Caleb Collins Releases "Christmas"

By Timothy Yap Oct 01, 2015 03:21 AM EDT

Caleb Collins is releasing a holiday album simply entitled "Christmas" (Caleb Collins Music) on October 2nd. The thirteen-track project is a warm collection of well-known yuletide melodies with a couple of originals thrown in for good measure. "I have always loved Christmas," Collins says. "I love everything about it: the snow, presents, food, candles, family and friends and just the nostalgia that the season brings." He loves the holiday so much that he leaves a tree up all year long and redecorates it with the seasons.

The New York-based artist and The Juilliard School student who has written for and sung with The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir kicks this festive party off with a Big Band rendition of the 1945 classic "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow" and then dives into the Jazzy, head-bobbing upright bass of the traditional tune "Joy To The World."

Later on, Collins delivers divine reverence on majestic readings of "O Come O Come Emmanuel," "What Child Is This?" and "O Holy Night." The latter features a celestial choir of voices to inspire a worship moment while "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" has an impish salsa twist to it that showcases some of his most colorful vocal gymnastics. His mentor Morris Chapman, the renowned worship and praise artist, joins him for a soulful update of Chapman's 1985 gem "Bethlehem Morning."

Collins' velvet-like tone bubbles like hot cocoa on "I'll Be Home For Christmas." The Idaho native offers a tender take on "The First Noel" and Nashville singer Rachel Williams' sweet soprano blends nicely with Collins' tenor on "I Heard The Bells."

Collins takes us to a storefront Black church on the gritty, un-plugged piano chords of "Sweet Time of The Year" - one of only two originals on the set. He wrote this feel-good, gather around the fireplace track in which he sings, "There's something about when friends call when you're feeling all alone and there's something about Christmas makes you wanna go home." The party ends with a riveting Blues-styled re-creation of "Silent Night" that transforms the ballad into a juke joint jam.

The musicianship on this album is nothing less than spectacular. Guitarist Dave Cleveland has played with Judy Collins and drummer Steve Brewster has worked sessions with Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson and Bob Seger. Bassist Craig Nelson has worked with Josh Groban and Charlotte Church. Collins himself has written and played on recordings by the legendary Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.

Collins is a seasoned independent artist who produced and recorded a set of hymns "Classic" in 2007. He's recorded other well-received independent projects such as "Dream" (2009) and "Live In Memphis" (2011). "Christmas" is his fourth album and his fifth, "Re-Introducing The Standards," is scheduled to release in 2016. "Christmas has always set the mood for the holiday parties and has been my soundtrack for the Christmas season," Collins says in conclusion. "I hope this recording is the soundtrack to the listeners' holidays for many years to come. " Order the album on Amazon at http://smarturl.it/govs5a & visit www.calebcollins.com for more news.

TRACK LIST:

1. Let It Snow
2. Joy To The World
3. O Come O Come Emmanuel
4. I'll Be Home For Christmas
5. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
6. Bethlehem Morning ft. Morris Chapman
7. The Story of Us
8. What Child Is This?
9. I Heard The Bells ft. Rachel Williams
10. Sweet Time of the Year
11. O Holy Night
12. The First Noel
13. Silent Night