Daron Jones had already made a name for himself as a founding member of 112 in addition to writing for the likes of Usher, Jamie Foxx, and 112 when he released his Christmas album, Christmas in Atlanta, on November 30th, 2015. Jones opens the project with Christmas in the Air, a midtempo bop that showcases Daron’s brisk baritone.
“Baby for Christmas” is up next, and this is Jones at his best. Jones honed his slow jam writing skills while in 112, and “Baby For Christmas” doesn’t stray too far from the writing style fan have become accustomed to from Jones. I like the song because Jones avoids using auto-tune and lets his voice speak for itself. “Cold Outside” is up next, and here Daron provides his male listeners with a solid apology song if you’re ever in the dog house.
The final original song on the project is the message song “Where Would That Leave Us.” Jones taps into the true spirit in this song and focuses on the holiday’s importance. It’s a great way to close the album out, and in a perfect world, I could easily see the song in an urban Christmas play.
Jones closes out the project with covers of the Christmas standards, “Away in a Manger,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Silent Night,” and “Oh Holy Night.” Jones sings the songs well and shows off underrated piano skills. While 112 is a legendary group, all members are equally talented. If you’ve never heard of any of Daron’s solo work, Christmas in Atlanta is a great place to start.
Final Grade: B
Christmas in Atlanta is available on all streaming platforms.
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I want to revisit 2004 and highlight Romeo’s debut solo album, formerly of Immature. Titled “Food for Thought” and released on June 22nd, this project marked the singer’s change of name to Young Rome in an effort to distance himself from the youthful sound of his group, much like his bandmate Marques Houston had done a year earlier.
In the nineties, Hip-Hop reigned supreme, and every label CEO wanted a share of the lucrative R&B market. One strategy was to keep singers on their roster who could deliver catchy hooks, keeping everything in-house and saving money. Bad Boy had Carl Thomas, Death Row had Danny Boy, and Roc-A-Fella had Rell, our featured artist for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday
Growing up in the eighties, I was surrounded by incredibly talented male R&B singers who could deliver unforgettable love songs. Artists like Luther Vandross, Jeffrey Osborne, and Peabo Bryson dominated the airwaves, but Freddie Jackson was another voice that truly deserved recognition.