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Avg: 3.5 (6 ratings)
- Date Released: January 1, 1991
- Genre: Blues
- Style: R&B, Oldies, Soul, Jazz/Blues, Traditional Blues
- Label: Jewel-Paula Records
From the early '60s to the early '70s, holiday R&B that bops and funks.
-
We Say...
Jewel-Paula Records was located in Shreveport, Louisiana, and run by Stan Lewis, who knew how to wine-and-dine the DJs to get his share of airplay and headed one of the many regional labels that could expand from its home base and enjoy a wild-card hit while retaining a sense of open-door local identity. Jewel-Paula's approach was more scattershot than most, based as much on its in-house studio band as out-house masters that came through the door, and that makes some of the more obscure numbers in the catalogue worthy of investigation.
This album invites you to Stan's house for a potluck Christmas party, picking and choosing from the label's many eras, as if a bunch of his artists got up in his living room to raise a glass at various times from early '60s vocalese to the early '70s, when the label tried to keep up with the funk, and all the blues in between. Except for the jingle bells, this is a Christmas of hard times. Otis May's "Another Christmas Without My Son,” is a mournful anti-war statement and heartwrenching ballad of loss; Johnny and Jon's "Christmas In Vietnam” is similarly aware of who's really fighting this war, "friends and loved ones all around me dyin'.” There are three versions of "Please Come Home For Christmas”: the Uniques' teen-queen dancer, a Floyd Crameresque country instrumental by the same group and Charles Brown's classic R&B rendition. Stan liked to cover all the bases.
Both Brown and Lowell Fulson remake their greatest holiday hits, "Merry Christmas Baby " and "Lonesome Christmas” and the genres flip: the Ronnie Kole Trio's jazzbo "Winter Wonderland,” some honest southern grits — "Black Christmas” by Hot Rod Mays and Ernie Johnson's soaring "Happy Holiday” — and gospel, like the Violinaires' "Little Jesus Boy.” Late-era Louis Jordan's "Santa Claus, Santa Claus” slides down the chimney, and even later-era Jimmy Reed carols his "Christmas Present Blues,” adjusting his rhythms to a churning wah-wah pulse. Albert Washington's "I Want You Here for Christmas” is all reverb guitar and spare John Lee Hooker pacing, a veiled threat in the delivery and the fear you'll wake up on Christmas morn and find nothing under the tree.
For me, the album's highlight is Bobby Powell's "The Bells.” Strange to say, it's not even a Christmas song, only holiday-centric by its chiming carillion peal. True to Jewel-Paula thoroughness, you're gifted what must have been its b-side, "Bing Bong,” which is the backing track with the strings mixed up high. Sing along with Stan. -
They Say...
With 23 from 15 artists, it includes three later re-recordings by Charles Brown of some of his classic King sides. The Violinaires' "Little Jesus Boy" features their outstanding gospel vocals while Johnny And Jon's "Christmas in Vietnam" is textbook call-and-response deep soul that ranks with the best from Sam And Dave. Bobby Powell's version of "The Bells" is an odd inclusion, it being about wedding bells. Much of this CD's tracks have been licensed by Rhino and others, including cuts by Big Joe Williams, Sugar Boy Crawford, Louis Jordan, Jimmy Reed and others, so it is likely you may already have most of the best stuff on here.
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| 01. |  |
Please Come Home For Christmas
|
2:34 |
|
| 02. | |
Winter Wonderland (Instrumental) - Ronnie Kole Trio |
2:25 |
|
| 03. | |
White Christmas
|
3:19 |
|
| 04. | |
Christmas In Heaven
|
2:14 |
|
| 05. | |
The Bells
|
3:03 |
|
| 06. | |
Lonesome Christmas, Part 1
|
3:02 |
|
| 07. | |
Lonesome Christmas, Part 2
|
2:31 |
|
| 08. | |
Please Come Home For Christmas (Vocal)
|
2:56 |
|
| 09. | |
Please Come Home For Christmas (Inst.)
|
2:59 |
|
| 10. | |
Merry Christmas, Baby
|
3:41 |
|
| 11. | |
Silent Night, Holy Night - Ronnie Kole Trio |
1:51 |
|
| 12. | |
Little Jesus Boy
|
2:42 |
|
| 13. | |
Bing Bong
|
2:57 |
|
| 14. | |
Christmas Present Blues
|
2:34 |
|
| 15. | |
Christmas In Vietnam - Johnny And Jon |
3:09 |
|
| 16. | |
I Want You Here With Me For Christmas Part 1 And Part 2 - Albert Washington |
5:07 |
|
| 17. | |
Christmas Blues
|
2:13 |
|
| 18. | |
Black Christmas - Hot Rock Mays |
3:05 |
|
| 19. | |
Saint Nick
|
3:17 |
|
| 20. | |
White Christmas - Sugar Boy Crawford |
2:07 |
|
| 21. | |
Santa Claus, Santa Claus
|
3:24 |
|
| 22. | |
Happy Holiday
|
4:38 |
|
| 23. | |
Another Christmas Without My Son - Oris Mays |
2:46 |
|
23 Total Tracks, 68:34 Total Length
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Credits
- Charles Brown - Performer // Charles Brown - Performer // Charles Brown - Performer // Lowell Fulson - Performer // Lowell Fulson - Performer // Jimmy Reed - Performer // Jimmy Reed - Performer // Big Joe Williams - Performer // Big Joe Williams - Performer // Big Joe Williams - Performer // Louis Jordan - Performer // Louis Jordan - Performer // Louis Jordan - Performer // Louis Jordan - Performer // Sugar Boy Crawford - Performer // The Uniques - Performer // Bobby Powell - Performer // Rev. Oris Mays - Performer // Rev. Oris Mays - Performer // Albert Washington - Performer // Ernie Johnson - Performer // The Violinaires - Performer // The Violinaires - Performer
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