A Christmas Album (James Taylor album)

A Christmas Album is the first Christmas album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor released on a limited-edition basis in 2004, with distribution through Hallmark stores. The albums were also not carried by all Hallmark Cards stockists.

Track listing

 * 1) "Winter Wonderland" with Chris Botti (Dick Smith, Felix Bernard) – 3:36
 * 2) "Go Tell It on the Mountain" (Traditional) – 3:48
 * 3) "In the Bleak Midwinter" (Traditional) – 4:18
 * 4) "Baby, It's Cold Outside" with Natalie Cole (Frank Loesser) – 4:19
 * 5) "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (Haven Gillespie, John Frederick Coots) – 2:58
 * 6) "Jingle Bells" (Traditional) – 3:55
 * 7) "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" with Toots Thielemans (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells) – 3:54
 * 8) "Deck the Halls" (Traditional) – 2:51
 * 9) "Some Children See Him" (Alfred Burt, Wihla Hutson) – 4:41
 * 10) "Who Comes This Night" (Dave Grusin, Sally Stevens) – 4:17
 * 11) "Auld Lang Syne" (Traditional) – 3:41

The album originally came with an online code that could be used to download an outtake from the sessions, a cover of Joni Mitchell's "River". In 2006, Taylor's regular label, Columbia Records, reissued the album under a new title (James Taylor at Christmas) and cover. This new version also altered the track listing, with "Deck the Halls" removed and two other songs ("Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and the aforementioned cover of "River") added.

Personnel

 * James Taylor – lead vocals, guitars (2, 6, 8, 11), arrangements (2, 3, 6, 8)
 * Dave Grusin – arrangements, acoustic piano (1, 4-6, 9-11), celesta (7, 10)
 * Larry Goldings – melodica (2, 3, 11), harmonium (3, 8, 11), organ (6), acoustic piano (7)
 * John Pizzarelli – guitars (1, 5, 7, 11)
 * George Doering – guitars (2-4, 6, 10)
 * Michael Landau – guitars (2-4, 6, 8, 11)
 * Dave Carpenter – bass (1, 5, 7, 10, 11)
 * Jimmy Johnson – bass (2-4, 6)
 * Vinnie Colaiuta – drums (1-7, 11)
 * Luis Conte – percussion (2, 4, 6, 10)
 * Michael Fisher – percussion (8)
 * Ralph Williams – bass clarinet (1)
 * Gary Gray – clarinet (1)
 * Bill Liston – clarinet (1)
 * Dan Higgins – flute (1)
 * Phil Ayling – English horn (1), oboe (1)
 * Chris Botti – trumpet (1)
 * Toots Thielemans – harmonica (7)
 * David Lasley – backing vocals (1, 2, 8, 10)
 * Kate Markowitz – backing vocals (1, 2, 8, 10)
 * Arnold McCuller – backing vocals (1, 2, 8, 10)
 * Andrea Zonn – violin, backing vocals (1, 2, 8, 10)
 * Natalie Cole – lead vocals (4)

Strings (1–5, 7, 9, 10)
 * Ralph Morrison – concertmaster
 * Steve Erdody, Paula Hochhalter and Cecilia Tsan – cello
 * Edward Mears – contrabass
 * Karen Elaine Bakunin, Brian Dembow, Marlow Fisher, Roland Kato and Vicki Miskolczy – viola
 * Jackie Brand, Bruce Dukov, Julie Gigante, Alan Grunfield, Clayton Haslop, Tamara Hatwan, Natalie Leggett, Ralph Morrison, Claudia Parducci, Sara Parkins, Katia Popov, Josefina Vergara, Margaret Wooten and Kenneth Yerke – violin

Production

 * Dave Grusin – producer, liner notes
 * Don Murray – recording, mixing
 * Charlie Paakkari – assistant engineer
 * Robert Vosgien – mastering at Capitol Mastering (Hollywood, California).
 * Gary Borman – management
 * Barbara Rose Granatt – management
 * James Taylor – liner notes