Album Review: Mark Tremonti – Christmas Classics New & Old (Self Released)

Mark Tremonti, the Grammy award-winning musician, producer, author as well as founding member of renowned rock bands Alter Bridge, Creed, continues his charity fund-raising efforts with his first-ever holiday album, ‘Christmas Classics New & Old’. This is Tremonti’s interpretation of nine holiday classics, with one original penned song.

After the success of his interpretation of songs Frank Sinatra made famous on his charity album ‘Tremonti Sings Sinatra’, Mark decided to partner up with the incredible orchestra from that album to work on the holiday album, again being released through his Take a Chance for Charity organisation, benefitting the charity NDSS.

There’s no being a Grinch about this album simply because of the reason it exists. It is all about charity, and that is always going to be a good thing. Even if we’re looking at a group of covers that have been done to death, and one original effort, that is just ok.

Get those Christmas grins in place, it’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, and Tremonti offers up something with swing tendencies and makes ample use of the orchestra he has enlisted. Before everyone’s favourite yuletide classic, Jingle Bells gets a fun cover, that is enhanced by the vocal interplay between Tremonti and his choir.

Getting a bit ‘jazzy’, it’s This Christmas Song, a song you can easily picture being played at a bar on Christmas Eve while the patrons warm themselves up with whiskeys and brandies. Followed then by the one original track, Christmas Morning, a really sweet and reflective piece of music, and a powerful rendition of The First Noel.

It’s often the carol covers that seem to work better, especially with the orchestra, and this is a great example of grandeur that has a touch of emotion to it.

It’s back to being peppy and danceable with Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, before Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas offers up some finger-snapping jazz-infused chill, and Let it Snow gets the smiles big and wide.

O Holy Night is often the highlight of any Christmas covers album, and Tremonti does deliver a rousing and melodramatic version. Exactly as it should be. His voice is a little too ‘wavery’ at times, but it’s still the highlight of the album. Yet, it’s not quite over yet as This Christmas closes out the overall heart-warming vibes of the record with an excitable (at least as excitable as this album gets) finale.

Look, it’s not a particularly special release and it certainly isn’t going to have a big effect on most people’s festive listening playlists, but there are plenty of nice songs, variations on the classics, and the original effort is pretty solid. So, there’s plenty to enjoy, even more so, when you know it comes from such a good place.

Mark Tremonti – Christmas Classics New & Old Track Listing:

1. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
2. Jingle Bells
3. The Christmas Song
4. Christmas Morning
5. The First Noel
6. Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town
7. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
8. Let it Snow
9. O Holy Night
10. This Christmas

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