Christmas with Friends (India.Arie and Joe Sample album)
Christmas with Friends | ||||
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India.Arie and Joe Sample | ||||
Released | October 16, 2015 | |||
Studio | Various (See background and recording section) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 36:20 | |||
Label | Motown, Soulbird Music | |||
Producer |
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India.Arie chronology | ||||
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Joe Sample chronology | ||||
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Christmas with Friends is a collaborative
Christmas with Friends consists of ten tracks, including nine covers of Christmas standards and carols, and one original song co-written by Arie's mother. Following the album's release, Arie promoted it in various venues, particularly through her Christmas with Friends Tour (2015). Christmas with Friends received a generally mixed critical reception. The album appeared on several Billboard charts. The album peaked at number 107 on the Billboard 200.
Background and recording
American singer-songwriter
Arie and Sample began working on Christmas with Friends in February 2014, with help from American producer Aaron Lindsey.[4] Recording took place in a number of studios, including Harmony Studios, House of Blues Studios, Ocean Way Recording, and Sound Logic Recording Studio in California, India Song Studio in Georgia, Studio A Recording Inc. in Maryland, and Wire Roads Studio in Texas. Arie was one of the album's executive producers with American pianist John Burke and American musician Dave Koz.[5]
Sample died from mesothelioma on September 12, 2014,[3][4] before completing his parts for the album.[1][6][7] When discussing her experience working with Sample in Houston, Arie said: "He was an older person who was dealing with health issues, but he was fun to be around."[8] She dedicated Christmas with Friends to Sample with a message on the liner notes.[4][a]
Following Sample's death, Arie put work on Christmas with Friends on hold for a year,[4][8] after which she decided to contact multiple singers to complete the project.[6][9] The artists who appear on the album are Kem, Brandy, Michael McDonald, Dave Koz, Tori Kelly, and Trombone Shorty.[1][3][b] Describing the process she used to pair songs with potential collaborators, Arie said: "I sent several songs to each person and said 'do what you feel'".[1] Brandy had approached Arie when the album was nearly complete and said: "It ain't done until I'm on there! I need to be on 'Silent Night.'"[6]
Composition and collaborations
Christmas with Friends comprises ten songs, nine of which are
Sample plays the piano on four of the album's songs: "
Release and promotion
Christmas with Friends was released on October 16, 2015, through Motown and Soulbird Music.[14][15][16] It was Arie's second studio album after a four-year hiatus. In a 2015 interview with Ebony, she said that it would be her only Christmas album.[2] Christmas with Friends was Sample's final album before his death; when talking about her part in his career, Arie said: "It's an honor to be the gatekeeper to what we believe is his last recorded work."[2]
Arie promoted the album by performing in a concert as part of the Hollywood Christmas Parade on December 11, 2015. She also embarked on the Christmas with Friends Tour (2015). The seven-city production started in Boston on December 13, 2015, with American musician Jonathan McReynolds serving as the opening act for five of its dates.[1] A portion of the ticket sales was given to the National Museum of African-American Music.[17] To promote the record further, Arie also appeared on The Steve Harvey Morning Show and Tavis Smiley in December 2015.[1]
Reception
Upon its release, Christmas with Friends received positive feedback from music critics. Praising Arie's performance as "show[ing] a smooth maturity", The Southern Illinoisan's Pablo Gorondi wrote that Sample lent the album a "jazz expertise".[10] Sean L. Maloney of the Nashville Scene summed up the record as "a great big bundle of warm-and-fuzzies, a cozy cuddle by the fireplace on a cold night, and a holiday tradition in the makin".[17] Philadelphia Weekly's Nerisha Penrose viewed it as composed of "nostalgic numbers that will warm listeners['] ears and hearts".[18] The Los Angeles Times' Randy Lewis described Christmas with Friends as "suitably warm",[19] and Alan Sculley of the Daily Herald wrote that it showcased the potential for a Christmas album to be original.[12]
