Fans of the artist formerly known as co-host of Entertainment Tonight can rest easy. The Teshinator is back. It’s been eight long months since his hugely successful album “A Deeper Faith” blasted onto Billboard charts. Now John Tesh has set his sights on the holiday season with the eagerly awaited release of “Christmas Worship.” This collection of classic and original tunes is perfect for those long winter nights when you’ve had 12 glasses of rum-laced eggnog.
Something has been missing from holiday albums in recent years. Sure there were classics — Destiny’s Child gave us “Eight Days of Christmas.” Christina Aguilera put the sex back in J.C.’s birthday with “My Kind of Christmas.” But only upon listening to the first track off “Christmas Worship” — “This is Your Gift” — does one realize what has been missing — John Tesh.
How many times have you been sitting around the Christmas tree with friends and family when someone said, “You know what this day needs — a spoken-word piece by John Tesh.” Well, you’ve got it, Uncle Seymour, and more.
The combined talent of Yanni and John Tesh have made new-age music more than just a passing fad for teenagers. Having conquered that arena, the composer has since turned his talents to other areas of music. This latest effort is a stew of Tesh’s new-age roots and Christian worship music that carries a positive message of togetherness and hope for the holidays. But Tesh himself best describes the release in the album’s press material.
“I really want ‘Christmas Worship’ to be an album of pure encouragement,” Tesh said. Perhaps the musician is
eager to prevent the increased number of suicides often associated with the Christmas season. The effect should be obvious.
It seems as though Tesh was born with a synthesizer in his hand — he proves it on the tender love ballad “It Wouldn’t Be Christmas Without You.” Tesh said the tune was written specifically for his wife Connie Selleca. But the song’s universal themes ensure that couples around the world will appreciate each other a little more this December.
However, the highlight of this album has to be “Awesome God,” where Tesh lets us all know that our God is, indeed, awesome.
“Christmas Worship” ultimately emerges as still more proof of the talent Tesh first unleashed upon the public on Entertainment Tonight. It is a fitting addition his growing catalog, which includes three gold albums and promises to become synonymous with Christmas for generations to come.