James Taylor at Christmas Is a Warm, Jazzy Retread

I love James Taylor and have been a particular fan of his since about a decade ago, when I discovered the kinship between him and Art Garfunkel. His warm, expressive voice is ideally suited to Christmas standards, and with James Taylor at Christmas, he offers a batch of old favorites, most with a jazzy twist.

1. Winter Wonderland - Smooth and slightly seductive, with the wee bit of whistling at the end my favorite personal touch.

2. Go Tell It on the Mountain - Piano-driven, with a slightly minor tone to it. The melodica adds a nice Celtic flavor.

3. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town - This song is as much a chance to show off the skills of pianist Dave Grusin, who produced and arranged the songs on this album, as James’ vocals. Fun song, though James’ barking “Now this is serious!” toward the end of the song is a tad grating.

4. Jingle Bells - This bluesy, electric guitar-heavy version is almost unrecognizable, but that makes it one of my favorite tracks, since it’s so unique. I’m a little surprised the verse about crashing into a snowbank is omitted, since the rather oppressive flavor of this version makes that outcome especially easy to imagine here.

5. Baby, It's Cold Outside - This duet with Natalie Cole is rather fun, with James speaking every once in a while in addition to his sung lines of protest. I have mixed feelings about the song in general, finding the banter rather clever but also borderline annoying, and the end of the song, with James’ rambling little speech about how people are too suspicious, is a little hokey.

6. River - I heard this Joni Mitchell song for the first time a couple of years ago. It’s a pretty low-key rendition, with light percussion, guitar and rippling piano that occasionally includes hints of Good King Wenceslas. James sounds contemplative here, but not particularly mournful; I’ve heard much more wrenching versions. Then again, I don’t mind it being merely pensive instead of downright depressing.

7. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - A gentle rendition perfect for James’ tender voice. His vocal timbre is just right to convey both the warmth and the twinge of sadness in this song. A serious contender with John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together for my favorite version.

8. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) - A straightforward version of this classic. Like John Denver, his voice has just the right warmth for this cozy tune.

9. Some Children See Him - This one has a soft, sincere air about it. It conveys the idea that there are many different thoughts concerning Jesus’ physical appearance and that He is a Savior to one and all. “Some children see Him lily white, / with tresses soft and fair. / Some children see Him bronzed and brown, / The Lord of heav'n to earth come down.” One of my favorite tracks.

10. Who Comes This Night - Another reflective song focusing on Jesus. Grusin wrote this one, which reminds me very much of something Michael Card would write, partly because James’ gentle delivery. Dan Fogelberg always makes me think of Card, but this is the only James Taylor song in which I see a striking similarity. The choir that joins in on the chorus adds just the right touch of harmony on this, probably my favorite track on the album. “Brother Joseph bring the lamb / For they are asking for him / The children come this starry night / To lay their hearts before him.”

11. In the Bleak Midwinter - A quiet carol that allows James to occasionally show off his lower register. This isn’t one that tends to make it onto a lot of Christmas albums, so this calm track is an especially nice inclusion. It definitely has a flavor of antiquity about it, but the electric guitars showcased toward the end make it feel more contemporary.

12. Auld Lang Syne - There’s an appropriately Celtic flavor to this song, especially in the later, little-heard verses. A fitting way to end the album.

All in all, a solid album. A word of warning, though; it’s almost identical to James Taylor: A Christmas Album, which was released in Hallmark stores in 2004. That album includes the track Deck the Halls, while River and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas are new to this one. I’m disappointed in the misleading marketing surrounding this album’s release. Get one or the other, not both; I’d probably recommend this one, since it has one more track overall and River is a fairly uncommon song. Anytime you want to grace us with a legitimate second Christmas album, James, feel free...