Holiday

A collection of Christmas classics performed by Jonathan Butler and his friends, Christmas Together includes performances from smooth jazz legends such as Dave Koz, Gerald Albright, Keiko Matsui and Rick Braun. This new take on holiday favorites is a must have for your collection. Jonathan also celebrates his new partnership with the Lalela Foundation in South Africa which provides children from 6-18 with an education in the arts, allowing them to express themselves creatively—­including painting. Amos Kabulo Maboneng, a Grade 12 Lalela student, won a competition to have his artwork featured as the cover for this album.

Spotlighting saxophone legend Dave Koz on soprano, this Christmas classic is reinvented with an expansive, breezy arrangement that can only be described as uplifting. “When I first started approaching ‘Joy to the World,’ I had Dave in mind. Sheléa came in first and we sat down and did a background vocal part and we came up with ‘Joy to All the World,’ instead of ‘Joy to the World.’ Because there should be joy for everyone in the world, not just for some people. Then Dave came to my house and into my studio and he sat down and just nailed it. We wanted to capture that spiritual side of what the song really means. It is uplifting and that’s how I wanted it to feel. When I’m working on music, I want it to move me, I want to feel like I would want to buy it.”

Kirk Whalum’s take on the Mariah Carey’s iconic “All I Want for Christmas is You” is the most requested song when the critically acclaimed saxophonist (Whitney Houston) hits the road for his sold out Christmas shows. This intimate take on the classic slows urgency of materialism and expectations, changing the meaning of this song into a Christian Hymn expressing the love of a faith-based relationship that can be more than sufficient in fulfilling one’s greatest dreams.

Spotlighting the talents of flutist Najee, this smooth take on the Latin Christmas classic is elevated by percussionist Alex Acuña and guitarist Ramon Stagnaro. Recorded during the 2020 global pandemic, Feliz Navidad brings the sense of community from a worldwide perspective that we all strive to have during the Holiday Seasons. “I decided to take this more seriously. It allowed me to be creative and jump into Latin jazz, big band jazz, swinging straight-ahead jazz, funky stuff and R&B jams, all on one record and get away with it.”