Vonda Shepard

A Very Ally Christmas

Too Bad About Their Personal Problems; But They Sing Good!

Review Score:

(8/10)
A Very Ally Christmas is a collection of songs from four years of Christmas specials, and features Vonda Shepard on the majority of songs (eight of fourteen). Of the others, Jane Krakowski (who plays the character Elaine) has two songs, Robert Downey, Jr. (Larry Paul) has two, and Calista Flockhart, Lisa Nicole Carson (Renee), and Macy Gray (?) sing one each. Only Winter Wonderland, sung by Macy Gray is unpleasant--unless you are a fan of Carol Channing in her late years. Personally I don't care for this kind of breathless, almost unpitched singing, and the arrangement (oddly enough, the only uncredited arrangement on the CD) is imminently forgettable. Flockhart does better, but without the visuals (licking her finger, running her hands through someone else's hair), Santa Baby doesn't come off quite as well as it did on the show. Flockhart isn't really much of a singer, but Krakowski, Carson, and Shepard are, and their songs are terrific. Especially good are Krakowski's Run, Rudolph, Run; Carson's Santa Claus Got Stuck in My Chimney; and Shepard's The Man with the Bag and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. Others appreciate Robert Downey, Jr.'s singing more than I--it's not bad by any means, but occasionally he sounds like he's trying too hard to imitate Willy Nelson.

The sidemen on this CD are terrific and definitely worthy of note. Thankfully the liner notes credit them. Arranger and trumpet player Jerry Hey does a terrific job--the CD owes much of its appeal to his terrific arrangements. Pianists Jeff Young and Neil Larsen play very tastefully, and Dan Higgins' saxophone solo on Santa Baby really creates the sexy atmosphere Flockhart's thin voice can't quite sustain by itself.

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