Jo Dee Messina - A Joyful Noise CD (2002) (CD)

When it came time to put together her debut holiday album, multi-platinum artist Jo Dee Messina knew exactly who she wanted sitting beside her at the control board: famed producer Brent Maher. Messina has long considered the man responsible for holiday albums by Kenny Rogers, The Judds and Kathy Mattea (for which he won a Grammy) to be the "Father Christmas" of record producers.. The end result is the co-produced A Joyful Noise. Messina put a great deal of thought into her first holiday collection knowing that above all else, she wanted the end result to be her personal holiday sentiments, delivered simply and honestly. Her hope was that the listener felt she was in their own home, singing directly to them. Listeners will be pleasantly surprised to find traces of her personality -- like Messina laughing during "Let It Snow" -- left on the tracks.And when it came time to enlist the help of a few of her favorite singers Messina knew she wanted Vince Gill and Kenny Rogers as her guests. The decision to use Rogers on "What Child Is This" was an easy one, "Kenny has always been Mr. Christmas to me," she commented. "We've had a mutual respect for each other for some time and have talked about doing something together. I've been a fan of his holiday tour since seeing it in New York a few years back," Messina continued.While she admits to adoring Vince Gill both as a singer and as a person, Messina didn't simply assume he'd agree to be a part of her album. "I was nervous about having Brent ask him," she acknowledges. Since adding his vocals to "Silver Bells," Messina simply says, "I'm honored that he is a part of my first holiday album."The New England native leaned towards the classics on A Joyful Noise,songs that were a part of her childhood holiday celebrations. In addition to "What Child Is This" and "Silver Bells," listeners will be treated to: "O Holy Night," "I'll Be Home For Christmas," "Winter Wonderland," "The Christmas Song," "Sleigh Ride," "Let It Snow," "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," and "Silent Night."Two original tracks are also included: "Keep The Faith," written by Messina, Mike Reid and Maher and "A Joyful Noise," written by Tia Sillers and Mark Selby.