Gospel music legend, John P. Kee, will drop a one-song, 16-track holiday album entitled, “No Christmas Without You” (Kee Music Group / Tyscot), on all digital music platforms on December 10th. This one-of-a-kind rarity is comprised of sixteen unique versions of the feel-good yuletide track that was written and produced by Kee, a gold-selling artist known for gospel standards such as “Show Up!,” “Standing in the Need,” and “Jesus is Real,” among many others.
Each of the renditions of the song is distinct in some manner. The first version is a We-Are-the-World kind of affair featuring The Family which is comprised of most of the artists who also perform individually on the album. The next version is John P. Kee himself, turning in a warm, contemporary R&B-flavored track about enjoying the holiday with loved ones. There are other solo versions by gospel heavyweights such as Kim Burrell, Gene Moore, and Jason Nelson.
R&B star, Susan Carol, delivers a thrilling, acoustic rendition while soul man, Frank McComb, plays the piano on his version that takes on a Smooth Jazz essence. R&B singer, Lachardon, emphasizes the bass guitar on her sultry late night ballad rendering. Corvius Scott offers up a Stylistics-worthy falsetto on his turn while George Leggett’s tenor is a commanding force on his cut. Mekahla D. Smith’s bright soprano shines over a programmed track that fuses elements of country music in an urban setting.
Reality TV singing contestants Majeste Pearson (FOX TV’s The Four), Shameia Crawford (ABC TV’s Rising Star), and Saeed “SrSoul” Renaud (FOX YV’s The Four) sing their own versions. There are mash-ups too. The sweet-voiced, Glynis LaFlore, teams with Darius “DJ” James who demonstrates a silky tenor on his effort. Actor Chaz Shepard, who played Trey Wiggs on BET’s The Game TV series, joins Sonya McGuire for a smooth, soulful take.
Credit: Gregory Gay
