Catching up with Christmas sounds

Slim pickings. That is how I would describe this year’s batch of holiday albums. Heard that Carole King’s A Holiday Carole is very good but I did not see it in the stores and I want the physical CD not the download. So I guess that one will have to wait until next year. Also interesting but not available here are Chicago XXXIII O Christmas Three, the third holiday album by Chicago and Songs of December by Paul Anka. Again save those for next year.

Of course, Michael Bublé’s No. 1 selling Christmas and The Classic Christmas Album by Tony Bennett were more than enough to cover the lack of keepers. Then there is Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2. The Volume 1, which came out a year ago and which includes that duet of Kurt and Blaine of Baby It’s Cold Outside, was definitely one of the best in the Glee series of albums. Well, the kids of McKinley High are back and Volume 2 is just as good. Maybe even better.

Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2 is a blend of old and new. New as in two original songs with the potential to become classics. One is Extraordinary Merry Christmas by Darren Criss as Blaine and Lea Michele as Rachel. The two sound great together. The other one is Christmas Eve With You, a rare duet by Jayma Mays as Emma and Matthew Morrison as Will. Also new is the inclusion of new voices — Lindsay Pearce, Alex Newell and Damian McGinty — who were discovered in the reality show offshoot of Glee, The Glee Project and new cast member Samuel Larson. Lindsay and Alex sound fantastic in Do You Hear What I Hear?

It is also old as in the familiar carols and voices of the cast. But then the kids of Glee have matured into such extraordinary vocalists. They dare take on iconic performances, give these the Glee spin and make the old sound new. See how Amber Riley as Mercedes gives her distinctive sparkle to Mariah Carey’s big-selling All I Want For Christmas Is You. This track has become the party anthem of this year’s holiday celebration. You hear it everywhere and it is so fun and festive; you cannot help but feel good about Christmas.

There is also the Eartha Kitt novelty classic Santa Baby. Both Madonna and Bublé took a turn with this one. Tough job but a sexy and sassy Naya Rivera as Santana did very well. Another highlight is the Sammy Cahn and Jules Styne standard Let It Snow by Darren and Chris Colfer as Kurt. The same duo scored big with Baby It’s Cold Outside and they had to come back with this one. They also sail through with flying colors thanks to the love and respect they hold for the old songs.

There are also the poignant Little Drummer Boy by Kevin McHale as Artie; Joni Mitchell’s beautiful The River by Lea; a rousing Santa Claus Is Coming To Town by Mark Salling as Puck and Cory Monteith as Finn and Larsen; Christmas Wrapping by Heather Morris as Brittany; Blue Christmas by Damian McGinty as Rory; and Do They Know It’s Christmas by the cast. The latter has already sold over a million copies and proceeds have been donated to Live Aid. These songs were performed in the Glee Christmas special which I hope Jack TV will replay again this week.

On the local front, there are also no major Christmas releases. So I say bless swinging balladeer Richard Poon for doing a Christmas CD. Although there are only six cuts and not one original, Christmas with Richard Poon is a well-produced album that I can play along with my perennial favorites, Christmas In Our Hearts by Jose Mari Chan and The CompanY’s The Christmas Album.

Poon is in good vocal form throughout and he has that most important element of a holiday album. There is a lilt to his singing that lightens even the sad songs.

Christmas With Richard Poon includes Last Christmas; an interesting take on Jingle Bells featuring the trio Baihana; The Christmas Song; Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas; Merry Christmas Darling and Grown Up Christmas List. Hopefully, Richard should be able to add more songs to this album, including some originals for release next Christmastime.