Patrice Wilson – A Christmas Blessing

Patrice Wilson
A Christmas Blessing (2010)
www.cdbaby.com/cd/patricewilson2

by Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.

Stellar Award-nominee Patrice Wilson returns after a five-year absence from the recording scene to offer a toast of Yuletide cheer with A Christmas Blessing.

Wilson’s first seasonal CD includes two original songs and nine classics, the latter  “some of the songs I sang in my school choirs,” the singer explains.

You may well have sung some of these selections in your choirs, too, because they come from the traditional songbook. On chestnuts such as “White Christmas” and “O Come All Ye Faithful,” Wilson blends jazz and gospel vocals with light instrumentation, such as piano, drums and strings. Two exceptions are the clever Afro-Caribbean percussion supporting “The Little Drummer Boy” and a soulful, funky “Joy to the World.”

Familiar songs seems to be the trend for Christmas albums this year. We should not be surprised. In a world  turned topsy turvy, people grasp for the familiar, the carols that bring to mind better days. The arrangements on Wilson’s CD are like the smell of freshly baked goods in grandma’s kitchen.

Of the two original compositions, “Christmas Like This” gives the holidays a hip hop feel. The single, “Everyday is Christmas,” is about letting the spirit of the season resonate throughout the year. It fits in quite comfortably with the other selections.

Wilson’s project is in capable hands with producer Claude “Deuce” Harris, Jr., whose own project made TBGB’s list of top albums last year.

Patrice Wilson is planning a new project for 2011 called A Psalmist for Christ. In the meantime, grab some hot chocolate: A Christmas Blessing is a cozy, comfortable soundtrack to the season.

Four of Five Stars

Picks: “Everyday is Christmas,” “Joy to the World.”