Edie Adams
The Edie Adams Christmas Album
Omnivore Recordings; 2012
The holidays are designed for nostalgia, and this collection of Christmas recordings is certain to make you wistful for simpler days gone by. Culled from the December, 1952 episode of “The Ernie Kovacs” TV show, this album offers fifteen secular and spiritual songs to cozy up to. Adams, Kovacs’ wife, plays it straight with “The Christmas Song,” “Winter Wonderland,” and “I Wonder as I Wander,” but reveals a more adventurous side with jazzier, upbeat readings of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “Let It Snow.” And on “It’s a Marshmallow World,” she giggles mid-song, a momentary slip out of character that is especially endearing. Adams also duets with Kovacs on “Household Holiday Blues” and “Silver Bells.” On the former, Kovacs offers goofy counterpoint to Adams’ elegant vocal delivery, while on the latter, Kovacs shows he’s able to be more than a comic foil and provides a tender moment between the two. Josh Mills, Edie Adams’ son, offers personal memories of holidays spent with his mom in the CD’s liner notes, which helps make this collection feel complete and definitive. Odes to his mom’s love of the season and remembrances of a home frequently filled with celebrities, including Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, help paint a rich picture of the season. The Edie Adams Christmas Album displays Adams’ vocal talents with warmth and wit, and it’s a charming collection that serves her legacy well.