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JUDITH OWEN – JUDITH OWEN SINGS CHRISTMAS (HOLIDAY DEKUXE)
Judith Owen opens with a very festive world of jazz, swing and all that it entails in her Judith Owen Swings Christmas (Holiday Deluxe) which is an 18 track collection of Christmas standards and some additional tracks. The Holiday Deluxe edition expands on the original 2024 release with 4 additional tracks, thereby giving a much wider range of festive fare. It’s a collection that moves seamlessly between the big band and the more acoustic and intimate. It’s all very much in the tradition of Christmas.
The familiar titles get a good deal of attention throughout the collection: “Cool Yule”, “Silver Bells”, “Winter Wonderland”, “Santa Baby” and “Run Rudolph Run”. You’ve got the standard Christmas fare there alongside “Last Christmas”, “Merry Christmas Baby” and “Sleigh Ride’ which gives the album a real variety of a seasonal feel. Part of the appeal is obviously in hearing the songs that have become the definitive Christmas songs, but it’s also the fact that they’re all being heard within the context of a jazz/swing collection. It’s an album that is very much about the Christmas spirit and the nostalgia of the season.
There’s a bit more depth to be had from the four deluxe recordings. “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and “Christmas Waltz” are both back in deluxe form and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and “No Better Time” get acoustic versions. These are not just additional tracks, they add a different dimension to the collection and provide a different take on some of the material already present in the collection.
Across the 18 tracks of Judith Owen’s Swings Christmas (Holiday Deluxe) there’s a very clear seasonal identity. It’s a blend of classic swing, a bit of jazz, the usual suspects and a fair bit of acoustic intimacy. It ranges from the more up-tempo Christmas tracks to the more relaxed ones and is therefore a collection that can be used in a variety of different situations. The expanded format is a good addition and the collection is very much rooted in the traditional Christmas repertoire.
