A Very Special Acoustic Christmas
Every year since 1987, there's beenA Very Special Christmasrecord of one sort or another, the proceeds of which go to the Special Olympics. This year'sA Very Special Acoustic Christmasis as great as any previous year's efforts, even though it's deliciously unplugged. Country music superstars likeReba McEntire,Alan Jackson, andWynonnaare balanced by such legendary country and bluegrass figures asEarl Scruggs,Ralph Stanley,Ricky Skaggs, andWillie Nelson(doing a version ofCharles Brown's "Please Come Home for Christmas" that's almost as haunting as Brown's). Throw in the father of newgrassSam Bush's sparkling "Let it Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!,"Tift Merritt's sensual "I'll Be Home for Christmas," and a handful of other luminaries and you get a 16-tune acoustic set long on value that ends with multi-Grammy-winnerNorah Jonessinging "Peace." --Martin Keller