
For the third installment of its Reindeer Room "Not So Silent Night" holiday music series, Kriztal has collected 14 soulful, jazzy interpretations of classics like "This Christmas", "Mass of Lords" and "Santa Baby" and expanded the theme to include an original Kwanzaa song by Billy Paul Williams, a little something for New Years Eve, and two Chanukah selections composed and performed by Craig Taubman.
Track Listing:
Billy Paul Williams "Ave Maria"
Billy Paul Williams "This Christmas (feat. Charlotte McKinnon)"
Jon Kennedy "Kriss Kringle"
Billy Paul Williams "All I Want For Christmas Is You (feat. Lauren Carter)"
Jon Kennedy "Mass Of Lords"
Billy Paul Williams "Santa Baby (feat. Brooke)"
Billy Paul Williams "Looks A Lot Like Christmas"
Steve Austeen "Jolly Old St. Nicholas"
Billy Paul Williams "The Kwanzaa Song"
Greg Long "Waltz Of The Flowers"
Billy Paul Williams "Sunshine Christmas"
Billy Paul Williams "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? (feat. Charlotte McKinnon)"
Craig Taubman "Mi Ymaleil"
Craig Taubman "Maoz Tzur"
Eight of the songs are by Kriztal's own Billy Paul Williams, with contributions from Craig Taubman, Jon Kennedy, Steve Austeen, and Greg Long. Some of the strongest tracks are "This Christmas" featuring Charlotte McKinnon, "Santa Baby" featuring Brooke, and "Sunshine Christmas" by Billy Paul Williams, along with Jon Kennedy's "Kriss Kringle" and "Mass Of Lords" which lay down some nice breaks, and Greg Long's lounge-ready version of Tchaikovsky's "Waltz Of The Flowers". For some ethnic-influenced down tempo check out Craig Taubman's Chanukah grooves "Mi Ymaleil" and "Maoz Tzur".
Along with the music disc you'll also find a DVD disc featuring "the original audio combined with a beautifully trimmed Christmas tree aglow with lights and a toy train running underneath". In addition, the Chanukah tracks are accompanied by a traditional lighting of the candles on the Menorah.
The flavor of Reindeer Room volume 3 is very soulful and very jazzy but could have been a little less conventional with some its soul style. All the same, there are some real gems to be found here.