Description
2013 Canadian Folk Music Awards, Traditional Singer of the Year, nomination.
The recording features a marvelous collection of new Ken Whiteley Christmas originals that range from the exciting ska sounds of The Baby Leapt In The Womb to the heart-tugging I Cant Imagine Christmas Without You. It is a vocal rich recording that in addition to Ken’s soul stirring performances includes singers David Wall, The Levy Sisters (Amoy & Ciceal), Hayley Gene Penner and niece Jenny Whiteley. In fact the album is brimming with fellow Whiteleys including brother Chris, son Ben, nephews Dan and Jesse and a cover painting by his father, Ronald Whiteley.
This is Ken’s 28th album. Ken first began thinking about making a Christmas album back in the late 1970s when the Original Sloth Band was still his main performing incarnation. Santa Claus Blues and Last Month Of The Year are from that repertoire. Ken has produced Christmas music by a number of other artists over the years and There Was A Little Baby (Raffi) and the Ken Whiteley original Christmasy Kind Of Day (Fred Penner) are from those endeavors. The heart of the recording are Ken’s new songs. From the socially conscious Daily Bread and the title track The Light Of Christmas to the compelling gospel of Hallelujah, A Child Is Born, they resonate with a rich, inclusive spirituality.
This project is a collaboration with The Daily Bread Food Bank: 10% of all CD proceeds are going to support of The Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area.
Song List:
Oh Lord, I Wonder; Santa Claus Blues; The Light Of Christmas; Daily Bread; The Baby Leapt In The Womb; There Was A Little Baby; Hallelujah, A Child Is Born; Christmasy Kind Of Day; Go Tell It On The Mountain; Last Month Of The Year; Aint That A Rockin All Night; I Cant Imagine Christmas Without You; Amen.
All songs © 2012 Ken Whiteley except Go Tell It On The Mountain, Last Month of the Year, Oh Lord I Wonder – traditional; There Was A Baby, arranged & adapted by Ken; Ain’t That A Rockin’ All Night arranged & new lyrics by Ken; Santa Claus Blues by Chalres Straight & Gus Kahn: Amen by Jester Hairston
The Musicians:
Ken Whiteley (vocals, guitars, Hammond organ, vibraphone, banjo, banjo uke, percussion, sruti box)
Ben Whiteley (string bass, electric bass), Chris Whiteley (harmonica, trumpet, cornet), Dan Whiteley (mandolin), Jenny Whiteley (vocal), Jesse Whiteley (piano), Colleen Allen (tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet), Bucky Berger (drums), Amoy Levy (vocals), Ciceal Levy (vocals), David Wall (vocals), Hayley Gene Penner (vocal). Sarah McElcheran (horn arrangement, The Baby Leapt In The Womb)
Produced by Ken Whiteley
Recorded and mixed by engineer Nicolas Tjelios at Casa Wroxton Studio, Toronto, Ontario
Mastered by Harris Newman, Grey Market Mastering, Montreal, Quebec
Released on Pyramid Records PD019
Package design by David Wallace, Mallet-Wallace Design
Cover oil painting by Ken’s father, Ronald Whiteley, Chapleau, Quebec, 1944
Ken Whiteley proudly uses Elixir strings on all of his many guitars.
