Heavenly
5
By yensid98
This is Barbara Cooks first Christmas album and I hope it's not her last. As usual, her voice is heavenly, caresssing the lyrics and warming your heart. The big surprise on this set is how fresh these standard Christmas songs sound when perfrmed by Cook. Many Christmas discs can be overly florid and cliche, but not so on this disc. The only jingle bells you'll hear on these songs is in "Winter Woonderlnd" and they are subdued. Barbara Cook and her arranger Wally Harper keep things in a (deceptively) simple and intimate setting. Almost as if she's giving you a personal concert in your living room.
I've always enjoyed Amy Grant's "Breath of Heavn" and was surprised to see it appear on this album. Cook is somehow able to make it an even more moving experience than Grant. "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands" which starts acapella and grows to include a banjo and a harmonica, harken back to her Atlanta roots. Probably my favorite track is "I Wonder As I Wander" which is sung completely acapella.
I'll be listening to this set for many Christmas' to come. Count your blessings indeed. So far, I count 15.