2011 studio album by Geri Allen
A Child Is Born Released October 11, 2011 Recorded January 14–15 and April 27–28, 2011 Studio Union Country Performing Arts Center, Rahway, NJ and Klavierhaus, NYC Genre Jazz , Christmas Length 50 :31 Label Motéma MTM-69 Producer Geri Allen & Kunle Mwanga
A Child Is Born Christmas carols by pianist Geri Allen with vocalists recorded in 2011 and released on the Motéma label.[ 1]
Reception
AllMusic awarded the album 4 stars, stating, "this is a holiday collection for the more adventurous jazz piano fan, rather than for someone looking for a safe, warm, and fuzzy set of jazzed-up Christmas tunes".[ 2] The Guardian [ 3] PopMatters reviewer Josh Langhoff said, "Geri Allen’s mostly-solo, mostly-jazz-piano album A Child Is Born flows through traditional Christmas songs and hymns with much facility, some invention, and a couple of surprises"[ 4]
Track listing
All compositions Traditional except where noted.
"Angels We Have Heard On High " – 4:24
"A Child Is Born " (Thad Jones , Alec Wilder ) – 3:43
"Imagining Gena at Sunrise" – 1:10
"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel " – 7:31
"Journey to Bethlehem" (Geri Allen) – 1:12
"We Three Kings " (John Henry Hopkins, Jr. ) – 5:08
"Little Drummer Boy " (Katherine Kennicott Davis ) – 5:00
"God Is With Us" (Allen) – 2:16
"Amazing Grace " (John Newton /Traditional) – 2:43
"Christmas Medley: Away in a Manger /What Child Is This? /Silent Night " (Traditional/William Chatterton Dix /Franz Xaver Gruber ) – 4:32
"Imagining Gena At Sunset" – 0:32
"Let Us Break Bread Together " – 5:00
"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear " (Richard Storrs Willis ) – 6:24
"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" – 0:56
Personnel
References
^ Geri Allen catalog , accessed July 2, 2014^ a b Ruhlmann, W., Allmusic Review accessed June 30, 2014
^ a b Fordham, J., The Guardian Review , December 23, 2011
^ a b Langhoff, J., PopMatters Review , December 11, 2011
Years given are for the recording(s), not first release, except where noted.
Albums as leader With Oliver Lake With others
Movies Franco Ambrosetti , 1986)Movies Too The Collective Cecil Brooks III , 1989)Duet in Detroit Roy Brooks , 1989)Droppin' Things Betty Carter , 1990)Feed the Fire Sound Museum: Hidden Man Ornette Coleman , 1996)Sound Museum: Three Women Motherland Pulse Steve Coleman , 1985)Flute Talk Buddy Collette , 1988)Etudes Charlie Haden , 1987)The Montreal Tapes: with Geri Allen and Paul Motian The Montreal Tapes: Liberation Music Orchestra Reflections in Change Craig Handy , 1999)Lift Every Voice Charles Lloyd , 2002)Jumping the Creek Decision in Paradise Monk in Motian Paul Motian , 1988)Mindgames Greg Osby , 1988)Living on the Edge Dewey Redman , 1989)Crunchin' Wallace Roney , 1993)Munchin' Bemsha Swing Woody Shaw , 1986)By Any Means Necessary Gary Thomas , 1989)
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