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

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