A Child Is Born (album)

A Child Is Born
Studio album by Geri Allen
Released	October 11, 2011
Recorded	January 14 & 15 and April 27 & 28, 2011 Union Country Performing Arts Center, Rahway, NJ and Klavierhaus, NYC
Genre	Jazz, Christmas
Length	50:31
Label	Motéma MTM-69
Producer	Geri 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
Source	Rating
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 ecxcept as indicated

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

• Geri Allen - Fazioli piano, celeste, Farfisa organ, Fender Rhodes electric piano, Hohner clavinet
• Carolyn Brewer (tracks 5 & 8), Connaitre Miller (track 8), Barbara Roney (track 8) - vocals
• Farah Jasmine Griffin - spoken word (track 5)
• Women Of the Gee's Bend Quilt Collective sampled and engineered by Jaimeo Brown (track 4)

References