By the time Freddie Jackson released his first Christmas album, At Christmas, in 1994, he had already established himself as one of the finest balladeers. He had released six albums to his credit. On the album’s opening track, One Wish, Jackson collaborated with Gordon Chambers and longtime collaborator Barry Eastmond. The trio created a midtempo bop that is a suitable introduction to the album.
Jackson is at his finest in “At Christmas,” the second song on the album. In this song, Jackson passionately sings about the joys of Christmas amid a lush production backing. In the song “Under The Mistletoe,” Mr. Jackson sings playful lyrics about his affection for someone special in his life.
The last original song on the project is the message song titled “Come on Home (For Christmas).” Jackson taps into the true spirit of the holiday. This song focuses on the importance of the holiday. The pandemic taught us that family is the most meaningful thing in life, and the message of this song is still relevant today. The song is terrific, and I could easily picture it in the background of an urban Christmas film in an ideal world.
Jackson also covers Christmas classics, including “This Christmas,” “The Christmas Song,” “White Christmas,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Silent Night,” and “O Holy Night,” throughout the project. Although Jackson sings these songs well, they could be more memorable. I would have preferred fewer covers and more originals. Nonetheless, there is enough here to offer a mild recommendation.
Final Grade: B-
At Christmas is available on all streaming platforms.
One of the great things about buying a soundtrack when I was in my DJ prime was discovering a slow jam that I could put on my mix CDs. For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to highlight one of the songs: Jagged Edge’s cover of Air Supply’s, “All Out of Love.”
After twenty-six years in the game, Atlanta-based quartet Jagged Edge is currently on the road celebrating the anniversary of their magnum opus sophomore album, “J.E. Heartbreak,” with a tour titled “An Intimate Evening With Jagged Edge.” To kick off our seventh wedding anniversary celebration, my wife and I will be the D.C. date on the tour this coming Wednesday.
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I wanted to travel back to 1999 and show some love to R&B group Amyth, which was initially signed to LL Cool J Rock the Bells Records. Hailing from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the group was formed in 1995 while the members were students at Southern University.