APRIL VARNER SPREADS HOLIDAY CHEER WITH WINTER SONGS VOL. 2, A FULL-LENGTH CHRISTMAS ALBUM FEATURING REIMAGINED HOLIDAY CLASSICS
JAZZ VOCALIST BRINGS TOGETHER ALL-STAR ENSEMBLE INCLUDING ULYSSES OWENS JR., THEO BLECKMANN, AND THE SUNHOUSE SINGERS FOR EFFERVESCENT YULETIDE COLLECTION
OUT NOVEMBER 21 VIA CELLAR MUSIC GROUP
April Varner, the rising jazz vocalist and 2023 winner of the International Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition, announces the release of Winter Songs Vol. 2, a full-length Christmas album featuring reimagined holiday standards, out November 21 on Cellar Music Group.
Building on the success of her self-released 2024 Winter Songs Vol. 1 EP, Varner now presents a complete work that celebrates her deep love for the Christmas season. The project showcases her artistic growth alongside an impressive ensemble of collaborators, including GRAMMY- winning producer Ulysses Owens Jr. on drums, bassist Yasushi Nakamura, pianist Luther Allison, guitarist Leandro Pellegrino, and vocal trio The Sunhouse Singers featuring June Cavlan, Kate Kortum, and Joie Bianco.
Varner’s journey to jazz began unexpectedly. Originally destined for opera after studying classical voice at the University of Toledo at age eight, she switched to jazz voice at Indiana University after choosing show choir over opera chorus. Her appreciation for jazz deepened through study with acclaimed teachers including Sachal Vasandani, Tierney Sutton, and later Theo Bleckmann at the Manhattan School of Music. Her 2023 victory at the International Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition solidified her connection to the First Lady of Song, leading to critical acclaim for her 2024 debut album April on Cellar Music Group. The cleverly curated collection of standards and contemporary songs—all with “April” in the title—earned praise from DownBeat, The New York City Jazz Record, and jazz critics worldwide.
The Christmas season holds special significance for Varner, rooted in childhood memories of admiring holiday decorations across Toledo’s neighborhoods and annual family trips to Bronner’s Christmas store in Frankenmuth, Michigan. These experiences, combined with countless hours listening to holiday records and watching Yuletide cartoons, inform the warm, nostalgic spirit that permeates Winter Songs Vol. 2.
The album opens with “Jingle Bells,” featuring Varner in musical dialogue with The Sunhouse Singers, whose Andrews Sisters-inspired arrangement by June Cavlan creates an exuberant sleigh ride through sudden key changes and surprise hits. Luther Allison’s arrangements for several tracks demonstrate his piano prowess while providing fresh takes on familiar material, including a “Poinciana” beat treatment of “A Holly Jolly Christmas” and a sassy backbeat approach to “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” which also features Varner’s first extended scat solo.
The album’s centerpiece is two-time Grammy Nominee Theo Bleckmann’s mystical arrangement of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” utilizing multi-tracked voices from Varner, Bleckmann, and The Sunhouse Singers. The track showcases shifting vocal backgrounds that ebb and flow like ocean waves, mixed by Dave Darlington, while Varner delivers Cohen’s Biblical references with passionate conviction.
Other highlights include a tender rendition of Vince Guaraldi’s “Christmas Time is Here” with Allison’s delicate accompaniment, Leandro Pellegrino’s acoustic guitar transforming “The Christmas Waltz” into a Brazilian bossa, and an imaginative Sunhouse Singers arrangement of “Sleigh Ride” that features both Varner’s comfortable lead vocal and a fiery scat solo. The album concludes with a swinging “Winter Wonderland” that incorporates delightful meter changes.
Producer Ulysses Owens Jr., whose ongoing collaboration with Varner extends beyond this project, brings his Grammy-winning expertise to bear throughout the recording. His drumming provides both rhythmic foundation and creative color, including a surprise duet with Varner on Chuck Berry’s “Run, Run Rudolph.”
“If you know me, you know that my absolute favorite holiday is Christmas and my favorite season is winter,” Varner explains. “I love being outside and seeing all of the decorations, all of the twinkling lights, people ice skating in Bryant Park, drinking hot chocolate as Andy Williams plays in the distance. This album truly was so much fun to put together—a collection of my most cherished Christmas songs with such an amazing team of people to make this music with.”
The album represents Varner’s evolution from the more winter-themed approach of Volume 1 to an unabashedly Christmas-focused celebration. Her effervescent personality and genuine holiday spirit shine through each track, supported by arrangements that respect the classics while offering fresh perspectives on beloved material.
With Winter Songs Vol. 2, April Varner positions herself as a vibrant new voice in holiday jazz, combining technical skill with authentic joy to create music that communicates directly to listeners’ hearts. The album serves as both a showcase for her artistic development and a heartfelt gift to audiences seeking Christmas cheer through jazz interpretation.
The first single, “Jingle Bells,” will be released October 31, ahead of the full album’s November 21 release date.
TRACK LIST
- Jingle Bells (Ft. The Sunhouse Singers)
- It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
- Holly Jolly Christmas
- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
- Hallelujah (Ft. Theo Bleckmann, The Sunhouse Singers)
- Run, Run Rudolph
- Christmas Time Is Here
- Christmas Waltz (Ft. Leandro Pellegrino)
- Sleigh Ride (Ft. The Sunhouse Singers)
- It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Year (Ft. The Sunhouse Singers)
- Winter Wonderland
PERSONNEL & CREDITS
April Varner- Vocals
Luther Allison- Piano/Arranger
Yasushi Nakamura- Bass
Ulysses Owens Jr.- Producer/Drums
Leandro Pellegrino- Guitar
Theo Bleckmann- Vocal Producer/Arranger
The Sunhouse Singers- Vocal Trio
June Cavlan- Vocals/Arranger
Kate Kortum- Vocals
Joie Bianco- Vocals