Mon Dec 02 13:20:00 UTC 2024: ## New Holiday Albums Bring Festive Sounds, From Funky Soul to Caribbean Steel Drums
**Traverse City, MI** – The holiday season brings a familiar soundtrack of Christmas classics, but this year offers a bounty of new holiday albums adding fresh sounds to the festive mix. From soulful horns to Caribbean steel drums and jazzy reinterpretations of beloved carols, there’s something for every musical taste.
Tower of Power, the legendary funk group, delivers a surprising but delightful holiday album, *It’s Christmas*, featuring their signature funky horns and soulful vocals on classics like “The Christmas Song” and Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas.” Bandleader Emilio Castillo describes the album as “a gift that keeps on giving.”
Other notable releases include Ben Folds’ 10-track album, featuring seven original songs alongside covers of lesser-known holiday gems. Kelly Clarkson offers a bold pop-rock holiday single reminiscent of Darlene Love, even teaming up with Cher for a remixed version of “DJ Play A Christmas Song.”
For a more mellow experience, there’s *Christmastime in Rio*, a charming collection of bossa nova and samba-infused holiday classics by guitarist Romero Lubambo and vocalist Paulinho Da Costa Driggs. Alternatively, Jennifer Hudson’s debut holiday album presents a powerful, big-band style approach to both traditional and original songs.
On the jazzier side, pianist Leon Levin delivers a blues-inspired holiday album featuring mostly original tracks with an unexpected twist on classics like “Silent Night.” The album showcases a variety of guest vocalists and instrumentation.
A range of other artists have also contributed to the holiday music scene this year, including contributions from country artists, steel drum ensembles, and even a new track from John Lodge of the Moody Blues, written and recorded following a recent stroke. From country twang to jazzy interpretations and Caribbean rhythms, this year’s selection offers a diverse soundscape for the holiday season.
First Piper 