So what’s this year’s best Christmas album going to be? Each year top artists drop their Xmas albums in November. Usually there are not too many new songs on there but basically the same well-known tunes from “White Christmas” to Silent Night” and back. But does that matter? No! Don’t we all want to hear the same old songs in the pre-Christmas period? I guess Christmas is so much about traditions and so much about our fond memories of past Christmases, that new songs are kinda unnecessary. Only those old songs can create that cozy, warm atmosphere and make you feel home.
So what’s new this year? I’ve been listening to Mary J. Blige’s “A Mary Christmas” already (yes, admitted, before the first Sunday of Advent). My favorites are her version of “Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer” (very jazzy) and “When you wish upon a star” together with Barbara Streisand. The latter is actually not really a Christmas classic but it has that Christmas feel to me. And I just LOVE the melody and the lyrics. Altogether a very nice, never boring record which could become my Xmas favorite this year.
But then there will also be Leona Lewis‘ album “Christmas, with love”, which will be released on November 29th. Leona has already posted an album sampler with previews of each song.
Check out “Ave Maria”. I bet nobody would have guessed it’s her on that tune. I’m looking forward to really listening to it.
That reminds me… I do have some nice pictures of Leona (supporting act: Alexander Klaws) from her concert in the Philharmonie am Gasteig earlier this year. I had been looking forward to seeing her since “Bleeding in love“, which used to be one of my heavy rotation tunes before it became big everywhere. I looooved her first album, too. I kinda lost her a little on later albums, but she’s still an amazing singer. As the concert was in the Philharmonic Orchestra building I had huge expectations concerning experiencing her live vocals. Unfortunately it was a huge let down. Not because Leona suddenly couldn’t sing anymore, but because the sound was horrible. I had a seat in the second row and Leona’s vocals could barely be heard. Please, sound engineers, also people in the first rows want to not only see the show but also hear it! Unfortunately this was not the first time I experienced the sound being incredibly bad in the first rows. It’s always a huge disappointment and I can’t really enjoy the concert as much as I would have wanted to. Anyway, put on your favorite Leona song and enjoy these pictures!
music, the world & me 