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Written by Thomas Brill<\/p>\n
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After the Bryan Adams<\/strong> and Friends single \u201cCalifornia Christmas\u201d<\/b><\/span> became an instant favorite\u2014hitting No. 1 on the Canadian Radio Holiday Chart<\/b><\/span>\u2014the ensemble is back with A Great Big Holiday Jam<\/b><\/span>, released just in time for the encroaching yuletide.<\/p>\n The 13-track holiday album is jam-packed with some of Canada\u2019s top voices, including Alessia Cara, The Sheepdogs, Alan Doyle,<\/b><\/span> and The Barenaked Ladies<\/b><\/span>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWith<\/i> A Great Big Holiday Jam, we\u2019re reminded that the holidays don\u2019t always have to be snowy\u2014they can be spent around a beach bonfire, warmed by the California sun.\u201d<\/i> When I think of holiday music, I think of Frankie, Dino, and Bing. I picture frosty windows, hot cocoa, winter wonderlands, and candy cane forests.<\/p>\n Bryan Adams, however, had something else in mind.<\/p>\n A Great Big Holiday Jam<\/i> offers a refreshing reminder that the holiday season can look a little different\u2014roasting chestnuts by the ocean instead of the fireplace.<\/p>\n The album opens with the Beach Boys classic \u201cLittle Saint Nick,\u201d<\/b><\/span> and almost immediately I was wondering if it\u2019s too late to add a surfboard to my Christmas list. It\u2019s a perfect opener, establishing the breezy, West Coast vibe that carries throughout the record.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cTwo listens into \u2018California Christmas\u2019 and I was already looking up the chords so I could play it for the family.\u201d<\/i> One of the album\u2019s most emotional moments comes with \u201cI\u2019ll Be There Christmas Eve.\u201d<\/b><\/span> Growing up, Christmas Eve was always the biggest night\u2014family packed into the kitchen, loud conversations, food everywhere, and songs filling the room.<\/p>\n Alan Doyle\u2019s performance captures the heart of that feeling, singing about a journey home and reminding us why being together matters most during the holidays.<\/p>\n Throughout the LP, snippets of studio chatter are woven between tracks, pulling back the curtain on the emotion behind the music. We hear laughter, shared joy, and moments of vulnerability.<\/p>\n \u201cI got emotional in the last verse. I kinda lost it,\u201d Adams admits while wrapping up \u201cFootprints.\u201d<\/b> Another voice responds simply: \u201cI\u2019m emotional right now.\u201d<\/i> \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis album feels less like a polished holiday product and more like friends making music together in real time.\u201d<\/i> One of my favorites is \u201cI Saw Three Ships.\u201d<\/b><\/span> After a brief false start and a discussion about tempo, a fiddle kicks in and transforms the song into a full-on sea shanty, driven by pounding drums and finger-picked acoustics. This one was made for stomping feet and clanking steins.<\/p>\n And then there\u2019s \u201cCalifornia Christmas.\u201d<\/b><\/span> With its opening oohs and ahhs that echo Brian Wilson\u2019s Pet Sounds<\/i>, it delivers everything you want in a modern holiday classic\u2014warm, catchy, and impossible to shake.<\/p>\n As someone in the studio announces, \u201cLast song, Gary,\u201d<\/i> the album drifts into its closer, \u201cO Christmas Tree.\u201d<\/b><\/span> Bryan Adams strips it down to just piano and voice, offering a soft, smoky rendition that feels intimate and timeless.<\/p>\n When the final note fades, Adams leaves us with a simple message:<\/p>\n \u201cHappy Christmas everybody.\u201d<\/b> \u201cIt\u2019s not how you expect a holiday album to end\u2014and that\u2019s exactly why it works.\u201d<\/i> A Great Big Holiday Jam<\/i> isn\u2019t just another seasonal release\u2014it\u2019s a warm, communal listening experience that captures the joy, emotion, and unexpected moments that make the holidays special.<\/p>\n I know I\u2019ll be having one listening to this album.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0X<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\n
A Holiday Album with a West Coast Soul<\/b><\/h2>\n
Setting the Tone<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Songs That Hit Close to Home<\/b><\/h2>\n
Real Moments from the Studio<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Standout Tracks<\/b><\/h2>\n
A Quiet, Perfect Ending<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Final Thoughts<\/b><\/h3>\n