A Timeless Christmas
Israel
CeCe Winans, Gerald Albright, Jonathan Butler, Lalah Hathaway, Marcus Miller, Marvin Winans
Producer: Luther Hanes
Columbia (USA), 2006
1 CD
Catalogue #: 87935
EAN: 0828768793527
UPC: 828768793527
You save: 20%
Additional personnel include: Lalah Hathaway, Marvin Winans, Cece Winans (vocals); Gerald Albright, Jonathan Butler, Marcus Miller.
Christmas records are easy enough to make: slap a few carols and chestnuts on a disc, release it in early November, and you're good to go. Excellent Christmas records, however, require taste and imagination, something that the neo-gospel group Israel & New Breed have in spades. This Grammy-nominated album begins with a truly unique half-straight, half-funky take on "The Nutcracker Suite," and includes interestingly juxtaposed songs in medley ("Silent Nocturne"), rewrites ("We Wish You a Timeless Christmas"), and some juicy guest-vocal turns by CeCe Winans and Jonathan Butler.
Tracklist
Marcus Miller
Bassist/composer Marcus Miller started out as a member of smooth-jazz purveyor David Sanborn's band, but first really garnered notice as the bassist for Miles Davis throughout the '80s. Miller's fluid, funky, slapping style was a major part of Davis's latter-day sound, and he made considerable contributions to the writing on some of Miles' albums as well. Miller's own solo career kicked off with debut album SUDDENLY in 1983 and has continued on into the 21st century, earning him a Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album in 2001.
