Our Review
Tom Mroczka and the Music Box made me smile with their fun-loving Happy Birthday Baby Jesus, an oompahpah delight. Stylistically similar to the somewhat more avant garde Brave Combo, Mroczka's ensemble didn't make me wait long for something in three-quarter time (Christmas Lullaby, track 3, sung with appropriate reverence by Nicole Cuglewski).
I believe I may have winced a bit with the ducky lyricism of Blue Christmas, but anything that makes me wince is liable to draw gales of laughter from children. And in the final analysis, Happy Birthday Baby Jesus is all about the childlike joy of Christmas. And if it is a bit corny for my taste, it should have wide appeal for the less jaded among us.
--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2007)
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From the liner notes:
Musicians:
Tom Mroczka: trumpet, keyboard, vocals
Ted Bunevich: accordion, keyboard
Ray Gonet: drums
Jim Hitsman: clarinet, sax, trumpet, vocals
Kathie Slys: bass, vocals
Special Guests:
Nicole Cuglewski: vocals
Larry Gonet: vocals
Frank Zubek: violin
Joe Michnicki: accordion (Santa Must Be Polish)
Beth Hicks, Meghan O'Neill, Michael O'Neill, Caelie Orlosky, Shelby Orlosky: children's chorus
Recorded, Mixed & Mastered:
Harvest Audio Recording & Music Production - Streetsboro, Ohio, except for Santa Must Be Polish recorded by Mike Criscioen live at Cassidy Theater - Parma Hts., Ohio December 2001.
Recording engineer: Bob Carothers
Musical arrangements: Tom Mroczka and Jim Hitsman
Tom Mroczka, & The Music Box
Happy Birthday Baby Jesus
Artist site
Label: Roadside Records
Length: 37 minutes
Genre: Children
Release: 2005
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| Happy Birthday Baby Jesus |
| Santa Must Be Polish |
| Christmas Lullaby (Lulajze Jezuniu/Lullaby Dear Jesus) |
| Mary's Little Boy Child |
| Jingle Bells |
| Blue Christmas |
| Jingle Bell Rock |
| White Christmas |
| Let There Be Peace On Earth |
| Lullaby Dar Jesus (Lulajze Jezuniu) |
| Medley of Polish Carols (Koledy) [In The Still Of The Night/Wsrod Nocne Ciszy, Merrily To Bethlehem/Przbiezeli Do Betlejem, When The Christ Is Born/Gdy Sie Chrystus ROdzi, In Bethlehem/Dzsia W Betlejen, To the Manger/Pojotzmy Wszyscy] |
| Beloved Mother (Serdeczna Matko) |
| God Bless The U.S.A. |