Eric Benét has been in a giving mood this year. Back in June, he dropped his duets album The Co-Star to set Black Music Month off. Now that the holidays are here, he gifts us with his first-ever Christmas album entitled It’s Christmas.
Benét brings tidings of musical joy with a mix of original cuts and holiday standards on the 11-song collection. Eric flexes his Christmastime creativity on the originals, many of which he co-wrote and/or co-produced.
He begins the set strong with the sentimental new composition “I Really Don’t Want Much For Christmas.” Other fresh numbers include the title track “It’s Christmas,” a duet with jazz singer Stacey Ryan; the song “Christmas Morning,” featuring the sweet voices of his youngest daughters performing as the duo Luna & Lucia; and the bluesy bop “Merry Christmas, Babe,” which finds Eric trying to get back to his love for some quality time underneath the mistletoe.
The majority of the project consists of Eric putting his spin on several yuletide classics and the hokey Hawaiian-themed song “Mele Kalikimaka.” Aside from that odd inclusion, he absolutely sleighs his versions of “My Favorite Things,” “Give Love On Christmas Day,” “Christmas Time Is Here,” “One Little Christmas Tree,” “Please Come Home For Christmas” and “Oh Holy Night,” which ends the set on a brilliant note with the crooner singing to the heavens.
Eric Benét fans and Christmas music lovers will want to catch the crooner on his For The Holiday Tour this December. He’ll perform songs from It’s Christmas and more holiday favorites that didn’t make the album. The tour begins on December 5th in New Brunswick, New Jersey before pulling up in cities such as NYC, Boston, St. Louis, Chicago, Nashville and Atlanta, where the tour will conclude on December 22nd.
“It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas,” Eric mused on Instagram when he announced the tour. “Join me in December for music, memories and maybe a little something extra to warm your winter night.”
Plan to have a holly jolly good time with Eric Benét’s It’s Christmas soundtracking your holidays and when you see him live on the For The Holiday Tour. Sample the album below, then view all of his tour dates and visit his website to purchase tickets.
Eric Benét For The Holiday Tour dates:
Dec 5 – New Brunswick, NJ – State Theatre New Jersey
Dec 6 – New York, NY – City Winery New York City (Early & Late shows)
Dec 8 – Boston, MA – City Wonery Boston (Early & Late shows)
Dec 11 – Alexandria, VA – Birchmere
Dec 13 – Atlantic City, NJ – Caesars Atlantic City
Dec 14 – St. Louis, MO – City Winery St. Louis (Early & Late shows)
Dec 15 – Chicago, IL – City Winery Chicago (Early & Late shows)
Dec 17 – Nashville, TN – City Winery Nashville (Early & Late shows)
Dec 19 – Chattanooga, TN – Robert Kirk Walker Theatre
Dec 21 – Atlanta, GA – City Winery Atlanta (Early & Late shows)
Dec 22 – Atlanta, GA – City Winery Atlanta (Early & Late shows)
