A Family Holiday
© Copyright-Family Records
(634479682070)
Record Label: Family Records
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Comprised of thirteen tracks from some of New York City's finest emerging artists plus their collective cover of "Do They Know It's Christmas," "A Family Holiday" is a seasonal charity compilation spanning the sacred (Tarrah Reynolds’ "What Child Is This") to the profane (Seth Kallen's "Dreidel 2.0").
All proceeds from "A Family Holiday" will be donated to 826NYC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.
"A Family Holiday" participants first gathered at Travis Harrison's Serious Business Studios in Soho, spending a long, sweaty October weekend together recording their cover of the 1984 Band Aid classic. They were then tasked with covering a favorite holiday tune, or writing a new one. The results are decidedly different, and surprising.
The Undisputed Heavyweights deliver a sparsely arranged, acoustic version of "Baby, It’s Cold Outside" featuring soulful chanteuse Jamie Leonhart, while Jeff Jacobson gives "Frosty The Snowman" a minor chord makeover.
More surprising, though, is the breadth and depth of the brand-new songs. Flying Machines craft a mini-epic with their muscular, propulsive "Right Around Christmas Time." And Queens indie rockers El Jezel capture the very real, very lame experience of "Working On Christmas."
The complete “A Family Holiday” track listing:
1. Family Holiday Singers - Do They Know It's Christmas
2. Casey Shea - My Holiday Song
3. Flying Machines - Right Around Christmas
4. Misty Boyce - The River
5. Jeff Jacobson - Frosty The Snowman
6. Wakey!Wakey! - LGA (Live)
7. Benjamin Wagner - Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)
8. Tarrah Reynolds - What Child Is This
9. The Undisputed Heavyweights (featuring Jamie Leonhart) - Baby, It's Cold Outside
10. Chris Abad - Feliz Navidad
11. El Jezel - Working on Christmas
12. Seth Kallen - Dreidel 2.0
13. Wynn Walent - Little Drummer Boy
14. Kailin Garrity - Silent Night
The “Family Holiday” project was conceived by singer/songwriter Benjamin Wagner who enlisted the support of Family Records head Wes Verhoeve and Hot Rocks’ Jenny Piston. "A Family Holiday" endeavors to give back to the community from which the participating artists were born.
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author: Linda
This holiday collection is a refreshing combination of old favorites and contemporary holiday sentiments. The performances are solid, and heartfelt. There is a lot of talent on these tracks. A Family Holiday is a great collection to listen to while making your holiday preparations, the heart of the season is captured here no matter what you celebrate. It also supports a great cause, 826NYC. Give a listen.
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A Holiday Gem!
author: Tricia
Producer and project mastermind, Benjamin Wagner (benjaminwagner.com) has created a holiday gem that benefits 826NYC (826nyc.org). The 14 track disc features various independent artists/friends from the NYC singer/song writer circle. From the great cover of "Do They Know It's Christmas"? to the humorous "My Holiday" by Casey Shea, the album delivers. Personal favorites include a magical variation of "Frosty the Snowman" by Jeff Jacobson and a stellar collaboration on "Baby, It's Cold Outside" by The Undisputed Heavyweights, featuring Jamie Leonhart. Wakey! Wakey! hits the common feeling of the season on the head with their cover of "Right Around Christmas". Chris Abad lends is vocal and guitar skills to "Feliz Navidad" and Wagner does the Boss justice with his take on "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home). The album and the cause are great. Pick one (or three - they make great gifts) up today!
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A Lovely Compilation!
author: Heather Stansfield
The disc starts off with a modern, rock and roll take on "Do They Know It's Christmas," and doesn't stop rockin' til the end.
Some original songs include "My Holiday" by Casey
Shea, which poigniantly (and somewhat amusingly)
touches upon cultural differences during the holidays. "Right Around Christmas" is a Darkness-esque power ballad by the Flying Machines. Also contributing original works are Wakey!Wakey! with a live version of "LGA" and El Jezel ("Working on Christmas").
For those of you who are looking for slightly more conventional, don't worry, there's plenty for you. Misty Boyce covers Joni Mitchell's "The River," while Tarrah Reynolds contributes a lovely version of "What Child is This." The Undisputed Heavyweights collaborate with Jamie Leonhart on a cover of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" that sounds as if they stepped right out of the jazz club. The disc concludes with a simple and understated version of "Silent Night" sung by Kailin Garrity.
Other contributors include Jeff Jacobson with a
melancholy cover of "Frosty the Snowman," and Benjamin Wagner (instigator of the whole collaboration) and his soulful (but not soul) version of "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)". Also present is Chris Abad, who
rocks out in "Feliz Navidad." Rounding out the disc are Seth Kallen and Wynn Walent who provide low-key covers of "Dreidel 2.0" and "Little Drummer Boy."
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