Music On Mondays: Week Of 12/20/21

Cody Johnson's new album "A Cody Johnson Christmas"

CoJo's Christmas album includes two new original songs and several familiar standards, plus two tributes to his heroes. Willie Nelson's "Pretty Paper" and Merle Haggard's "If We Make It Through December" are among the new album's tracks. "Stuff like that, you tip your hat to the man," Johnson says. "You don’t change it up a whole lot.”

Jenna Paulette's new single "Santa Baby: A Cowgirl's Christmas List"

Of her new single, Jenna says, "We worked with a partner that is a company that I’ve respected forever. It’s going to be a ‘Santa Baby’ cowgirl version. Instead of saying, ‘I want a fur coat,’ I say, ‘I want a pair of Wranglers,’ or a ‘Hay Ring’ instead of a ‘Call on the phone.’ You know, make it more specific to cowgirls, and we partnered with the cool company for the video. So, I’m very excited about all of that!"

Casi Joy's version of "Winter Wonderland"

Casi Joy made sure her recording of “Winter Wonderland” had a unique sound, “I wanted to put my own classic twist on ‘Winter Wonderland” with ‘yodely’ flairs and traditional instrumentation, and I’m so happy with how it turned out! Christmas time has always been like a big bowl of nostalgia for me, so it felt right to go back to my traditional roots for this song!”

The Highway Women's version of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"

A lovely introduction to the new members of the group, this song features the unique voices of Gabrielle Vaughn, Alyssa Scott, and Jenane, before they all meld together in ethereal harmony. The women are accompanied by pianist Damon Fitcher, from the first note a soft tone is set. The different textures of their voice shine separately and combine together perfectly to create an atmosphere of comfort and warmth. 

Walker County's version of "Last Christmas"

"Last Christmas" is always a Christmas season staple and Walker County put their twist on it! Their simple recording was anything but basic, and gave the duo the opportunity to showcase their vocals to the fullest extent.