A Child Is Born
Studio album by
Geri Allen
ReleasedOctober 11, 2011
RecordedJanuary 14–15 and April 27–28, 2011
StudioUnion Country Performing Arts Center, Rahway, NJ and Klavierhaus, NYC
GenreJazz, Christmas
Length50:31
LabelMotéma MTM-69
ProducerGeri Allen & Kunle Mwanga
Geri Allen chronology
Geri Allen & Timeline Live
(2009)		 A Child Is Born
(2011)		 Grand River Crossings
(2013)

A Child Is Born is an album of Christmas carols by pianist Geri Allen with vocalists recorded in 2011 and released on the Motéma label.[1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Guardian[3]
PopMatters[4]

AllMusic awarded the album 4 stars, stating, "this is a holiday collection for the more adventurous jazz piano fan, rather than for someone looking for a safe, warm, and fuzzy set of jazzed-up Christmas tunes".[2] The Guardian review by John Fordham awarded the album 3 stars, noting, "Wherever you're coming from, this remains the work of a gifted improviser exploring timelessly haunting songs".[3] PopMatters reviewer Josh Langhoff said, "Geri Allen’s mostly-solo, mostly-jazz-piano album A Child Is Born flows through traditional Christmas songs and hymns with much facility, some invention, and a couple of surprises"[4]

Track listing

All compositions Traditional except where noted.

  1. "Angels We Have Heard On High" – 4:24
  2. "A Child Is Born" (Thad Jones, Alec Wilder) – 3:43
  3. "Imagining Gena at Sunrise" – 1:10
  4. "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" – 7:31
  5. "Journey to Bethlehem" (Geri Allen) – 1:12
  6. "We Three Kings" (John Henry Hopkins, Jr." – 5:08
  7. "Little Drummer Boy" (Katherine Kennicott Davis) – 5:00
  8. "God Is With Us" (Allen) – 2:16
  9. "Amazing Grace" (John Newton/Traditional) – 2:43
  10. "Christmas Medley: Away in a Manger/What Child Is This?/Silent Night" (Traditional/William Chatterton Dix/Franz Xaver Gruber) – 4:32
  11. "Imagining Gena At Sunset" – 0:32
  12. "Let Us Break Bread Together" – 5:00
  13. "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" (Richard Storrs Willis) – 6:24
  14. "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" – 0:56

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ Geri Allen catalog, accessed July 2, 2014
  2. 1 2 Ruhlmann, W., Allmusic Review accessed June 30, 2014
  3. 1 2 Fordham, J., The Guardian Review, December 23, 2011
  4. 1 2 Langhoff, J., PopMatters Review, December 11, 2011
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