Our Review
In its own understated way, The Gift of Christmas is one of the stronger offerings I've heard this season. The second of two holiday offerings from Lana Puckett and Kim Person (the first was At Christmas The Heart Goes Home), this one picks up where the first one left off, with heartfelt, articulate vocals and accessible folk stylings.
Puckett and Person bring a smoky, cabaret sophistication to their arrangements, something that sets their sound apart from contemporary folk groups. They both enunciate lyrics very well, an unusual attribute in these overstylized times, and their straightforward almost conversational inflection lend their voices a sense of honesty. They share lead vocals, but their voices and inflection are similar enough that I sometimes have trouble telling them apart, though one (Lana Puckett, I believe) reminds me a little bit of Tanya Tucker's twangy alto, where Kim Person's voice registers as a sweet, unadorned soprano and doesn't sound like anyone else I can think of.
The Gift of Christmas is made up primarily of well-known carols and standards, with the exception of It Could Happen Again, a not so subtle plea for peace which recounts the 1914 Christmas Eve cease fire between German and English troops. This was the only song on the CD unfamiliar to me. My favorites are O Come, O Come Emmanuel, a song that lends itself to their particular vocal style, and Willie Nelson's Pretty Paper . The pleasantly arranged Silent Night is quite effective, also, in weaving together the two women's voices to close the set.
This is an enjoyable second holiday outing by Puckett and Person. You won't go wrong getting your ears around both.
--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2006)
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From the liner notes:
Catherine Styron: acoustic piano
Kerry Marx: electric guitar
John Gardner: drums & percussion
Andrea Zonn: viola & violin
Alison Prestwood: electric & fretless bass
Brian Wood: acoustic & high-strung guitars
Jim Hoke: tenor & soprano sax, clarinet & flute
Lana Puckett: vocals
Kim Person: acoustic & high-strung guitars, autoharp & vocals
Jilll Colucci: harmony vocals
Mary Ann Kennedy: harmony vocals, mandolin & sleigh bells
Meredith Strange-Boston: narration
Heartfelt thanks to our angel band; we would not have wanted to do this without you!
Lana Puckett and Kim Person
The Gift of Christmas
Artist link
Label: Cimirron/Rainbird Records
Length: 43 minutes
Genre: Folk
Release: 2006
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| O Come, O Come Emmanuel |
| Holy Child |
| I'll Be Home For Christmas |
| Silver Bells |
| O Little Town Of Bethlehem |
| The Christmas Card |
| Pretty Paper |
| Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer |
| Away In A Manger |
| It Could Happen Again |
| Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas |
| Silent Night |