Let It Snow: A Holiday Collection
Let It Snow: A Holiday Collection is the eleventh studio album and second full-length Christmas album from Jewel, released on September 24, 2013, through Reflections Records.
Background
Jewel released her first Christmas album in 1999. Joy: A Holiday Collection was a commercial success, receiving Platinum certifications. The announcement of a second Christmas album came on August 6, 2013. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal about recording another Christmas album, Jewel was quoted as saying "I wanted this record to have a resemblance to the first album. It’s a continuation of mood and spirit of that record, with the mood and feel of the album artwork with an image and tone that evokes that spirit." According to her official website, the album "features country, folk-pop roots with a classical twist."Production
Let It Snow was recorded in 2013 and produced by Jewel, along with Steve Skinner, Joe Mardin and Robbie Kondor. Included with ten traditional holiday songs are two originals recorded for the album, titled "It's Christmastime" and "Blue Crystal Glow."Release
The album was released on September 24, 2013, and made available in several editions. The Target edition contains an exclusive track, "Deck The Halls." Bed Bath & Beyond and iTunes offer the deluxe edition, which includes four additional tracks.Critical reception
Let It Snow: A Holiday Collection has received mostly positive feedback from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic writes, " may not transcend the conventions of a Christmas album, but it also avoids the pitfalls and, on the whole, it's better than her first foray into seasonal song."Commercial performance
As of August 2015, the album has sold 41,000 copies in the United States.Personnel
Credits adapted from AllMusicMusicians
- Jewel – acoustic guitar, vocals
- Robbie Kondor – bass, bass, clapping, harmonica, keyboards, knee slaps, mandolin, penny whistle, piano, vibraphone
- Joe Mardin – bass, brushes, cymbals, drums, keyboards, sleigh bells, tambourine, background vocals
- Amie Amis – French horn
- Eliot Bailen – cello
- Sherrod Barnes – acoustic guitar
- Mallory Bennhoff – background vocals
- Emily Bindiger – choir/chorus, background vocals
- Paul Brandenburg – trumpet
- Laurent Caillat – choir/chorus
- Larry Campbell – fiddle, guitar, pedal steel guitar
- John Clark – French horn
- Nancy Danino – choir/chorus, translation
- Nick Donohue – background vocals
- Dave Eggar – cello, soloist
- Gabrielle Fink – violin
- Vince Gill – guitar, soloist
- Rachel Golub – violin
- Julie Goodale – viola
- Nikki Gregoroff – background vocals
- Rebecca Harris – violin
- Stan Harrison – clarinet, saxophone
- Richard Heckman – English horn, oboe
- Erin Hill – harp
- Alexandra Jenkins – violin
- Marco Joachim – acoustic guitar
- Birch Johnson – trombone
- Zev Katz – bass
- Dillon Kondor – guitar
- Kenny Kosek – fiddle
- Katie Kresek – violin
- Ron Lawrence – viola
- Zoë Lewis – background vocals
- Michael Londra – choir/chorus, translation, background vocals
- Pat Mangan – violin
- Trevor Neumann – flugelhorn
- Victoria Paterson – violin
- Sophie Piggott – background vocals
- Marcus Rojas – tuba
- Peter Sachon – cello
- Daniel Sadownick – djembe, shaker, triangle
- Laura Sherman – harp
- Ira Siegel – guitar
- Abi Sirota – background vocals
- Sam Skinner – guitar
- Steve Skinner – keyboards, organ, piano, sleigh bells
- Frank Vilardi – clapping, drums, knee slaps
- Jewel – arranger, executive producer, production
- Robbie Kondor – arranger, conductor, engineer, production
- Joe Mardin – arranger, engineer, [audio audio mixing (recorded music)|mixing (recorded music)|mixing], production, programming, vocal arrangement
- Steve Skinner – arranger, engineer, main personnel, production, programming
- Michael O'Reilly – engineer, mixing
- Seth Glassman – engineer
- Ken Halford – engineer
- Roy Hendrickson – engineer
- Kabir Hermon – engineer
- Mike Nolan – engineer
- Matt Rausch – engineer
- Alan Silverman – mastering
- Katie Kresek – concertmaster
- Tom Chaggaris – art direction
- Virginia Davis – management
- Dave Eggar – contractor
- Russell James – photography
- Nicole Perez – publicity