Our family was excited to receive a review copy of AMY GRANT Tennessee Christmas. We own Amy Grant's other Christmas CDs, including her first, "A Christmas Album" in two formats (we had to upgrade it to CD from cassette at one point).Right off the bat, first song, the album is like an old friend walking through the front door, with Tennessee Christmas, warm and familiar, yet slightly updated. And like that album we love and still play from 1983, AMY GRANT Tennessee Christmas,
gives listeners a variety of songs and styles, from classics to brand new and sacred to secular. Some songs have what I would describe as a light jazzy arrangement. (My daughter who is a music major will cringe at that description, but she is not home yet from college to give me a better term. Oh, and Amy & Vince, if you ever need a French horn player for your next Christmas projects, I can hook you up with a great one, and she attends college near the Music City.)
Hubby and I are listening to the album again as I gather my thoughts for this blog post. He's really picky about Christmas music. And he gives this one two thumbs up He is reading the album liner notes beginning to end and reading bits and pieces to me. And he's quizzing me. "Who wrote this?" "Well, dear, I am pretty sure Irving Berlin wrote White Christmas." (Hubby 0. Me 1.) He tells me that Grant has never performed "Joy To The World" so slowly and it allowed her to really focus on the meaning of the words. And hubby agrees with her. He's not usually a fan of slower songs, and yet he really likes this one. And he likes the way the softer instrumentals do not overpower Grant's voice.
The album makes us both want to hear Grant live again. We saw her once, at the Hollywood Bowl in the 90's, when she was in concert with SCC.
I had grand plans to listen to this CD while out and about, running errands. I love a good sing along, and in the car, alone, I am quite good. *wink* But I have been stuck at home for over a week with an upper respiratory bug, not able to join in and sing because any attempt to vocalize (spoken or in song) would send me into a big coughing fit. Forced to simply listen this time, Amy Grant is a joy, as always. And by the time my voice is healed enough to sing along, I will know most of the words. Bonus!
Amy Grant and her team are asking fans to upload any videos they may have of them surprising loved ones for the holidays to social media using the hashtag #TNChristmasSurprise! . They will be making a compilation video similar to this one and posting it to Amy’s socials – this specific video has not been announced yet though.
You can buy AMY GRANT Tennessee Christmas here. You know you want a copy. And until you own yours, enjoy this cut from the CD:
Merry Christmas!
Penny
I was given a copy of the AMY GRANT Tennessee Christmas in exchange for a review on my blog. I am not obligated to provide a positive review.
