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.
It’s hard to believe that an iconic singing competition like American Idol has produced only two Black male winners in its more than two-and-a-half-decade history. Jamal Roberts made history last year when he won the show, following Ruben Studdard’s well-deserved victory in Season Two.
One wonderful aspect of supporting physical media is that I never run short of albums to choose from when deciding what to cover for Second Listen Sunday. Often, I’ll head to the man cave, browse through my CD collection, and an album will pop out at me. This week’s pick is T-Pain’s fourth album, “Revolver.”
One of my favorite singers, Mr. Eric Roberson, is performing this weekend at America’s legendary music venue, The Birchmere. To show Eric some love, I want to highlight something longtime R&B fans have always known: he’s had remarkable songwriting talent.