We are being R&Blessed this holiday season with great music dropping like gifts from Santa’s sleigh. Canadian crooner Glenn Lewis has ended his hiatus to join the growing number of soul and R&B artists making this the best Christmas ever with their interpretations of beloved holiday standards. For his contribution, Lewis releases the two-song project This Christmas With Glenn Lewis. Arriving just in time to make our holiday party playlists, This Christmas With Glenn Lewis features his soulful remakes of the classics “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and “The Christmas Song.”
Glenn puts his personal stamp on “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” early. His cover begins with a churchy organ that he riffs over before the familiar song truly kicks in. When that happens, Glenn’s rich, warm vocals and runs blanket us like our favorite cozy throw. He adds an R&B sheen and soul bounce to the 90-year-old song originally recorded by Bing Crosby. Lewis delivers a superb vocal performance and truly makes the song his own – and quite possibly the only verison you’ll want to listen to on repeat this season.
For his rendition of “The Christmas Song,” Glenn is in crooner mode. Over twinkling keys, strings and live drums, he puts a soulful twist on Nat King Cole’s signature song while simultaneously channeling his biggest influence, Stevie Wonder. Lewis’ heartfelt cover feels like an ode to both icons and embodies the joy and wonder of Christmas.
If you’re going to cover beloved Christmas staples while staying true to yourself and your artistry, this is how you do it. Although the release consists of only two songs, This Christmas With Glenn Lewis owes us nothing. We’d rather listen to two excellent songs than an album full of mediocre filler.
Speaking of albums, we are long overdue for a new one from Glenn Lewis. It’s been almost seven years since he was the featured vocalist on DJ Jazzy Jeff and The PLAYLIST’s debut collection Chasing Goosebumps. Now that he is signed to Universal Music Canada, which released This Christmas With Glenn Lewis, it appears as though something may be on the horizon. A press release from the label stated, “More to come in 2024!,” so we’re cautiously optimistic.
We welcome whatever Glenn Lewis chooses to release whenever he chooses to release it. For now, though, this two-song Christmas surprise is a gift we’ll cherish for years to come.
Glenn Lewis This Christmas With Glenn Lewis [Amazon][Apple Music][TIDAL]
