On the 13-track collection, McComb imbues the project with a nakedly acoustic aura that’s permeates piano-based cuts such as Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song,” as well as, the guitar-centered ones such as a redo of Jose Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad.” The set includes bluesy spirituals such as “Walk in the Light,” a feverish “Joy to the World” and a playful carol, “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.” In a recent Downbeat magazine article, Frank John Hadley hailed McComb “a wonder” and writes that, “Liz McComb sings the carols and spirituals…with a conviction rooted in her experience growing up in an African-American church… Her supple, limber voice conveys not only religious devotion but also the more secular warmth of the season.” Link: http://smarturl.it/MerryChristmasLiz
McComb has sung in churches since the age of three. After singing with the Daughters of Zion gospel group during her teens, she moved to Manhattan to become a Broadway star but ended up in Europe touring with the Jean Austin Singers and then in The Roots of Rock `N’ Roll Revue where she opened for the legendary gospel singer, Bessie Griffin. Since the 1980s, McComb has been stationed in Paris where she’s thought of as modern-day Mahalia Jackson for her earthy performances that have led her to headline France’s biggest cathedrals and concert venues such as Palais des Sports. She’s recorded more than a dozen albums for labels such as Sony and EMI. She’s also performed on concert bills with Ray Charles, James Brown, Taj Mahal and other musical luminaries.
