Gene D. Plumber brings his signature “swinging-honky-tonk-a-billy” style to a selection of holiday favorites (along with a brand-new original track poised to become a seasonal classic) with Gene D. Plumber Celebrates Christmas, his second album on Bar-None Records.
This six-song collection blends Texas swing with a rootsy Americana twist on classic crooning, evoking the spirit of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, but with a gritty, soulful singer channeling Louis Armstrong’s distinctive vocal phrasing. “Louis Armstrong is my all-time favorite singer,” Gene says. “When Bing Crosby said ‘Louis showed us everything,’ he wasn’t kidding!”
A celebrated figure in the Hoboken music scene since the 1970s, Gene has been creating and performing Americana long before the term was coined. His self-styled “swinging-honky-tonk-a-billy” transcends musical boundaries and generations, marked by his raw edge and unique take on the genre. This holiday collection stands out in a sea of polished Christmas music with its honest, unpretentious energy.
On Gene D. Plumber Celebrates Christmas, you’ll find fresh spins on holiday classics like “Frosty the Snowman,” “Merry Texas Christmas,” “Blue Christmas,” “Mele Kalikimaka,” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” along with his own original, “Blue Again This Christmas,” which captures the season’s bittersweet warmth without resorting to the typical holiday clichés.
Gene’s minimalist, heartfelt renditions of these songs offer a joyful, refreshing take on Christmas music, providing a welcome contrast to the familiar, syrupy standards.
