2015 India.Arie & Joe Sample – Christmas With Friends
Christmas With Friends is a collaborative Christmas album by American singer India.Arie and American pianist Joe Sample. It was released on October 16, 2015, through Motown and Soulbird Music. Arie worked as one of the album’s executive producers with American pianist John Burke and American musician Dave Koz. Sample contributed to four of the songs, but died from mesothelioma before the album’s completion. After placing the project on hold for a year, Arie decided to collaborate with other artists to complete it.
Christmas with Friends consists of ten tracks, including nine covers of Christmas standards and carols, and one original song co-written by Arie’s mother. Following the album’s release, Arie promoted it in various venues, particularly through her Christmas with Friends Tour (2015). Christmas with Friends received a generally mixed critical reception. The album appeared on several Billboard charts. The album peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Tracks
1 Let It Snow (Jule Styne; Sammy Cahn) 02:35
2 Favorite Time Of Year (Aaron Lindsey; India Arie; Joyce Simpson) 03:04
3 Silent Night (Franz Gruber; Joseph Mohr) 03:40
4 Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Hugh Martin; Ralph Blane) 04:35
5 Merry Christmas Baby (Johnny Moore; Lou Baxter) 03:34
6 I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (Irving Berlin) 03:12
7 The Christmas Song (Mel Tormé; Robert Wells) 04:24
8 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Traditional) 04:19
9 Mary, Did You Know? (Buddy Greene; Mark Lowery) 03:23
10 Auld Lang Syne (Traditional) 03:41
Musicians
1 Let It Snow
| Upright Bass | Nicklas Sample |
| Drums | Jeff Watts |
| Keyboards | Aaron Lindsey |
| Piano | Joe Sample |
| Synthesizer | Aaron Lindsey |
| Percussion | Javier Solis |
| Vocals | India Arie |
2 Favorite Time Of Year
| All Instruments | Aaron Lindsey |
| Vocals | Tori Kelly |
| Vocals | India Arie |
3 Silent Night
| All Instruments | Aaron Lindsey |
| Vocals | Tori Kelly |
| Vocals | India Arie |
4 Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
| Bass | Aaron Lindsey |
| Drums | Jeff Watts |
| Keyboards | Aaron Lindsey |
| Piano | Joe Sample |
| Synthesizer | Aaron Lindsey |
| Percussion | Javier Solis |
| Vocals | India Arie |
| Vocals | Brandy Rayana Norwood |
5 Merry Christmas Baby
| Upright Bass | Aaron Lindsey |
| Drums | Aaron Lindsey |
| Fender Rhodes | Aaron Lindsey |
| Keyboards | Aaron Lindsey |
| Piano | Joe Sample |
| Vocals | Kim Owens |
| Vocals | India Arie |
6 I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
| Bass | Nathan East |
| Drums | Teddy Campbell |
| Piano | Aaron Lindsey |
| Vocals | Michael McDonald |
| Vocals | India Arie |
7 The Christmas Song
| Bass | Chuck Berghofer |
| Drums | Teddy Campbell |
| Acoustic Guitar | Paul Jackson Jr |
| Keyboards | David Delhomme |
| Piano | John Beasley |
| Sax | Dave Koz |
| Trombone | Troy Andrews |
| Vocals | India Arie |
| Vibraphone | Craig Fundyga |
8 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
| Bass | Nicklas Sample |
| Drums | Jeff Watts |
| Keyboards | Aaron Lindsey |
| Piano | Joe Sample |
| Synthesizer | Aaron Lindsey |
| Percussion | Javier Solis |
| Vocals | India Arie |
9 Mary, Did You Know?
| Bass | Nathan East |
| Drums | Teddy Campbell |
| Keyboards | Aaron Lindsey |
| Piano | Aaron Lindsey |
| Vocals | India Arie |
| Percussion | Javier Solis |
| Vocals | Khristian Dentley |
10 Auld Lang Syne
| Upright Bass | Nathan East |
| Drums | Teddy Campbell |
| Keyboards | Aaron Lindsey |
| Piano | Aaron Lindsey |
| Sax | Kirk Whalum |
| Vocals | India Arie |
Liner Notes
Producer – Aaron Lindsey, India.Arie (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10)
Producer – Joe Sample (Tracks 1, 3, 4, 7)
Producer (Executive) – India Arie
Arranged By – Joe Sample (Tracks 1, 3, 4, 7)
Arranged By – Aaron Lindsey (Tracks 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10)
Arranged By – John Beasley (Track 6)
Arranged By (Horn) – Hamilton Hardin (Track 5)
Arranged By (Strings) – John Stoddart (Tracks 4, 9)
Edited By – Aaron W. Lindsey (Tracks 1, 3, 7)
Engineer (Assistant) – Lenny Wee, Ryan Staples, Seth Presant (Track 6)
Mastered By – Reuben Cohen
Mixed By – Paul Salvo (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Mixed By – Allen Sides (Track 6)
Recorded By – Case Mundy (Tracks 1, 3, 4, 7)
Recorded By – Aaron Lindsey (Track 2)
Recorded By – Rob Skipworth (Tracks 4, 6)
Recorded By – Danny Duncan (Tracks 5, 8, 9, 10)
Recorded By – Allen Sides (Track 6)
Recorded By (Additional) – Gerrit Kinkel (Track 6)
Recorded By (Brandy) – Timothy Wyman (Track 3)
Recorded By (India Arie) – Kory Aaron (Track 2)
Recorded By (Kem Vocals) – Eric Morgeson (Track 4)
Recorded By (Michael McDonald) – Mark Casselman (Track 5)
Recorded By (Tori Kelly) – Matthew Emonson (Track 2)
Recorded By (Vocals) – Rob Skipworth (Tracks 1, 3, 7, 9)
Recorded By (Vocals) – Aaron Lindsey (Track 9)
Art Direction, Design – Annalee Valencia-Bruch
Photography – Cora Coleman Dunham
Mastered At Lurssen Mastering
Mixed At Red Lotus Studios, Hollywood, CA
Recorded At Wire Road Studios
Recorded At India’Song Studios
Recorded At Harmony Studios
Recorded At Wyman Records Studio
Recorded At Sound Logic Recording Studio
Recorded At Red Lotus Studios, Hollywood, CA
Recorded At Ocean Way Recording
Recorded At House Of Blues Studios, Encino
Phonographic Copyright Motown Records
Copyright Motown Records