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Faith: A Holiday Album

 
Album Review: Faith: A Holiday Album

  • Artist: Kenny G
  • Rating: StarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: November 16, 1999
  • Total Time: 36:37
  • Type: Christmas
  • Genre: Jazz

Review

This very nice man mostly chooses the bright, cheery soprano saxophone for his instrumental renditions of such classics as "We Three Kings," "O Christmas Tree," and "The First Noel" on the ten-track album. Featured tracks "Auld Lang Syne (Millennium Mix" and "The Christmas Song" propelled this album to double-platinum before the last Christmas trees went down. This is the follow-up to the equally successful Miracles (1994). Producer and arranger was Walter Afanasieff, Kenny's collaborator and the famed saxophonist on Classics. ~ Tom Schulte, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne Kenny G (3:10)
The First Noel William Sandys Kenny G (3:09)
I'll Be Home for Christmas Buck Ram, Kim Gannon, Walter Kent Kenny G (3:32)
Sleigh Ride Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish Kenny G (3:48)
We Three Kings/Carol of the Bells Kenny G (4:07)
O Christmas Tree Traditional Kenny G (2:39)
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town John Frederick Coots, Haven Gillespie Kenny G (3:52)
Eternal Light [A Chanukah Song] Kenny G, Walter Afanasieff Kenny G (2:53)
Ave Maria Franz Schubert Kenny G (4:31)
Auld Lang Syne Traditional, Robert Burns Kenny G (4:56)
The Christmas Song Mel Tormé, Robert Wells Kenny G (4:03)
Auld Lang Syne [Millennium Mix] Traditional, Robert Burns Kenny G (7:54)

Credits

Greg Phillinganes (Keyboards), Chris Boardman (Conductor), Humberto Gatica (Mixing), Peter Doell (Assistant Engineer), Ricky Lawson (Drums), Nathan East (Bass), Chris Brooke (Assistant Engineer), Grant Schmitz (Assistant Engineer), Kenny G (Producer), Walter Afanasieff (Producer), Mark Eshelman (Assistant Engineer), Chris Boardman (Orchestral Arrangements), Humberto Gatica (Recorder), Kenny G (Arranger), Chris Stone (Assistant Engineer), Kenny G (Sax (Tenor)), Paulinho Da Costa (Percussion), Walter Afanasieff (Arranger), Randy Waldman (Piano)
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Wikipedia: Faith: A Holiday Album
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Faith: A Holiday Album
Studio album by Kenny G
Released November 16, 1999
Genre Jazz
Length 36:37
Label Arista Records
Producer Kenny G
Walter Afanasieff
Professional reviews
Kenny G chronology
Classics in the Key of G
(1999)
Faith: A Holiday Album
(1999)
In America
(2001)

Faith: A Holiday Album is the second holiday album by saxophonist Kenny G. It was released by Arista Records in 1999, and peaked at number 1 on the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart, number 4 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, number 5 on the Internet Albums chart and number 6 on the Billboard 200.[1]

Contents

Track listing

  1. "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" - 3:10
  2. "The First Noel" - 3:09
  3. "I'll Be Home For Christmas" - 3:32
  4. "Sleigh Ride" - 3:48
  5. "We Three Kings/Carol Of The Bells" - 4:07
  6. "O Christmas Tree" - 2:39
  7. "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" - 3:52
  8. "Eternal Light (A Chanukah Song)" - 2:53
  9. "Ave Maria" - 4:31
  10. "Auld Lang Syne" - 4:56
  11. "The Christmas Song" - 4:03
  12. "Auld Lang Syne: The Millennium Mix" - 7:54

Bonus Track

"Voice" - 7:53

Singles

Information taken from this source.[2]

Year Title Chart Positions
US Adult Contemporary US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks US Hot 100 US Adult Top 40 US Hot Country Singles & Tracks US Top 40 Mainstream US Top 40 Tracks
1999 "Auld Lang Syne" #3 #57 #7 #15 #49 #40 #30

The Millenium Mix

Auld Lang Syne: The Millenium Mix consisted of Kenny playing the song on the saxophone while historical sound clips were played over the recording. The clips followed a rough chronological order, beginning with Thomas Edison's invention of recordable sound to the year of the song's release. The clips focused on American, and to a lesser extent, British history. The song included six clips from baseball and at least six clips from American television programs. Kenny performed this version of the song live on January 1, 2000 in Times Square.

A few years later a similar version of the song was produced to include the September 11 attacks.

The clips included in the recording:

  • "Today, frightened investors ordered their brokers to sell at whatever the price and the stock market crashed." (October 29, 1929)
  • "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." - Franklin D. Roosevelt in his first inaugural address (March 4, 1933)
  • "This is Bob 'Command Performance' Hope telling each Nazi that's in Russia today that Crimea doesn't pay." - Bob Hope
  • "President Franklin D. Roosevelt stricken late today..." - Reporter on the death of Roosevelt (April 12, 1945)
  • Who's on First? routine by Abbott and Costello
    • "Well then who's on first?" - Costello
    • "Yes." - Abbott
    • "I mean the fellow's name." - Costello
    • "Who." - Abbott
  • "The world will note that the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima" - Harry Truman (August 1945)
    • "Who is on first!" - Abbott
    • "Now what are you asking me for?" - Costello
  • "Reports from the new Germany tell of horrors leading to the total extermination of the Jews of Europe." (1945)
  • "...fade away." - MacArthur
  • "There was a little cocker spaniel dog. And our little girl, Tricia, the six year old, named it 'Checkers.'" - Richard Nixon (September 23, 1952)
  • "Or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?" - McCarthy
  • "I'd like to thank all, all the wonderful folks, and I'd like to thank you, too." - Elvis Presley
  • "Three young singers were killed today in the crash of a light plane." (February 3, 1959)
  • "...wondering how and why, Marilyn Monroe died." (August 5, 1962)
  • "Something has happened in the motorcade route." - Dallas reporter (November 22, 1963)
  • "I have today ordered to Vietnam the Airmobile Division. Additional forces will be needed later and they will be sent." - Lyndon Johnson (July 29, 1965)
  • "Senator Kennedy has been shot! Is that possible?" - Andrew West (June 5, 1968)
  • "As he said many times in many parts of this nation, 'Some men s-see things as they are and say "Why?" I dream things that never were and say "Why not?"'" - Ted Kennedy eulagising his brother by paraphrasing George Bernard Shaw (June 8, 1968)
  • "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." - Neil Armstrong first setting foot on the Moon during Apollo 11 (July 21, 1969)
  • "Four persons including two women were shot and killed in Ohio today. Hundreds of students were involved as National Guard..." (May 4, 1970)
  • "There's a drive into left center field. That ball is gonna be, out of here! It's gone! It's 715! There's a new home run champion of all time and it's Henry Aaron!" - Milo Hamilton (April 8, 1974)
  • "I shall resign the Presidency effective at noon tomorrow." - Richard Nixon (August 8, 1974)
  • "...an absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon." - Gerald Ford (September 8, 1974)
  • "My name is Jimmy Carter, and I'm running for President." - Jimmy Carter in his acceptance speech at the 1976 Democratic National Convention (July 15, 1976)[8]
  • "Hundreds of Berliners from East and West standing atop the Wall, with chisels and hammers..." - George H. W. Bush (1989)
  • "Let the word go forth from this time and place, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans." - John F. Kennedy in his inaugural address (January 20, 1961)

References


 
 

 

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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Faith: A Holiday Album" Read more