The Dance of The Cucumber

New Music: Josh Groban

A long awaited Christmas album from tenor Josh Groban releases today. The album, Noel, features guest apperances by the London Symphony Orchestra and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It also includes two duet pieces with Brian McKnight and Faith Hill (okay, so it's not perfect).

Tracks:
1. Silent Night
2. Little Drummer Boy (this track is the highlight of the album)
3. I'll Be Home for Christmas (includes soldier tributes)
4. Ave Maria
5. Angels We Have Heard on High
6. Thankful
7. The Christmas Song
8. What Child is This
9. First Noel (this one is the Faith Hill duet and is easily the worst thing about the album)
10. Petit Papa Noel
11. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (Josh plays the piano for this track)
12. Panis Angelicus
13. O Come All Ye Faithful

The album does not contain the previously released "O Holy Night".

Five From My Playlist - 10/01/2007

1. "Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)" - Patty Griffin. Love, love, love this song.


2. "Flowering Spade" - Sean Hayes. Wikipedia says "He has been described as playing Appalachian Ambient Folk music like an Irish rooster channeling Nick Drake." Exactly.


3. "Wicked Game" - Three Days Grace. I enjoy just about any of TDG's acoustic tracks, but I especially like this Chris Isaak cover.


4. "Songbird" - Eva Cassidy. Eva lost her battle with cancer back in 1996, at the age of 33. Truly a tragic loss to the music world.


Another artistic interpretation:


5. "Apologize" - OneRepublic. This band includes a cello, a piano and a lead singer who can really sing.