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2011 studio album by Geri Allen
A Child Is Born
Released October 11, 2011 Recorded January 14–15 and April 27–28, 2011 Studio Union Country Performing Arts Center, Rahway, NJ and Klavierhaus, NYC
Genre
Jazz ,
Christmas Length 50 :31
Label
Motéma MTM-69
Producer Geri Allen & Kunle Mwanga
A Child Is Born is an album of
Christmas carols by pianist
Geri Allen with vocalists recorded in 2011 and released on the
Motéma label.
[1]
Reception
AllMusic awarded the album 4 stars, stating, "this is a holiday collection for the more adventurous jazz piano fan, rather than for someone looking for a safe, warm, and fuzzy set of jazzed-up Christmas tunes".
[2]
The Guardian review by John Fordham awarded the album 3 stars, noting, "Wherever you're coming from, this remains the work of a gifted improviser exploring timelessly haunting songs".
[3]
PopMatters reviewer Josh Langhoff said, "Geri Allen’s mostly-solo, mostly-jazz-piano album A Child Is Born flows through traditional Christmas songs and hymns with much facility, some invention, and a couple of surprises"
[4]
Track listing
All compositions Traditional except where noted.
"
Angels We Have Heard On High " – 4:24
"
A Child Is Born " (
Thad Jones ,
Alec Wilder ) – 3:43
"Imagining Gena at Sunrise" – 1:10
"
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel " – 7:31
"Journey to Bethlehem" (Geri Allen) – 1:12
"
We Three Kings " (
John Henry Hopkins, Jr. ) – 5:08
"
Little Drummer Boy " (
Katherine Kennicott Davis ) – 5:00
"God Is With Us" (Allen) – 2:16
"
Amazing Grace " (
John Newton /Traditional) – 2:43
"Christmas Medley:
Away in a Manger /
What Child Is This? /
Silent Night " (Traditional/
William Chatterton Dix /
Franz Xaver Gruber ) – 4:32
"Imagining Gena At Sunset" – 0:32
"
Let Us Break Bread Together " – 5:00
"
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear " (
Richard Storrs Willis ) – 6:24
"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" – 0:56
Personnel
References
^
Geri Allen catalog , accessed July 2, 2014
^
a
b Ruhlmann, W.,
Allmusic Review accessed June 30, 2014
^
a
b Fordham, J.,
The Guardian Review , December 23, 2011
^
a
b Langhoff, J.,
PopMatters Review , December 11, 2011
Years given are for the recording(s), not first release, except where noted.
Albums as leader or co-leader With
Oliver Lake With others
Movies (
Franco Ambrosetti , 1986)
Movies Too (Franco Ambrosetti, 1988)
The Collective (
Cecil Brooks III , 1989)
Duet in Detroit (
Roy Brooks , 1989)
Droppin' Things (
Betty Carter , 1990)
Feed the Fire (Betty Carter, 1993)
Sound Museum: Hidden Man (
Ornette Coleman , 1996)
Sound Museum: Three Women (Ornette Coleman, 1996)
Motherland Pulse (
Steve Coleman , 1985)
Flute Talk (
Buddy Collette , 1988)
Etudes (
Charlie Haden , 1987)
The Montreal Tapes: with Geri Allen and Paul Motian (Charlie Haden, 1989)
The Montreal Tapes: Liberation Music Orchestra (Charlie Haden, 1989)
Reflections in Change (
Craig Handy , 1999)
Lift Every Voice (
Charles Lloyd , 2002)
Jumping the Creek (Charles Lloyd, 2004)
Decision in Paradise (Frank Lowe, 1984)
Monk in Motian (
Paul Motian , 1988)
Mindgames (
Greg Osby , 1988)
Living on the Edge (
Dewey Redman , 1989)
Crunchin' (
Wallace Roney , 1993)
Munchin' (Wallace Roney, 1993)
Bemsha Swing (
Woody Shaw , 1986)
By Any Means Necessary (
Gary Thomas , 1989)