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Singer-songwriter Susan Greenbaum is a revelation. I first heard her when I reviewed the outstanding compilation The Holidays at Home earlier this year. Greenbaum's captivating You Are My Holiday leads off that compilation, and that sample cut compelled me to seek out the artist's full seasonal release. And here it is, Susan Greenbaum's You Are My Holiday, and it is genius!

What's so cool about Greenbaum's offering? So many things! Let's start with the liner notes, which are creative, helpful, and fun. The lyrics of the two newly-penned pieces are fully provided (though sadly in a tiny font size and weak color contrast that seriously challenge my aging eyes). The artist cleverly incorporates her own image into scenes of holiday miniatures--as though she has taken up residence in one of those elaborate Christmas villages you can build on your buffet.

Second, You Are My Holiday is about more than just Christmas. The album celebrates the joy of this time of year--regardless of your religious faith. She includes three Chanukah numbers here and smartly incorporates throughout the album the universal theme of love and family as the center of all holidays. This open-minded, all-inclusive approach fits brilliantly with the message of the season, and very few albums explicitly convey this important point so well.

Third, Greenbaum's originals are superb. The title track, which embodies the notion that our loved ones make the holidays special, deserves to be a contemporary classic that will stand the test of time. The lyrics are inventive and smart, and the melody is downright addictive. In fact, even my husband was singing the "You are my holiday" choral refrain upon his first time through the tune this morning (and I can count on one hand the number of times he has burst into holiday song this past decade)! Greenbaum's other original, Looking for Chanukah, is a hoot, humorously describing how tough it is to figure out the timing of this Jewish holiday each year, given how the lunar and Julian calendars don't match up.

Fourth, Greenbaum's voice is fantastic. She is crystal and starlight when that's required, and she is gritty and robust on the gutsy numbers.

Finally, the entire package demonstrates first-class musicianship throughout. Every track is a star--from the beboppin' version of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas with percussive mouth vocalizations to the oh-so-delicate a cappella (with Mark Russell Smith) harmonies on Lo, How a Rose. The honky-tonkin' versions of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus Is Coming to Town are cool country romps, and Greenbaum's whistlin' hot Winter Wonderland/Let It Snow medley, accompanied by just a snare drum and upright bass, is fabulous. Her achingly beautiful In the Bleak Midwinter (with minimal piano accompaniment) brought tears to my eyes. It's all good.

Thank you, Susan Greenbaum, for an outstanding seasonal release. I can assure you that You Are My Holiday has made my holidays even more special this year.

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2007)

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From the liner notes:

Produced by Susan Greenbaum and John Morand

Susan Greenbaum: vocals, acoustic, 12-string, & electric guitars
Ed Drake: electric guitar, ebo, bass
Mike Drake: Bass
Chris Parker: drums, percussion, vocals, vibraphone, vocal "drums"
Craig Harmon: Hammond B3 organ
Russell Wilson: piano
James DeSantis: upright bass
John Winn: clarinet
Marcy Horwitz: accordion
Bryan Hoffa: tambourine
Mark Russell Smith: vocals
The Maoz Tzur Tzingers: vocals

Don't miss the QuickTime video of "You Are My Holiday" right on this disc!


From the Website:

Susan Greenbaum has committed the first sin of musicians: She quit her day job. After working as a corporate executive in Fortune 500 companies, Susan traded her power suits for performing. She has been singing as long as she's been speaking, growing up in Kansas City, in college at Harvard, and in Boston and Richmond, VA. And now her tax return, under "Occupation," reads, "Singer-songwriter."
The Susan Greenbaum Band recently won a national competition to be the opening act for international superstar Jewel. Winners were selected by industry professionals and over 100,000 internet voters who chose Susan's band. As Jewel played solo, Susan also performed solo and enjoyed overwhelming success for the duration of the ten-show tour across the Northeast, selling almost 1,000 CDs and welcoming thousands of new fans.

Susan Greenbaum

You Are My Holiday

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Track List