Liz Callaway
Comfort and Joy—An Acoustic Christmas
December 1, 2021
Reviewed by Michael Miyazaki
Artists who record holiday collections seem to give themselves away when completing the phrase “Through the years we all will be together, if the fates allow” in the song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Most seem to opt for the crowd-pleasing, unbridled optimism of “hang a shining star upon the highest bow.
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” However, in her recording, Comfort and Joy—An Acoustic Christmas, Liz Callaway sings the original lyric, “until then we’ll have to muddle through somehow,” bringing equal measures of heartache and hope, very much reflecting the tenor of our times.
Comfort and Joy is the perfect recording to play on a snowy evening with a mug of something delightful. The 10-song collection has Callaway collaborating with guitarist Peter Calo, resulting in an intimate weaving of voice and strings. The album combines holiday favorites such as “Merry Christmas Darling,” “Christmas Time Is Here,” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” with newer standards such as Sara Bareilles’ “Love Is Christmas” and a solo version of sister Ann Hampton Callaway’s “God Bless My Family.” There are also lovely new discoveries such as “Walking in the Air (Theme from Snowman)” sung with Jann Klose, and the Alex Rybeck/Carol Hall charmer “Christmas Eve (Could Not Ask for More).”
Very few artists match Callaway’s combination of clear, clarion tone with to-the-point storytelling. Every lyric in a song such as “O Holy Night” is gorgeously sung but is also part of a clear narrative arc. In the liner notes, Callaway says that the album is the result of a totally new collaboration with Calo. However, they sound as though they have performed together for decades.