Other critics had more mixed responses to the album. Despite wishing that Sample was featured on more songs, Andy Kellman of
Christmas with Friends reached a peak position on several Billboard charts for the week of December 26, 2015.[21][22][23] It peaked at number 107 on the Billboard 200, and remained on the chart for four weeks.[21] It reached number 78 on the Top Album Sales chart, and stayed on the chart for two weeks.[22] The album peaked at number 19 on the Holiday Album Sales chart, and remained on the chart for a total of six weeks.[23] Along with the album, Arie's cover of "Merry Christmas Baby" peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 on January 9, 2016, and remained on the chart for one week.[24]
Track listing
Credits adapted from AllMusic.[3]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | " Let It Snow " |
| 2:34 | |
2. | "Favorite Time of Year" (featuring Tori Kelly) |
|
| 3:01 |
3. | "Silent Night" (featuring Brandy) |
| 3:40 | |
4. | "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (featuring Kem) |
| 4:35 | |
5. | "Merry Christmas Baby" (featuring Michael McDonald) |
|
| 3:34 |
6. | "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" (featuring Dave Koz and Trombone Shorty) | Rickey Minor | 3:10 | |
7. | "The Christmas Song" |
| 4:23 | |
8. | "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" (featuring Khristian Dentley) |
|
| 4:19 |
9. | "Mary, Did You Know?" (featuring Gene Moore Jr.) |
| 3:23 | |
10. | "Auld Lang Syne" (featuring Kirk Whalum) |
|
| 3:41 |
Total length: | 36:20 |
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from AllMusic.[5]
- Management
- Motown
- Soulbird Music
- Recording locations
- Harmony Studios, West Hollywood, CA
- House of Blues Studios, Encino, CA
- India Song Studio, Atlanta, GA
- Ocean Way Recording, Hollywood, CA
- Sound Logic Recording Studio, Santa Barbara, CA
- Studio A Recording, Inc, Dearborn Heights, MI
- Wire Roads Studio, Houston, TX
- Credits
- Kory Aaron – vocal engineer
- Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews – featured artist, trombone
- Lou Baxter – composer
- John Beasley – arranger, piano
- Chuck Berghofer – bass
- Irving Berlin – composer
- Ralph Blane – composer
- Brandy – featured artist, vocals
- John Burk – executive producer
- Sammy Cahn – composer
- Teddy Campbell – drums
- Mark Casselman – vocal engineer
- Reuben Cohen – mastering
- Steve Cook – A&R
- David Delhomme – keyboards
- Khristian Dentley – featured artist, vocal arrangement, vocals
- Danny Duncan – engineer
- Queen Cora Dunham – photography
- Nathan East – bass, bass (upright)
- Matthew Emonson – vocal engineer
- Craig Fundyga – vibraphone
- Buddy Greene – composer
- Franz Grüber – composer
- Hamilton Hardin – horn arrangements
- India.Arie – composer, executive producer, primary artist, producer, vocals
- Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar (acoustic), guitar (electric)
- Tori Kelly – featured artist, vocals
- Kem – featured artist, vocals
- Gerrit Kinkel – engineer
- Dave Koz – executive producer, featured artist, sax (tenor)
- Aaron Lindsey – arranger, bass, bass (upright), composer, drums, editing, engineer, fender rhodes, instrumentation, keyboards, piano, producer, synthesizer, vocal engineer
- Mark Lowry – composer
- Hugh Martin – composer
- Michael McDonald – featured artist, vocals
- Rickey Minor – arranger, producer
- Joseph Mohr – composer
- Gene Moore – featured artist
- Gene Moore Jr. – featured artist, vocals
- Johnny Moore – Composer
- Eric Morgeson – vocal engineer
- Case Mundy – engineer
- Seth Presant – assistant engineer
- Rex Rideout – A&R
- Salvo – mixing
- Joe Sample – arranger, featured artist, piano, primary artist, producer
- Nick Sample – bass (upright)
- Allen Sides – engineer, mixing
- India Arie Simpson – composer
- Rob Skipworth – engineer, vocal engineer
- Javier Solís – percussion
- Ryan Staples – assistant engineer
- John Stoddart – string arrangements
- Jule Styne – composer
- Mel Tormé – composer
- Traditional – composer
- Annalee Valencia-Bruch – art direction, design
- Jeff "Tain" Watts – drums
- Lenny Wee – assistant engineer
- Robert Wells – composer
- Kirk Whalum – featured artist, sax (tenor)
