A Child Is Born (album)
# A Child Is Born (album)

A Child Is Born is an album of Christmas carols by pianist Geri Allen with vocalists recorded in 2011 and released on the Motéma label.

## Reception

Professional ratings :

| Review scores ||
| - | - |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| The Guardian | |
| PopMatters | |

AllMusic awarded the album 4 stars, stating, "this is a holiday collection for the more adventurous jazz piano fan, rather than for someone looking for a safe, warm, and fuzzy set of jazzed-up Christmas tunes". The Guardian review by John Fordham awarded the album 3 stars, noting, "Wherever you're coming from, this remains the work of a gifted improviser exploring timelessly haunting songs". PopMatters reviewer Josh Langhoff said, "Geri Allen’s mostly-solo, mostly-jazz-piano album A Child Is Born flows through traditional Christmas songs and hymns with much facility, some invention, and a couple of surprises"

## Track listing

All compositions Traditional except where noted.

* "Angels We Have Heard On High" – 4:24
* "A Child Is Born" (Thad Jones, Alec Wilder) – 3:43
* "Imagining Gena at Sunrise" – 1:10
* "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" – 7:31
* "Journey to Bethlehem" (Geri Allen) – 1:12
* "We Three Kings" (John Henry Hopkins, Jr." – 5:08
* "Little Drummer Boy" (Katherine Kennicott Davis) – 5:00
* "God Is With Us" (Allen) – 2:16
* "Amazing Grace" (John Newton/Traditional) – 2:43
* "Christmas Medley: Away in a Manger/What Child Is This?/Silent Night" (Traditional/William Chatterton Dix/Franz Xaver Gruber) – 4:32
* "Imagining Gena At Sunset" – 0:32
* "Let Us Break Bread Together" – 5:00
* "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" (Richard Storrs Willis) – 6:24
* "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" – 0:56

## Personnel

* Geri Allen – Fazioli piano, celeste, Farfisa organ, Fender Rhodes electric piano, Hohner clavinet
* Carolyn Brewer (tracks 5 & 8), Connaitre Miller (track 8), Barbara Roney (track 8) – vocals
* Farah Jasmine Griffin – spoken word (track 5)
* Women Of the Gee's Bend Quilt Collective sampled and engineered by Jaimeo Brown (track 4)
