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B.B. King: A Christmas Celebration of Hope

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: MCA Records
Released: 2001.11.06
Time:
 48:15
Category: Blues
Producer(s): Michael Abene, B.B. King
Rating:
Media type: CD
Web address: www.bbking.com
Appears with:
Purchase date: 2014
Price in €: 1,00





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Please Come Home for Christmas (Charles Brown, Gene Redd) - 4:53
[2] Lonesome Christmas (Lloyd Glenn) - 3:04
[3] Back Door Santa (Clarence Carter, Marcus Daniel) - 3:26
[4] Christmas in Heaven (Billy Ward) - 4:49
[5] I'll Be Home for Christmas (Kim Gannon, Walter Kent, Buck Ram) - 3:47
[6] To Someone That I Love (Charles Brown) - 5:01
[7] Christmas Celebration (B.B. King) - 3:38
[8] Merry Christmas, Baby (Page Cavanaugh, Jack Smalley) - 3:56
[9] Christmas Love (King) - 2:57
[10] Blue Decorations (Jerry Gillespie) - 3:27
[11] Christmas Comes But Once a Year (Amos Milburn, Albert Shubert) - 4:15
[12] Bringing in a Brand New Year (Charles Brown) - 2:41
[13] Auld Lang Syne (Robert Burns, traditional) - 2:21

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


B.B. King - Vocals, Guitar, Arranger, Producer

James Toney - Keyboards
Leon Warren - Guitar
Mike Doster - Bass
Calep Emphrey - Drums
Melvin Jackson - Saxophone
James Bolden - Conductor, Trumpet
Stanley Abernathy - Trumpet
Tony Coleman - Tambourine

Michael Abene - Producer
Floyd Lieberman - Executive Producer
Jay Burton - Engineer
Anthony Daigle - Engineer
S. "Husky" Höskulds - Engineer
Josiah Gluck - Engineer, Mixing
John Holbrook - Mixing
Stephen Marcussen - Mastering
Rich Costey - Assistant
Devin Emk - Assistant
Ken Quartarone - Assistant
Walter King - Contractor
Vartan - Art Direction
Kevin Westenberg - Photography

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


2001 CD MCA Records ‎088112756-2



It'll be a blues Christmas this year, as B.B. King releases his first holiday-themed album, "A Christmas Celebration of Hope" Nov. 6 on MCA. The set, which King produced, will feature the artist layer. It'll be a blues Christmas this year, as B.B. King releases his first holiday-themed album, "A Christmas Celebration of Hope" Nov. 6 on MCA. The set, which King produced, will feature the artist layering his legendary blues stylings over a selection of classic and new holiday tunes, including "Please Come Home For Christmas," "Auld Lang Syne," and "Back Door Santa."  The album also features two King originals: "Christmas Celebration," which he originally released in 1960, and the new instrumental "Christmas Love." MCA is donating all profits from the sale of "A Christmas Celebration of Hope" to the medical and research center City of Hope, which provides care for cancer patients and conducts research into cancer, diabetes, AIDS, and other diseases. The Music and Entertainment Industry Chapter of City of Hope, formed 25 years ago, has raised over $30 million for the center to date. "It has been my long time dream to produce an album of Christmas music," King said in a statement. "It is with pleasure that I dedicate this album to City of Hope in support of their hard work to bring hope and healing to all people who suffer from life threatening diseases everywhere."

Billboard - September 24, 2001



It took B.B. King a long time to get around to his first Christmas album, which didn't appear until about half a century into his recording career. It's an adequate, good-humored reprisal of various holiday chestnuts, among them some material with blues/R&B origins, like "Merry Christmas Baby." King wrote just one new song for the album, the instrumental "Christmas Love," though he did originally record another of the tracks, "Christmas Celebration," back in 1960. Wisely he plays "Auld Lang Syne" as a funky instrumental instead of vocalizing the singalong lyrics. In addition to periodic bursts of King's trademark guitar, there is plenty of brass and organ in the peppy arrangements. The Nashville String Machine adds its strings to just three tracks, which cuts down on over-produced excess (which is only a problem on "Please Come Home for Christmas"). It's hardly the first King you'll pull off your shelf, and not the first R&B Christmas album you'll turn to either, but you could do worse in the holiday season.

