The Sweetest Gift (Trisha Yearwood album)

The Sweetest Gift is the fourth studio album (and first Christmas album) by country singer Trisha Yearwood.

Composition and release
Yearwood sings a mixture of familiar traditional and popular material, along with more recent compositions such as "It Wasn't His Child" and "There's a New Kid in Town".

Two of its tracks managed to achieve positions near the lower end of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. "It Wasn't His Child" peaked at #60, and "Reindeer Boogie" at #63. The album rose to the #17 position in the Country Albums chart. A re-release of the album in 2000 has a different album cover, a promotional photograph taken during the Real Live Woman promotional period.

Reception
The album was a given a positive review by Allmusic, receiving 4 out of 5 stars.

Track listing

 * 1) "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" (Bob MacGimsey) – 2:42
 * 2) "Reindeer Boogie" (Charlie Faircloth, Hank Snow, Cordia Volkmar) – 2:38
 * 3) "Take a Walk Through Bethlehem" (Ashley Cleveland, John Barlow Jarvis, Wally Wilson) – 3:49
 * 4) "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) – 3:00
 * 5) "It Wasn't His Child" (Skip Ewing) – 3:54
 * 6) "Away in a Manger" (traditional) – 2:39
 * 7) "The Sweetest Gift" (James Coats) – 3:02
 * 8) "There's a New Kid in Town" (Don Cook, Curly Putman, Keith Whitley) – 4:27
 * 9) "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne) – 2:26
 * 10) "The Christmas Song" (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells) – 3:58

Musicians

 * Trisha Yearwood – lead vocals, harmony vocals (2, 5, 6, 7)
 * Steve Nathan – keyboards (1), acoustic piano (2, 3, 5-10)
 * Matt Rollings – acoustic piano (1)
 * Becky Priest – acoustic piano (4)
 * Billy Joe Walker Jr. – acoustic guitar (2, 3, 5-10)
 * Bobby All – acoustic guitar (4)
 * Biff Watson – acoustic guitar (7)
 * Dann Huff – electric guitar (2)
 * Brent Mason – electric guitar (3, 5-10)
 * Johnny Garcia – electric guitar (4)
 * Paul Franklin – steel guitar (2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10), dobro (7)
 * Stuart Duncan – mandolin (7), fiddle (7)
 * Dave Pomeroy – bass (2, 3, 5-10)
 * Jay Hager – bass (4)
 * Eddie Bayers – drums (2, 3, 5-10)
 * Rick McClure – drums (4)
 * Sam Bacco – percussion (3, 5, 9)
 * Kirk "Jelly Roll" Johnson – harmonica (1, 10)
 * Aubrey Haynie – fiddle (2)
 * Heather Risser – fiddle (4)
 * John Hobbs – string arrangements (5, 6, 8)
 * Ashley Cleveland – harmony vocals (3)
 * Garth Fundis – harmony vocals (5)
 * Beth Yearwood Bernard – harmony vocals (7)

The Nashville String Machine
 * Bob Mason – cello
 * Jim Grosjean – viola
 * Lee Larrison – viola
 * Kristin Wilkinson – viola
 * David Davidson – violin
 * Connie Ellisor – violin
 * Carl Gorodetzky – violin
 * Pamela Sixfin – violin
 * Alan Umstead – violin
 * Mary Kathryn Vanosdale – violin

Production

 * Garth Fundis – producer, mixing
 * Gary Laney – recording
 * Dave Sinko – recording, mixing
 * Carlos Grier – digital editing
 * Denny Purcell – mastering
 * Georgetown Masters (Nashville, Tennessee) – mastering location
 * Scott Paschall – production assistant
 * Katherine DeVault – art direction, design
 * Jim "Señor" McGuire – photography

2000 Reissue
 * Randee St. Nicholas – photography
 * Virginia Team – art direction
 * Jerry Joyner – design
 * Debra Wingo – hair stylist