Nu de kille feestdagen ons terug in een wurggreep houden, publiceer ik een aantal kerstsingles van muzikanten die ik van dicht (of ook wel iets verder af) volg. Ik probeer hierbij de platgetreden paden te vermijden, al sluipen er misschien enkele klassiekers in die geen 'frisse' aanpak hebben gekregen. Geen excuses hiervoor. Hier en daar brengt de muziek een streepje warmte, soms versterkt die de ijskoude en donkere realiteit. Enjoy the music & deal with it!
De wonderen zijn de wereld duidelijk niet uit: voor een groep opgericht in 1939 zien de vier er nog bijzonder fris uit! Voeg daar de onaardse strot van Jay Buchanan (Rival Sons) aan toe en de soulvonken spatten van deze klassieker af. Naar een verhaal geschreven door Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1863/4.
Luister ook naar: het origineel
Lees
American Gospel group the Blind Boys Of Alabama and Rival Sons frontman and singer-songwriter Jay Buchanan team up for a heartfelt collaboration this holiday season, delivering to you their version of the Christmas epic 'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.'
“To have the opportunity to sing with the Blind Boys Of Alabama on a Christmas song, especially one that doesn’t exploit the commercial aspects of the holiday but so beautifully embraces the ethos of good will to all is nothing short of an honor for me,” states Jay Buchanan.
Complete with ringing bells and luscious harmonies, this is a Christmas song that focuses on the deeper meaning of the season. 'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day' is based on a 19th century poem by the American writer Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. "Peace on earth, good will to men" Buchanan and the Blind Boys sing, a message that’s never out of date.
Blind Boys' singer Ricky McKinnie:
"We loved singing this song with Jay Buchanan. It's not a well-known song, even though it's based on a poem that's over 150 years old. And producer Shane Theriot came up with a great new arrangement that suits the singers. We hope that the message of 'peace on earth' gets through to everyone this holiday season."
Vocalist Jay Buchanan continues:
“Christmas songs can be daunting, right? One minute you’re singing along about loved ones gathering or a cozy fireside hang and next thing you know you’re in the weeds with elves, flying reindeer or an eerily omniscient Santa Claus character breaking into your house in the middle of the night. Not this song. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was coming from an almost broken, timeless place when he wrote the original poem in 1863 amidst the fractured ideology of the American Civil War. Will our better angels prevail through this dark time? It’s a message that never gets old and this is without a doubt my favorite Christmas carol of all time.”
