On Sun., Dec. 9, out saxophonist Dave Koz brings the 10th anniversary edition of the Smooth Jazz Christmas Tour to The Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State. Special guests for the evening include Jonathan Butler, Waymon Tisdale and Kimberley Locke. On his most recent holiday-themed album, Memories Of A Winter’s Night, Koz coolly puts his trademark touch on standards like Deck The Halls and Silver Bells. Kelly Sweet joins Koz on White Christmas, as does Locke on Please Come Home For Christmas and trumpeter Rick Braun on Little Drummer Boy. In addition, Brenda Russell returns to team with Koz on the upbeat Boogie Woogie Santa Claus. The Smooth Jazz Christmas Tour will also feature material from Koz’s acclaimed project from earlier this year, At The Movies.
Also in the holiday spirit, Wynonna sounds at her most relaxed and serene on A Classic Christmas. It is no secret that she loves the holiday season, as she sings standards like Winter Wonderland and White Christmas. The multi-platinum country star even remarkably tackles O Holy Night and then sings Ave Maria—in Latin, no less. Like Koz, Wynonna is embarking on a tour and will be performing her beloved hits as well as yuletide carols. On top of a scheduled stop at The University of Illinois Assembly Hall Star Theatre in Champaign on Thurs., Dec. 13, Wynonna will be making a special appearance on the forthcoming ABC’s A Holiday Celebration At Ford’s Theater. Moreover, NBC is saluting the diva with this year’s Tribute On Ice on Sun., Dec. 23. In addition to world-class skaters honoring Wynonna, the Judds will make a rare reunion performance during the telecast. Wynonna is currently working a new album due out in 2008.
On It’s Christmas Of Course, soul singer Darlene Love prefers holiday favorites from the ’70s and ’80s, steering clear of the expected standards. Here, Love opts for material made famous by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (Christmas All Over Again), The Pretenders (2000 Miles) and John Lennon and Yoko Ono (Happy Xmas (War Is Over)). One of the season’s highlights is seeing Love’s big finish on the Phil Spector-produced staple (Christmas) Baby Please Come on The Late Show with David Letterman, as she has every year for the last 17 years. Love might be recognized as Danny Glover’s wife in the Lethal Weapon movie franchise, and she was also a back-up singer for greats like Elvis Presley, Cher and Dionne Warwick. The Tony nominee currently is in Broadway’s Hairspray as Motormouth Maybelle and Love returned to Letterman’s stage earlier this year to cover River Deep Mountain High.
All of this warm and fuzzy holiday sentiment needs to be sobered up with a double shot of Johnny Cash. Both The Johnny Cash Christmas Special 1976 and The Johnny Cash Christmas Special 1977 have finally come out from the vaults thanks to Shout! Factory and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The 1976 special features guests Tony Orlando, Roy Clark, Barbara Mandrell, Billy Graham and, of course, June Carter. Since Elvis passed away only two months prior to the 1977 Christmas Special, the Man In Black roped in Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison to pay a special tribute to The King, which is mixed with more yuletide classics.
My favorite perennial holiday compilation is back, as Broadway’s Greatest Gifts: Carols For A Cure returns with its 9th installment. This two-disc set features 30 original and traditional songs. Broadway newcomers and veterans from shows including Altar Boyz, The Color Purple, Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde, Spring Awakening, Xanadu and Young Frankenstein chime in here. This collection also has Tony Award winners David Hyde Pierce, Christian Hoff, Shuler Hensley and Karen Ziemba. Also joining in the fun with This Little Light Of Mine are Rosie’s Broadway Kids, a group of young students in a performing arts program started by Rosie O’Donnell. Making the perfect gift at a party or a thank you present, this compilation benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Broadway’s Greatest Gift’s: Carols For a Cure Volume 9 can be ordered through www.broadwaycares.org.
On Fri., Dec. 8, and for two shows on Sat., Dec. 9, The Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus presents its holiday concert Fruitcake at the Athenaeum Theater, 2936 N. Southport. Like the evergreen dessert, the season would not be the same with a Chicago Gay Mens Chorus spectacular. Expect the usual holiday anthems and light hearted carols trimmed with humor and innuendos galore. The Hearty Boys are slated to make a cameo as well. For tickets and more information, please visit cgmc.org.
Lastly, starting Sun., Dec. 2, Chicago a cappella will debut its festive concert series ‘Holidays a cappella: The Season Of Light.’ The scheduled performances run throughout the Chicago area, with concerts on Sun., Dec. 2, in Evanston’s Music Institute of Chicago; Fri., Dec. 7, in Chicago’s Fourth Presbyterian Church; Sat., Dec. 8, in Oak Park’s Pilgrim Congregational Church; and Sun., Dec. 9, in Naperville’s Community United Methodist Church. Not only will the group perform Gregorian chants and Renaissance music, but also familiar Christmas and Chanukah songs with new arrangements. See www.chicagoacappella.org.