Our Review
Sophisticated and sassy, Laura Ridgeway has been entertaining audiences for over 20 years. Her Christmas at Home is an easygoing pop/jazz mélange for the holiday season. Ridgeway's voice is warm and winning; she is jazzy without going over-the-top. This is adult contemporary music that gently swings.
Christmas at Home features 12 fine tracks, including two excellent medleys and the artist's own "A Christmas Lullaby." Ridgeway's voice is clear, clean and emotive, and the supporting ensemble provides a light, jazz touch without crowding the vocals. The song selection mixes the secular with the sacred, although the emphasis is clearly on the more modern moments. The medleys are particularly grand; they include a samba-inspired "Joy to the World Medley" that incorporates "Feliz Navidad and "Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly." The album closes with an equally fine "Jingle Bell Rock Medley"; this track moves through lightly sizzlin' versions of "Santa Baby" and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree."
Ridgeway's original "A Christmas Lullaby" is my favorite piece on the album. This is a warm and gentle ballad framed by acoustic guitar. Ridgeway's voice is particularly strong here, and the guitar supports her perfectly. The melody is sweet and memorable, and the lyrics are just right for the season.
Laura Ridgeway is a class act, and her Christmas at Home will make many feel right at home this holiday season. Perhaps next year she will release an album entirely comprised of lovely acoustic ballads like "A Christmas Lullaby"!
--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2005)
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From the liner notes:
VOCALS: Laura Ridgeway
KEYBOARDS: Jim Crew, Lindsay Rosebrock (10,12)
ACOUSTIC & ELECTRIC GUITAR: Drew Lile
UPRIGHT BASS: John Simonetti
ELECTRIC BASS: Michael Parks (10,12)
PERCUSSION: Bill Eagen
SAX & WOODWINDS: Rodney Marsh
TRUMPET: Bryan McCune
Produced by Jim Crew
"A Christmas Lullaby": Music & lyrics by Laura Ridgeway
From the Web site:
Laura Ridgeway and Friends is a class act, performing a variety of jazz, swing, oldies pop, blues, and original pieces with a jazz/blues twist -- upbeat, timeless pieces that appeal to a wide range of audiences. Laura Ridgeway has been singing in various capacities for over 20 years. She performs regularly at weddings, receptions, private parties, galas, finer restaurants, outdoor concerts, and festivals throughout the Triangle and state of North Carolina. Her list of appearances include the RBC Center, Raleigh Civic Center, Meymandi Hall (BTI Center), the N.C. Governor's "Executive Mansion," for the 2005 Gubernatorial Inaugural Ball festivities, N.C. Seafood Festival, N.C. Museum of History, and Charlotte Mint Museum and numerous private events across the state.
Laura Ridgeway
Christmas at Home
Artist site
Label: Laura Ridgeway
Length: 40 minutes
Genre: Jazz
Release: 2005
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm |
| Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow |
| I'll Be Home for Christmas |
| The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) |
| Joy to the World Medley (Feliz Navidad, Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly) |
| Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas |
| What Child Is This |
| O Holy Night |
| A Christmas Lullaby |
| Home for the Holidays (There's No Place Like. . .) |
| Merry Christmas Darling |
| Jingle Bell Rock Medley (Santa Baby, Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree) |