Produced by Jonathan White and Lee Kopp
Recorded at Kopperhead Compositions
Independent Label
On another Christmas CD review I recently did, I made the statement that one good way to keep track of the quality of Southern Gospel Music is to compare it with secular artists of today, and that Christmas projects were an especially good way of comparing the two. Making this comparison shows that Jonathan, of “Mencer, White, and Cheney”, shines out really well on any style of music.
Starting off with the secular tune “Winter Wonderland”, the first thing that you will notice is that the tracks are really clean and cheery. That’s sort of the way you could describe Jonathan’s performance also, it’s cherry and full of energy. “Surely This Must Be The Place” has a wonderful message. This is one Christmas song that you can worship with, should you desire to do so.
Not long ago as I was playing some Christmas music in a place where my Dad was, I noticed a tear in his eye as they were singing “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”. He related to me how it brought back memories of how it was played for him in WWII over in Germany. As Jonathan sang this same song I found a tear in my own eye as I thought about our troops over in Iraq and Afghanistan during this Christmas season. Wow, he really captures the feeling of this song.
“There’s A New Kid In Town” delivers the old Christmas message in a modern day form. This is one of my favorites on the CD. Interestingly enough, as good as this CD is, it only contains one Christmas Carol, but Jonathan does a great job in his performance of “Oh Holy Night”. “Into Hearts He’d Come” and “Let’s Keep Christ In Christmas” were both penned by Steve Cheney of “Mencer, White, and Cheney”, both beautifully relate the story and the message of Christmas in a very modern musical way. “A Christmas Love Song” is one that I wish I had written for my wife. Jonathan dedicates it to his wife on this CD, and he does a really nice job performing it. “That Night Was Anything But Silent” has a little different flavor for Christmas as it is done in a Latino beat. This one is another of my favorites. I promise that you will need more than one box of Kleenex as you listen to “Christmas Shoes”. As Jonathan sings this cut, he sort of reaches out, grabs your heart, and squeezes it just a little. It is sure to make you appreciate you loved ones around you this Christmas season. Jonathan’s little son Austin adds a nice touch to the ending of the song.
Also included on this CD are “Mary Did You Know” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”
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