Album: “Christmas Portrait”

Description

The Carpenters: Karen Carpenter (vocals); Richard Carpenter (keyboards). <p>Additional personnel includes: Bob Messenger (tenor saxophone); Pete Morgan (acoustic bass); Joe Osborn (electric bass); Ron Tutt, Barry Morgan, Cubby O'Brien (drums). <p>Originally released in 1978 and reissued on CD in 1984, expanded with tracks from the Carpenters' second Christmas album, AN OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS, A CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT is an excellent traditional Christmas album. The track list features stately orchestral arrangements of classic hymns and carols such as "O Come, O Come Immanuel," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Ave Maria" alongside seasonal pop standards like "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "Sleigh Ride" and Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song." <p>There's even a Richard Carpenter original, the touching "Merry Christmas Darling." As always, Karen Carpenter is in excellent voice, singing with the dusky, almost melancholy style that gave all of her music a certain poignancy even before her tragic death in 1982. The original album also appeared in the import two-CD set A CHRISTMAS COLLECTION.