Music Review: (Everybody's Waitin' For) Julie Benko's Christmas EP But For Now We Get THE MAN WITH THE BAG

Heigh Ho, dear lovely rainbow tribe, welcome back to Bobby’s CD sandbox where we offer our broken-down breakdowns of new music releases. So, strap in and get ready, as Bobby goes on the record ABOUT the record.

This week’s music entry in the BobbyFiles, dear ones, comes from our favorite.  That’s it.  She has been our “favorite Funny Girl” and she has been our “favorite stand-by” and she has been our “favorite understudy” but it’s just time to admit, dear lovers of all things Broadway, cabaret, and musical show business, that Julie Benko is our favorite.  Everybody loves Benko, and do you know why?  Because Benko is The Best.

On November 10th, Julie Benko banged out another single (the second) from her upcoming holiday EP titled CHRISTMAS WITH YOU.  Her first single came out in October (and even though little Bobby just knows everyone read it, HERE is the link) and it was a festive bit of fabulosity recorded with queer icon and artist supreme, Mykal Kilgore.  Now, with CHRISTMAS WITH YOU’s release just days away (December 1st), Broadway Benko has let slip her cover of the famous Christmas classic (EVERYBODY’S WAITIN’ FOR) THE MAN WITH THE BAG, and, darlings, it is divine.  

THE MAN WITH THE BAG has been hanging around since 1950, a hit for Kay Starr (if you don’t know Kay Starr, it’s sacrilege and must be rectified, immediately), whose husband, Hal Stanley, was one of the writers of the hit (the other two were Dudley Brooks and Irving Taylor).  According to an internet search, the tune has been recorded seventy-seven times (we all know that there are more because the internet is never right, right?), so why do we need another version of the bop?  Because Benko, darlings!

For this track and for the whole Christmas EP, Julie turned to her husband and favorite Musical Director, the super-cute and uber-talented Jason Yeager, for a little spousal support.  Jazzy Jason took things in hand and made his Missus a swinging sensational treatment for the tune that keeps the traditional feel so that the holiday purists will be comfortable putting the song on their Christmas party playlist, but J-Yea made sure to give Julie a musical place where she could spread her wings, try some things, and put on display in Macy’s window the vocals for which she is becoming more and more famous every day.  Backed by Jason at the piano (Sigh, the solos!) and trumpeter Ronald Wilkins, Julie sounds Merry Marvelous, keeping it pulled back at the beginning so the party can get started, but once the solos are over and the whole band is swingin’, she cuts loose, the corks pop, and she is belting and growling and purring and howling, and all in perfect holiday pitch.  It’s a hit from the word go, and who should be surprised?  The only surprise is going to be seeing WHAT Julie Benko might do next?  She’s a miracle, not a Christmas one, just a plain old-fashioned every day one.  Just in these last few months she closed Funny Girl, started rehearsing Harmony, released (I NEVER HAD A) CHRISTMAS WITH YOU, released this single, opened Harmony, and there is a music video coming from THE MAN WITH THE BAG, as well as the EP on December 1st.  Whew!  That’s busier than Macy’s between noon and three on December 24th.  But all the hard work is paying off for Julie and her Jason, and all of the fans who are the real winners, this last year or so.  There's no bad time for a little Benko, and we are super-psyched about CHRISTMAS WITH YOU because THE MAN WITH THE BAG gets

4 Out Of 5 Rainbows - Put this one in your collection/stream today.

Stream This One (And The Rest Of The Album As It Drops) On Amazon: HERE

Put It In Your Spotifies: HERE

You Can See And Hear Everything About Julie Benko On Her Webbysite: HERE

CHRISTMAS WITH YOU will be released on Club44 Records and is produced by Julie Benko and Jason Yeager.