Product Details

• Actors: Ray Charles
• Directors: Ray Charles
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Urban Works
• DVD Release Date: October 7, 2003
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000A2ZT7
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #213,439 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

In an exciting move that marked music history, legendary superstar Ray Charles was joined by the world famous 120-member Voices of Jubilation Gospel Choir of Newark New Jersey for his first-ever Christmas Music Special. They are combining their talents in this unprecedented musical showcase not only to entertain but also to spread positive messages to a wide audience. What makes this endeavor so special is that the twelve-time Grammy winner Charles has never performed traditional holiday music in a live concert setting. And, of course, Ray Charles brings his own, unique, jazz/rhythm and blues interpretation to these traditional holiday favorites. The show includes such favorites as The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire), Little Drummer Boy, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, Silent Night, The First Noel, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer, and many more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Egregious, January 6, 2005

By 

W. Read "outlook's good" (Gulf Stream) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ray Charles Celebrates: A Gospel Christmas w/Voices of Jubilation - Deluxe Edition (DVD/CD) (DVD)

This was beyond belief from the forced commercial at the beginning to the lousy production values and poor Ray looks and acts ill.
Avoid.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Cr@ptacular!!, December 9, 2004

By 

Heybub1 (Northern NJ - USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ray Charles Celebrates: A Gospel Christmas w/Voices of Jubilation - Deluxe Edition (DVD/CD) (DVD)

This DVD is horrible right from the beginning. When you first pop the disc in it FORCES you to watch a 2 minute commercial for the cheap-o company that produced this disc. You can't skip it or even fast forward through it.
Finally, when you can play the concert, you have to put up with the Voices of Jubilation singing some gospel songs -- w/ no Ray in sight -- for about 15 minutes. Then Ray FINALLY comes out, sings a few songs, stands up and bounces a few times, and then is led off stage. Now we get to put up with the VOJ again for another 15 minutes.
By then, I turned the DVD off and sold it to a record store that buys used discs. I should have been tipped off when the accompanying CD that comes with this only has 10 songs on it -- all by Ray. On the DVD, there are over 20 songs listed. So more than half the songs are NOT even sung by Ray Charles. Look, Ray Charles SOUNDS great but this concert is definitely not worth the price.
The one thing that kept me watching longer than I should have, though, was -- with the entire choir, all African American, decked out in their tribal African garb -- when the camera showed crowd shots it was all a bunch of country bumpkin looking middle aged white folks clapping and dancing (out of rhythm!) to the music.
Now THAT was entertaining.
The rest of the concert/DVD? Not so much.
Don't waste your money on this and, instead, get "O Genio".

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for the Holidays!!, December 12, 2004

By 

Chuck Alberto "oh-boy-i-am-special" (Detention) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ray Charles Celebrates: A Gospel Christmas w/Voices of Jubilation - Deluxe Edition (DVD/CD) (DVD)

I thought this two-disc set was just great. I would've paid the same price for either disc alone, but I especially like the cd. The Voices of Jubilation are excellent, a multi-racial gospel choir with talent to burn. I wish they hadn't done "From a Distance" (bad memories of Bette Midler), but otherwise they tear it up. As for Brother Ray, well, he delivers great versions of "Little Drummer Boy", "Silent Night", "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" among others.

All in all, unbeatable holiday-season entertainment. Crank it up and clap and sing along.