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Our Review

Cool, straight-up jazz vocals for the holidays--nice! Christie McCarthy's husky alto voice is exactly in my range, which meant that I engaged in some heavy-duty sing-alongs while Winter whirled in my system. Her singing is straightforward and unpretentious, conveying a warm, folksy elegance to every jazzy line. And on Blue Christmas, McCarthy slowly sidles up to the bar with a heavy-lidded country flavor.

There is much to admire on Winter. The song selection largely consists of secular, upbeat favorites. The musicianship is solid, and the mood is easygoing and comfortable. This is like reclining in the corner of your favorite jazz club, listening while McCarthy performs just for you. The fine instrumentation is minimal, appropriately supportive, and never overwhelms McCarthy's fine pipes. All of the tracks are great, although I probably enjoyed McCarthy's languid delivery of Let It Snow! most of all.

Jazz vocals are a great fit with holiday music, and Christie McCarthy's excellent Winter is no exception.

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2006)

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From the liner notes:

Vocals: Christie McCarthy
Drums: Kevin Mummey
Bass: Cindy Browne
Guitar: Brian Kane
Piano: Greg Sankovich
Guest guitarist on I'll Be Home for Christmas: Jimmy Luttrell
Produced by Christie McCarthy and Mark Lemaire
Engineered and mixed by Mark Lemaire
Mastered by Ken Lee

Christie McCarthy

Winter

Artist link

Track List