A Christmas Album (James Taylor album)

A Christmas Album is the first Christmas album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor released on a limited-edition basis in 2004, with distribution through Hallmark stores. The albums were also not carried by all Hallmark Cards stockists.

Track listing

1. "Winter Wonderland" with Chris Botti (Dick Smith, Felix Bernard) – 3:36
2. "Go Tell It on the Mountain" (Traditional) – 3:48
3. "In the Bleak Midwinter" (Traditional) – 4:18
4. "Baby, It's Cold Outside" with Natalie Cole (Frank Loesser) – 4:19
5. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (Haven Gillespie, John Frederick Coots) – 2:58
6. "Jingle Bells" (Traditional) – 3:55
7. "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" with Toots Thielemans (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells) – 3:54
8. "Deck the Halls" (Traditional) – 2:51
9. "Some Children See Him" (Alfred Burt, Wihla Hutson) – 4:41
10. "Who Comes This Night" (Dave Grusin, Sally Stevens) – 4:17
11. "Auld Lang Syne" (Traditional) – 3:41

The album originally came with an online code that could be used to download an outtake from the sessions, a cover of Joni Mitchell's "River". In 2006, Taylor's regular label, Columbia Records, reissued the album under a new title (James Taylor at Christmas) and cover. This new version also altered the track listing, with "Deck the Halls" removed and two other songs ("Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and the aforementioned cover of "River") added.

Personnel

• James Taylor – lead vocals, guitars (2, 6, 8, 11), arrangements (2, 3, 6, 8)
• Dave Grusin – arrangements, acoustic piano (1, 4–6, 9–11), celesta (7, 10)
• Larry Goldings – melodica (2, 3, 11), harmonium (3, 8, 11), organ (6), acoustic piano (7)
• John Pizzarelli – guitars (1, 5, 7, 11)
• George Doering – guitars (2–4, 6, 10)
• Michael Landau – guitars (2–4, 6, 8, 11)
• Dave Carpenter – bass (1, 5, 7, 10, 11)
• Jimmy Johnson – bass (2–4, 6)
• Vinnie Colaiuta – drums (1–7, 11)
• Luis Conte – percussion (2, 4, 6, 10)
• Michael Fisher – percussion (8)
• Ralph Williams – bass clarinet (1)
• Gary Gray – clarinet (1)
• Bill Liston – clarinet (1)
• Dan Higgins – flute (1)
• Phil Ayling – English horn (1), oboe (1)
• Chris Botti – trumpet (1)
• Toots Thielemans – harmonica (7)
• David Lasley – backing vocals (1, 2, 8, 10)
• Kate Markowitz – backing vocals (1, 2, 8, 10)
• Arnold McCuller – backing vocals (1, 2, 8, 10)
• Natalie Cole – lead vocals (4)

Strings (1–5, 7, 9, 10)

• Ralph Morrison – concertmaster
• Steve Erdody, Paula Hochhalter and Cecilia Tsan – cello
• Edward Mears – contrabass
• Karen Elaine Bakunin, Brian Dembow, Marlow Fisher, Roland Kato and Vicki Miskolczy – viola
• Jackie Brand, Bruce Dukov, Julie Gigante, Alan Grunfield, Clayton Haslop, Tamara Hatwan, Natalie Leggett, Ralph Morrison, Claudia Parducci, Sara Parkins, Katia Popov, Josefina Vergara, Margaret Wooten and Kenneth Yerke – violin

Production

• Dave Grusin – producer, liner notes
• Don Murray – recording, mixing
• Charlie Paakkari – assistant engineer
• Robert Vosgien – mastering at Capitol Mastering (Hollywood, California).
• Gary Borman – management
• Barbara Rose Granatt – management
• James Taylor – liner notes

References