Music Review: Julie Benko & Mykal Kilgore Make Us Glad They're Having A Christmas With Each Other With (I NEVER HAD A) CHRISTMAS WITH YOU

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 NYC’s understudy par excellence, the newly minted Broadway star, Julie Benko, who has stopped off on her trip from the August Wilson Theatre to the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (where she will create her first-ever Broadway Musical role in Barry Manilow’s HARMONY) just long enough to drop a little holiday bonbon on all y’all. This new single, (I NEVER HAD A) CHRISTMAS WITH YOU, is a little taste, a preview if you will, of the upcoming debut holiday EP CHRISTMAS WITH YOU. Our Broadway breakout star released this single jingle bell on Friday the 13th, of all days, and it is available to stream, buy, and give as a gift right now, my angels. INHACWY is a sweet R&B number she sings with the FAB-U-LOOUS Grammy® Nominee, Mykal Kilgore (DEAR EVAN HANSEN, MOTOWN THE MUSICAL, HAIR), and if you think two voices could not be more different, you would be right. In so saying, it is true that sometimes diverse voices can come together and fall right apart right out of the gate, OR they can make beautiful music together. In the case of these funny girls, magic happens just in time for the holidays. An out and proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Kilgore writes and sings love songs for men, about men (THE MAN IN THE BARBERSHOP), in love with men, and Benko is a good Jewish girl who played Fanny Brice, so this is a match made in GAY heaven, AND this original retro-soul tune penned by Benko herself has been crafted into a MWAHVELOUS duet and a wonderful intro to the upcoming EP produced by Benko and cutie hubby, Jason Yeager, who collaborated with her on the song’s live debut last year at 54 Below.

 

 

Now let's talk about the song… The music is classic R&B, in a slow, bluesy, and steady ballad in the “I’m-so-alone-without-my-baby” style - a simple beat to which the arrangement and instruments add loads of color. There are nifty little look-ins from trumpet, sax, and trombone giving some terrific solo licks. No tinkling jingle bells for this number, this is the blues wailing about love and the need to be with “the one” for the holidays. For the lyrics, there is a touch of the gospel in this one, in a clever call out, as Benko snuck in a reference to the spiritual CHILDREN GO WHERE I SEND THEE. The poetry they share is in the words AND the notes. Julie says, “The song is about experiencing Christmas with my husband and collaborator Jason for the first time,” So, presumably, the pining blues of this song are meant to signify the years before these lovers were able to celebrate as a couple… poignant and touching, to say the least, since the story told makes this is a number about people who are separated at the holidays. They can’t be together, in fact, they’ve never been together for the holidays, an unavoidable circumstance that has left them separated and feeling oh-so-lonely for each other at Christmas. The duet performance casts Julie as the smooth foundation, with no ripples, just still waters that run deep. Mykal handles the decorations with his slight grace notes, glissandos, and short, economical runs up and down his range. She uses her whole voice, as well, with brief trips to her upper range, but mostly Benko belts her low notes solid and sustained, while he lands on his, giving them a shine with his high, high tenor. It’s an old-fashioned, almost 50s-style R&B slow dance number that, although blues on all levels, lifts the listener and gives cheer, regardless. The very last bar with their improv is super cute too.

In all, my lambkins, this is only the second song of the holidays for this rainbow reviewer and one of the first (probably ever) to come from such diverse foundations as a Jewish lady who loves the holidays and a BIPOC Queer man with real gospel in his voice making this one a real treasure. And to have two such fine actor/singer/songwriter/STORYTELLERS sing the blues about Christmas turned out to be a real pleasure. Who could’ve known? As such …

This one 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

Keep Up With Mykal Kilgore: HERE

Album Artwork By Sara Soncini

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