Richie Unterberger - All Music Guide



Now that Charles Brown is gone, it's up to B.B. King to uphold the blues for Christmas. If this first collection of holiday music is any indication, he deserves his own igloo in the North Pole. Self-produced with his touring band in New Orleans during a spring heat wave, A Christmas Celebration of Hope finds King overcoming both the heat and Yuletide music clichés, turning out an inspired and rollicking album that is lit from within by King's generous spirit and gracious heart. Like others before him, King dipped into the blues and R&B holiday canon, but instead of just recycling well-worn classics, he plucked gems like "Blues Decorations" and "Backdoor Santa" out of obscurity and polished them to a high gloss. When King does cover standards, like "Merry Christmas, Baby" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas," he imbues them with his own earthy personality and sleek, restrained playing. King also includes two originals in this surprise package: "Celebration," which he first released in 1960, and the new instrumental, "Christmas Love." This record not only will make Christmas merrier for the listener, it will also help people suffering from cancer, HIV/AIDS, and diabetes, as King has donated the proceeds to the City of Hope, the world-renowned biomedical research and treatment center.

Jaan Uhelszki - Amazon.com



A Christmas Celebration of Hope is the thirty ninth studio album by American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter B.B. King released in November 2001 through MCA Records. It is a holiday album. In the United States, A Christmas Celebration of Hope reached peak positions of number 151 on the Billboard 200, number one on Billboard '​s Top Blues Albums chart and number 21 on the Top Holiday Albums chart. The album earned King two Grammy Awards at the 45th Grammy Awards (2003): he, Anthony Daigle and John Holbrook were presented the award for Best Traditional Blues Album and the track "Auld Lang Syne" earned King the award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

A Christmas Celebration of Hope contains 13 tracks totaling approximately 48 minutes in length. Produced by B.B. King himself and recorded in Lafayette, Louisiana at Dockside Recording Studios in June of 2001. Some of the songs, including "Merry Christmas, Baby" have roots in blues or rhythm and blues. Nashville String Machine contribute strings to three tracks. King had originally recorded "Christmas Celebration" in 1960. The instrumental "Christmas Love" marks King's only original track on the album (credited as Riley King). The album's closing track, an instrumental version of "Auld Lang Syne", was described by Richie Unterberger as "funky".

In his review for Allmusic, Richie Unterberger awarded the album 2.5 out of 5 stars and called the collection an "adequate, good-humored reprisal". Unterberger thought only "Please Come Home for Christmas" was overproduced and concluded his review with the statement: "It's hardly the first King you'll pull off your shelf, and not the first R&B Christmas album you'll turn to either, but you could do worse in the holiday season." A Christmas Celebration of Hope earned King the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album at the 45th Grammy Awards (2003); awards were also presented to Anthony Daigle and John Holbrook. The track "Auld Lang Syne" earned King the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

In the United States, A Christmas Celebration of Hope reached peak positions of number 151 on the Billboard 200, number one on Billboard '​s Top Blues Albums chart and number 21 on the Top Holiday Albums chart. The album marked King's fourth to reach the Top Blues Albums chart's number one position. A Christmas Celebration of Hope remained on the Billboard 200 and Top Holiday Albums charts for three weeks; the album remained on the Top Blues Albums chart for ten weeks, including five at the number one position.

Wikipedia.org



B.B. King fans received their Christmas present a little bit early this year -- after more than 50 years of recording music, the King of the Blues finally has released his first holiday album ever, "A Christmas Celebration of Hope." (MCA Records). The recording is well worth the wait. King leads his touring band through a collection of contemporary holiday classics and throws in two of his own compositions for good measure. Not surprisingly, King covers holiday songs with a blues tint, including R&B chestnuts such as "Back Door Santa," "Blue Decoration" and "Lonesome Christmas." Several Charles Brown songs are featured -- "Please Come Home for Christmas" and "Merry Christmas Baby" among them.

King also rerecorded his own song, "Christmas Celebration," first released on Kent Records in 1960, and a new instrumental, "Christmas Love." The record closes with two songs for the new year, "Bringing in a Brand New Year" and an instrumental "Auld Lang Syne." All 13 tracks get the trademark B.B. King sound -- King's expressive vocals, swinging horns, a rock-solid rhythm section and, of course, Lucille, his faithful guitar. By buying this CD, music fans also can spread a little holiday goodwill. MCA is donating its proceeds to the City of Hope, a biomedical research and treatment center that brings lifesaving hope to those suffering from cancer, AIDS, diabetes and other diseases.

All in all, this fine recording likely will find a home next to the other classics in many holiday music collections.

Jeff Stevens - bluesmusicnow.com



"Back Door Santa" isn't a song choice you'd expect in an album that touts itself as a celebration of hope, unless you're really hoping for some back-door loving this December. This 2001 blues album is cheerfully crass and slightly overproduced (by King himself!). But his guitar playing is as great as ever and the disc is has a warm-hearted spirit, like your gruff uncle who secretly loves to dress up as Santa for the kids.

36 of 40 Essential Christmas Albums
RollingStone.com
 

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