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Jennifer Saran

Soulful Christmas

Review by Gary Hill

When it comes to jazzy, adult contemporary type music, Jennifer Saran's vocals are just about the best around these days. She seems to have an affinity for Christmas music because I previously reviewed another holiday set from her (in addition to other music of hers I've reviewed). This is her brand new set of holiday music, and it is so strong. This will likely be part of my holiday festivities for years to come. The Temptations are featured on the opening song, Narada Michael Walden is a big part of this production, too.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2017  Volume 6 at  garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2017.

Track by Track Review
Christmas Lover (featuring The Temptations)
This has a cool, slow soulful groove. It's all class.
Sleigh Ride
I love the classy jazz arrangement on this tune. The holiday classic gets a great telling here, really.
Long Road Home for Christmas
This balladic number is interesting. It makes me think of some of the pop rock that was so popular in the 1960s. The harmonica adds a lot to the piece.
Swingin' at Christmas Time
A bouncy and fun piece, this is another winner. It's more modern in texture than a lot of the rest here.
Some Children See Him
Harp starts this cut. It works out with a slow moving and rather symphonic texture. The beautiful vocals are the real selling factor of this piece. There are mellow jazz elements at play.
Coventry Carol
Even more symphonic than the previous number, this is so pretty. It is a short instrumental.
Soulful Christmas

An old-styled soulful vibe really does shine brightly on this piece. This has a timeless, classic quality to it. It's very effective. The horn soloing on this lends some magic to the number. It was a great move to make this the title track. It's one of the strongest pieces here.

Soul Cake
This is so cool. It has a great Celtic folk vibe to it. Yet, it also has plenty of jazz in the mix. There are bits of traditional Christmas music added to the arrangement. This is another highlight of the set.
Where Are You Christmas
A particularly pretty song, this is another standout. It's slow and a bit jazzy. It's mellow and quite effective.
I Have My Own Reindeer
Jazz and adult contemporary music seem to merge on this. It's a pretty cut that is entertaining. It's just not on the same level of the last few.
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Only a minute and a half long, this is an instrumental on classical strings. It's a pretty interlude.
Come Home for Christmas
A piano based ballad at the start, this is another pretty song. It's a slow moving number with a lot of jazz in mix.
Merry Christmas to You
Jazz, pop and more merge on this cut. It has a bit of an electronic edge to it, but not enough to take the more organic vibe from it. This is a fun cut with a lot of energy. It's one of the standouts here, really.
One More Christmas Together
A pretty, jazzy piece, this is another winner. It has such a great classic vibe to it. It's packed with emotion, too.
Christmas Delight
A bouncy and fun number, this has a great soulful vibe to it. It's not one of my favorites, but it's still very strong. There is a short rap mid-track on this.
You Are My Christmas Star
A bit more modern in texture, this has a real soaring kind of vibe to it.      
Frosty the Snow Man
There is a cool haunting vibe to this short version of the holiday classic. Saran's voice is accompanied by only the sounds of winter and some chiming bells. It is incredibly effective.
 
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