AMG Review of Hymns & Carols of Christmas

William Ruhlmann
All Music Guide

Since the success of 1997's The Gift, new age pianist Jim Brickman has had several subsequent holiday-themed albums. But The Hymns & Carols of Christmas demonstrates that he hasn't yet exhausted the genre. As the title suggests, the collection is largely given over to religiously oriented Christmas hymns and carols of a considerable vintage. Brickman plays most of them as solo piano pieces in his familiar flowing style, with lots of embellishments, while mostly taking a reverent, even solemn, approach. On two occasions, he throws in variations. "Holy, Holy, Holy" adds a rhythm section as well as guest violinist David Klinkenberg. And "Christmas Is..." is a new song, sung by Mark Masri, presumably to give contemporary jazz radio stations something to play from the album. (And it's always a good idea to put something new on a Christmas album; you never know if it will join the ranks of the standards.) The Hymns & Carols of Christmas should fit on the shelf and on the multi-CD player with Brickman's other seasonal releases to play after Thanksgiving and before New Year's.