Review
by Steve Leggett
Although this wonderful Christmas set is billed as a joint project between Taj Mahal and the Blind Boys of Alabama, and Taj
does play guitar, banjo, ukulele, and harmonica here and sings on a
couple of tracks ("What Can I Do?" and "There's a Reason We Call It
Christmas"), it's really a Blind Boys
holiday album, which is hardly a bad thing. It isn't a blend of blues
and gospel, either, as some of the promotional material suggests. It's a
seasonally bright and sincere mix of gospel and lightly swinging
R&B, which is exactly what the Blind Boys
have been doing so well for so many years. Four of the tracks are
originals, and they fit nicely with covers of traditional Christmas
songs and hymns like the opener "Do You Hear What I Hear?," speeded up
and done with a graceful dash of funk, and the lovely, delicate and
halting acoustic version of "Silent Night." The original "Who Will
Remember?," a gentle gospel waltz, is another highlight. All of it is
delivered in signature Blind Boys style, making this one of the season's nicest releases.
