Our Review
A cappella doo wop is a special art, and The Mighty Echoes are true masters of their craft in their Doo Wop Around the Christmas Tree. In the group's twentieth year, this confident quartet (Charlie Davis, Harvey Shield, John Lathan, Jon Rubin) includes preternatural high (tenor) and low (bass) voices; the entire range is completely covered with style and aplomb. This music is intensely fun, a joyous valentine to the 1950s with the production values and smooth professionalism of 2006.
To me, singing a cappella is like tight-rope walking with no net, no instrumentation to obscure the vocals. The vulnerability is especially true here, where the four voices move like a mini-orchestra, bobbing and weaving through 11 holiday chestnuts, including the lesser-known, but lovely Christmas in New Orleans, with its gravelly, Louis Armstrong-style lead vocal. Nice! I have many favorite cuts on this album; the bouncing bass beat and beautiful harmonies of Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) are especially winning.
In Doo Wop Around the Christmas Tree, The Mighty Echoes "don't need no stinkin' band"; they do just fine, thank you, with their stellar vocal instruments. I will caution, however, that these excellent gentlemen end their holiday singing at 27 minutes, and that makes for a mighty short ride. Still, every minute is a treat. If you favor a cappella doo-wopping around your Christmas tree, then invite The Mighty Echoes into your living room this holiday season. Remarkable!
--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2006)
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From the liner notes:
The Mighty Echoes are:
Bass: Charlie Davis--Lead (1,5,7)
Baritone: Harvey Shield--Lead (3,8,11)
Second Tenor: John Lathan--Lead (2,6,10)
Tenor: Jon Rubin--Lead (1,4,5,9)
Produced, Arranged, Engineered and Mixed by Tommy Dunbar
"A simple sound. Simple and profound. I believe you will find this disc remarkable."
--Eddie Gorodetsky (Emmy Award-winning writer who is currently the co-executive producer of the hit series Two and a Half Men. He has too many records with an inexplicable emphasis on Yuletide selections.)
The Mighty Echoes
Doo Wop Around the Christmas Tree
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Label: Brooklyn International Records
Length: 27 minutes
Genre: R&B
Release: 2006
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas |
| The Christmas Song |
| Winter Wonderland |
| Santa Claus Is Coming to Town |
| White Christmas |
| What Are You Doing New Year's Eve |
| Christmas in New Orleans |
| Blue Christmas |
| Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) |
| O Holy Night |
| Happy Xmas (War Is Over) |