistant engineer George Bohanon – trombone Ronnie Buttacavoli – flugelhorn, trumpet Rudy Calvo – make-up John Clayton – bass Lupe DeLeon – executive producer Michael O. Drexler – digital editing, engineer Billy Higgins – drums Red Holloway – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone Etta James – arranger, vocals Sametto James – electric bass Sonny Mediana – art direction, photography Johnny Moore – composer John Nelson – assistant engineer Jay Newland – engineer Josh Sklair – arranger, guitar John Snyder – producer Cedar Walton – arranger, piano Credits adapted from Allmusic. Charts Following its release, 12 Songs of Christmas reached a peak position of number five on Billboard Top Blues Albums chart.https://allmusic.com/album/12-songs-of-christmas-r355399/charts-awards 12 Songs of Christmas: Charts & Awards Allmusic August 27, 2011 In 1999, James had five albums chart in the United States: Life, Love & the Blues, 12 Songs of Christmas, Heart of a Woman (1999), as well as two compilation albums Best of Etta James and Her Best (1997).https://books.google.com/books?id=9w0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA36 The Year in Blues: Virtuous Youth and Respected Elders Thrived Chris Morris Billboard December 25, 1999 September 1, 2011 111 52 Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 0006-2510 https://web.archive.org/web/20120225215652/http://books.google.com/books?id=9w0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA36&dq February 25, 2012 live Chart (1998)Peakposition US Top Blues Albums (Billboard)5 References Category:1990s covers albums Category:1998 Christmas albums Category:Christmas albums by American artists Category:Etta James albums Category:Private Music albums