A Mary Christmas (Anniversary Edition)＜限定盤＞

メアリー・J・ブライジの2013年にリリースされたクリスマス・アルバムの10周年記念盤!

A truly Mary Christmas would match the distraught look on the cover. Blige's first Christmas album, guided by David Foster and Jochem van der Saag, doesn't feature sad or embittered chestnuts like "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" or "Fairytale of New York" (was Method Man busy?). Instead, it contains a mix of standard holiday songs -- a couple playful, many solemn, all dramatic. It's a big production; an orchestra backs Blige on most of the songs. She pours herself into all of the material, even when she's joined by Jessie J (of all people) for a version of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" that is overcooked. It could use a couple more joyous songs in the vein of Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas," which is a delight despite so many versions since the original 1970 version. A Mary Christmas won't likely reach the high status of, say, Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas, but it's a full-effort holiday release that many of her fans should be able to enjoy for several years. ~ Andy Kellman

客演したアンドレア・ボチェッリやロッド・スチュワート盤からの流れで、ここでもデヴィッド・フォスターが指揮。女帝バーブラやジェシーJらを招き、品の良いオーケストラを従えたメアリー節はやや抑え気味ですが、クラーク・シスターズに触発されてうっかり燃える“TheFirst Noel”だけは別格!
bounce (C)馴鹿