Israel Houghton's present to all of us is his superb "A Timeless Christmas," the one gift that nobody will be returning this year or any other. It's a new classic.
Israel Houghton has an enormous array of gifts himself, including outstanding chops as a worship leader and arranger, and “A Timeless Christmas” makes good use of them all. I’ve always appreciated Houghton’s commitment to sticking to Biblical truths throughout his jammin’ music. You never have to worry that the message will be shorted by the music, and we have come to expect excellence in any project attached to his name. “A Timeless Christmas” continues the trend.
Israel and New Breed offer up 15 tracks running the gamut from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, to an edgy, jazz-grooved “O Come,” to the heavily funked-out “Go Tell It,” to the tribal inflections of the outstanding “Least of These.” He’s got a slew of mighty guests joining him, also widely mixed, from Matthew Ward on “Hark,” to the fine jazz touch of Marcus Miller on instrumental track, “Nocturnal Mist,” to the distinctive tones of Cece Winans on “We Wish You a Timelss Christmas,” back to the jazz groove of Gerald Albright’s warm sax on “Silent Nocturne.” You get the picture: a wide array of perspectives, each offered proficiently, with dazzling guest artists, and a good time is had by all. Houghton shares a lot of himself in this project, including a heart-warming turn with his young son, singing and praying on “Sonny Boy Christmas.”
There’s really not a track that falters, but some of my favorites include the sensitively delivered “Christmas Worship Medley,” Israel’s soft crooning riding the support of the strings and a strong choral group, before the crew kicks it into high gear mid-track, Stacey Josephs’ vocals passionate and rousing. The smooth vocals of Jonathan Butler stand out once again (he was also featured on “Alive From South Africa”) on the African-influenced “Least of These,” a song whose plea for generosity to those who have less have already impacted my holiday plans. This is Israel and New Breed at their best, touching your spirit even as they get your toes tapping and your head bobbin’. The piano-driven “Silent Nocture” is a gorgeous and warm interpretation of “Silent Night.” “Go Tell It” comes on strong right out of the gate, Israel’s deeply soulful vocals atop the season’s funkiest guitar yet, a sizzling B3, and a crew of background vocalists that just won’t quit. The high energy song reminds us we “can’t keep it in,” but are called to go tell. Again, Houghton teaching from mid-groove, very effective.
Israel closes this family-friendly project perfectly, injecting one last dose of warmth by mentioning the names of his wife and kids personally before joining Cece and Marvin Winans on the richly-orchestrated track, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” It hits just the right notes of sentimentality and sincerity, heavy on the strings. Israel and New Breed have given us a new Christmas classic with “A Timeless Christmas.”
