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.
Reception
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". 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". 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"
Track listing
All compositions Traditional except where noted.
"Angels We Have Heard On High" – 4:24
"A Child Is Born" (Thad Jones, Alec Wilder) – 3:43
"Imagining Gena at Sunrise" – 1:10
"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" – 7:31
"Journey to Bethlehem" (Geri Allen) – 1:12
"We Three Kings" (John Henry Hopkins, Jr." – 5:08
"Little Drummer Boy" (Katherine Kennicott Davis) – 5:00
"God Is With Us" (Allen) – 2:16
"Amazing Grace" (John Newton/Traditional) – 2:43
"Christmas Medley: Away in a Manger/What Child Is This?/Silent Night" (Traditional/William Chatterton Dix/Franz Xaver Gruber) – 4:32 "Imagining Gena At Sunset" – 0:32 "Let Us Break Bread Together" – 5:00 "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" (Richard Storrs Willis) – 6:24 "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)