Boney James brings the Holidays into focus on ’Tis The Season, blending a brand-new take on “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” with his smooth, timeless touch on twelve holiday favorites.
Boney James has always had a gift for making familiar melodies feel personal, and ’Tis The Season lands as a warm reminder of why he remains one of contemporary jazz’s most reliable artists. The four-time Grammy nominee gathers the best of his Holiday recordings into one place, framing twelve tracks with the easy confidence that has marked his career since the early nineties. He opens with a newly recorded take on “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” a fresh cut that sets the mood with his signature cool tone and tasteful restraint. From there, the album moves through favorites like “Skating,” “Christmas Time Is Here,” “This Christmas,” and a smooth glide through “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve,” each one shaped around that unmistakable sax phrasing.
Rather than chase some big concept, James treats the season the way his fans do. He pulls from the joyful side of the Holidays without tipping into nostalgia overload. The mix of classics and past highlights gives the record an easy flow, the kind you can keep on through a long December evening. The new track gives longtime listeners something fresh, while the deeper cuts remind you how well James has handled holiday material over the years. His tone is relaxed, his band keeps the groove steady, and the arrangements stay clean and polished. No gimmicks. Just the kind of instrumental comfort that fits the season.
Boney James continues to make music that feels lived in and self-assured. You can hear it in the space he leaves between notes and the care he takes with melodies everyone already knows by heart. On 'Tis The Season, he plays these songs like someone who understands why they matter. There is calm in the corners of this record, the kind that comes from an artist who still enjoys what he does and understands his place in the larger holiday canon.