Nathan Mitchell - Christmas With You (2025)

Accomplished American contemporary jazz musician Nathan Mitchell released in September the album The Legacy Project. Two months later he is back with a brandnew Holiday Jazz album. It is not unusual for a large number of Christmas albums to be released shortly before the holidays, and in the world of jazz music, the approach to seasonal songs is no different. So what makes Christmas With You something special that is worth listening to? Let’s approach the album with an open mind and find out in detail.

The Christmas Song was originally written by Robert Wells and Mel Tormé in 1945. It became a huge success in an interpretation of Nat King Cole and has been covered countless times. Nathan’s interpretation is particularly enhanced by Alex Harris’s distinctive voice, which, together with Nathan’s piano performance, gives the song a unique character. Nathan follows with an own creation Under The Misletoe, which could easily pass as a normal song. I find the horn interludes by Tony Watson Jr. (sax) and Phillip Lassiter (trumpet) remarkable, conjuring up a Christmas atmosphere with their ornamental harmony.

We Three Kings appears twice on this album. This Christmas carol was written by John Henry Hopkins Jr. in 1857. Various choir versions have become popular, with the one featuring singer Khaleb Roberts being particularly unusual. It reminds me a little of the musical prodigy Jacob Collier. A very elaborate recording is the one of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas featuring Ben Tankard, Holly B, and Carolyn Tribune-Brewer. The harmonies by Holly B (lead vocals) and Carolyn Tribune-Brewer (background vocals) are perfectly detailed and carefully crafted.

The English Carol The First Noel was first recorded in writing in the early 19th century. Since then, the song has been an integral part of every Christmas repertoire. Nathan interprets this song on the piano using the arrangement by John Stainer, who first published it in his Carols, New and Old in 1871. In doing so, he does not refrain from atmospherically integrating the song into a wintery soundscape. Romanticism (A Christmas Love Story) is Nathan’s piano reflection on a relationship between two people during a time of joy and cozy togetherness, which will hopefully be accompanied by positive feelings.

Cuffing Season, the time for committed relationships, is the perfect anthem to reinforce what is so often evoked during the Christmas season. The finale is a reprise of We Three Kings, which provides the festive backdrop for this musical Christmas gift.

Nathan Mitchell’s Christmas With You is a sophisticated selection of Christmas songs that reflects his personality and musical character.