Christmas reviews roundup – The Jive Aces w/ The Three Belles vs. John Owen-Jones

Christmas reviews roundup – The Jive Aces w/ The Three Belles vs. John Owen-Jones

THE JIVE ACES with THE THREE BELLES
Christmas Is Where You Are
Golden Age

Some historical revisionism from The Jive Aces who say “Having been asked so many times over the years for a Christmas CD that we’ve lost count, finally here it is”. This sidestepping their earlier ‘White Christmas’ single. However, I like The Jive Aces, I like The Three Belles and I like Christmas tunes, so how could this go wrong. Well, it can’t.

The new tune (the title track) sounds like an old one, and as they romp through ‘Santa Claus Is Coming to Town’, ‘Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow’, ‘Jingle Bells’ and, oh hello, ‘White Christmas’, you can’t help but get all festive.

The Three Belles add an extra dimension with their delightful harmonies, especially on ‘Santa Claus Is Coming to Town’, and this is the best Christmas EP of this year.

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JOHN OWEN-JONES
O Holy Night
Sain

West End musicals star, and all round Welshman, John Owen-Jones, goes the other way with his Christmas offering. There’s no Santa here, oh no. Rather he wheels in the West End Gospel Choir and two orchestras for an over the top assault on this sainted tune.

Which is right up my street, and I absolutely loved it. Bung in a B-side that sees him taking on the very unfestive ‘Till I Hear You Sing’ from the much under-rated “Love Never Dies”, and you’ve got a gem to keep the jazzhands fanatic in your house very happy indeed.

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