Dec 19, 2024 By Clint Rhodes 2 min read

With the Thanksgiving feast a distant memory, it’s now time to fully focus on Christmas.

As a self-professed Christmas music junkie with over 400 albums in my catalog, I’m always excited to add more releases to the expanding collection. My top pick this year is “A Classic Christmas” by Mickey Thomas, his first-ever holiday album.

Thomas provides a delightful dose of nostalgia to eight memorable arrangements that perfectly set the mood for the most wonderful time of the year.

After just a few notes, I’m immediately transported back to when I first heard the smooth vocals of Thomas during his time with Elvin Bishop. I would search through my older brother’s vinyl records and repeatedly play 1975’s “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” over and over.

Thomas would later join Jefferson Starship and then just Starship to power such hits as “Jane,” “No Way Out,” “Find Your Way Back,” “Sara” and “We Built This City.”

On his latest release, the charismatic singer breathes a comforting and cozy vibe into “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “The Christmas Song,” “Silver Bells,” “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” “My Favorite Things” and “White Christmas.”

My personal favorite from the set is “An Old Fashioned Christmas.” When Thomas describes the pure joy of seeing family faces, mother in the kitchen carefully creating tasty treats and the ground covered with hefty amounts of sparkling snow, I’m reminded of my days as a child on Christmas Eve nervously wondering if I had been good enough to make Santa’s delivery list.

The love Thomas feels for the selected arrangements performed is genuinely conveyed as he manages to deliver a blissful soundtrack that is ideal for holiday decorating, wrapping presents, sled riding and spending cherished time with family and friends around a welcoming fire.

On “A Classic Christmas,” Thomas has charmingly crafted a personal invitation to rediscover the wonder of the holiday season.