Has the world had enough versions of "The Christmas Song," "White Christmas," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas?" Not if you're a Linda Ronstadt fan, as the pop siren covers these and other beloved holiday tunes on A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS.
While the arrangements are a mix of old-school American pop orchestration and Ronstadt's occasional jazzy flourishes, the singer does mix it up a bit more than someone of a previous generation might. There's a unique rendering of Joni Mitchell's classic "River," dotted with angular cello and staccato bursts of concert harp, which brings things into the present day. For the most part, though, the tradition-minded orchestral arrangements and heavenly choirs show that Ronstadt's rock & roll past hasn't prevented her from taking a reverent approach to these time-tested compositions.