- Timothy "Tip" Wyman – vocal engineer
- Vivian Yohannes – A&R
Charts
Chart (2015) | Peak position |
---|---|
Contemporary Jazz Albums[25]
|
1 |
Jazz Albums[26]
|
2 |
Top R&B Albums[27]
|
7 |
Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[28] | 12 |
Holiday Album Sales (Billboard)[23] | 19 |
Top Album Sales (Billboard)[22] | 78 |
Billboard 200[21] | 107 |
Release history
Country | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | October 16, 2015 |
|
Motown, Soulbird Music | [14][15][16] |
Notes
- ^ Arie included the following message in the liner notes: "Joe said, 'Recording should be a moment. The best records are where a group of musicians are sharing an experience together.' And we had that."[4]
- ^ A feature with American musician Stevie Wonder was also planned, but was never finished.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Mitchell, Gail (December 4, 2015). "India.Arie Spends 'Christmas with Friends' Joe Sample, Tori Kelly, Brandy & More". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 10, 2016.
- ^ a b c León, Felice (November 16, 2015). "X-Mas Comes Early for India.Arie". Ebony. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kellman, Andy. "AllMusic Review by Andy Kellman". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 29, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g "India.Arie Christmas w/ Friends feat. Special Guest Jonathan McReynolds". Howard Theatre. Archived from the original on January 25, 2016.
- ^ a b "Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 25, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g Arnold, Chuck (December 18, 2015). "India Arie Talks New Christmas Album, and the 15th Anniversary of 'Acoustic Soul'". Essence. Archived from the original on August 2, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f Charles, Melody. "India.Arie - Christmas with Friends (with Joe Sample)". SoulTracks. Archived from the original on July 30, 2016.
- ^ a b Frisby, Mister Mann (December 17, 2015). "India.Arie to bring Christmas to the Keswick". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on December 25, 2017.
- ^ Coffey, Kevin (December 2, 2015). "New Christmas albums are coming: Add these to your holiday playlist". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Gorondi, Pablo (December 2, 2015). "India.Arie, "Christmas with Friends" (Soulbird/Motown)". The Southern Illinoisan. Archived from the original on December 25, 2017.
- The Vancouver Sun. Archivedfrom the original on December 25, 2017.
- ^ a b Sculley, Alan (December 1, 2015). "The 13 best new Christmas albums". Daily Herald. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016.
- ^ Pareles, Jon; Ratliff, Ben; Caramanica, Jon; Chinen, Nate (November 26, 2015). "Making Merry with Music". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 25, 2017.
- ^ OCLC 990939658.
- ^ a b "Christmas with Friends". Apple Music. Archived from the original on December 25, 2017.
- ^ a b Gorondi, Pablo (December 22, 2015). "New Christmas albums for 2015". CBS News. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016.
- ^ a b Maloney, Sean L. (December 21, 2015). "India.Arie Christmas with Friends Tonight at the Schermerhorn". Nashville Scene. Archived from the original on December 25, 2017.
- ^ Penrose, Nerisha (December 16, 2015). "India.Arie heads to Philly to perform "Christmas with Friends"". Philadelphia Weekly. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- ^ Lewis, Randy (December 18, 2015). "Rating 2015's holiday music: the merry and the 'meh'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 24, 2017.
- ^ Szczechowski, Joe (November 30, 2015). "It's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas". Digital First Media. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Billboard 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 27, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Top Album Sales". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 27, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Holiday Album Sales". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 27, 2017.
- ^ "Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 27, 2017.
- ^ "Contemporary Jazz Albums". billboard.com. Billboard.
- ^ "Jazz Albums". billboard.com. Billboard.
- ^ "Top R&B Albums". billboard.com. Billboard.
- ^ "Top R&B Hip-Hop Albums". billboard.com. Billboard.