Our Review
That unmistakable falsetto is emanating from none other than Aaron Neville, whose new release on EMI Gospel, Christmas Prayer is one of the more affecting of this year's new holiday offerings. Nobody wrings the emotion from a note the way he can. Nobody exemplifies state-of-the-art R&B arrangements the way he does. It would have been sufficient had he brought only his great voice and arrangements to this effort. But at several points he is joined by others in the Neville family, as well as including a wonderful cameo by The Blind Boys of Alabama on Joy To The World.
With a couple of exceptions, this is primarily a set of traditional carols. Among the exceptions were the blues standard Merry Christmas Baby, which featured a nice alto sax solo by Charles Neville , and the title track Christmas Prayer, an R&B standard where Neville gets an opportunity to really show off his inimitable vocal style. There are Nevilles everywhere on this this recording and other supporting artists too numerous to list.
So, fans of all Nevilles rejoice: Christmas Prayer is your ticket to a merry Christamas in 2006.
--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2006)
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From the liner notes:
Engineered by James Belvelle
Mixed by James Belvelle and Milton Davis
The Blind Boys of Alabama appear courtesy of Real World Records
The Neville Brothers appear courtesy of Neville Nation Records
Aaron Neville
Christmas Prayer
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Artist site
Label: EMI Gospel
Length: 54 minutes
Genre: Gospel
Release: 2006
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| Christmas Prayer |
| Go Tell It On The Mountain |
| Mary's Boy Child |
| White Christmas |
| Joy To The World |
| Merry Christmas Baby |
| Hark The Herald Angels Sing |
| The First Noel |
| Christmas Everyday |
| O Come All Ye Faithful |
| Ave Maria |
| It Came Upon A Midnight Clear |
| Amen |
| Amazing Grace |