CMA Country Christmas Highlights: Not Too Countrified, But It Still Makes Very Merry

Okay, country fans, admit it: There is nothing fundamentally country about Christmas. So remember that when pop croonerTony Bennett, jazz stylist Diana Krall and dancing violinist (not fiddler)Lindsey Stirlingall turn up on the ninth annualCMA Country Christmasshow.

For that matter, you’ll have to curb your craving for anything remotely Hank-ish fromBrett Eldredge,Old Dominion,Dan + Shay,Martina McBrideand the majority of the other country artists who appear on this holiday special, which airs Monday night on ABC. Most of the vibe is a lush, ’60s pop sound, courtesy of a stellar onstage Big Band orchestra.

Indeed, about the only things plu-pure-perfect country in this show are hostReba McEntire(who could put a twang in “Madame Butterfly”) and the cowboy hats atopBrad PaisleyandDustin Lynch— though even McEntire changes the lyrics of “Hard Candy Christmas” from countrified “apple wine” to “cheap red wine.” (Oh dear … Don’t tell Dolly.)

Dustin Lynch.Kayla Schoen/CMA

But consider all this a quibble. Clearly the show’s powers-that-be were intent on creating a Christmas musical banquet to feed all tastes, and they’ve bountifully reached that goal. The two-hour special, taped in Nashville, features 14 acts and more than 20 songs that brim with holiday cheer.

Kayla Schoen/CMA

McBride gets two merry moments on stage with “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” and “Happy Holiday,” cuts from her new Christmas album,It’s the Holiday Season.

Martina McBride.Donn Jones/CMA

Brett Eldredge.Donn Jones/CMA

Dan + Shay take ownership of the stage with a soaring performance of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” demonstrating what has become abundantly clear:Shay Mooney‘s voice has joined the Great Pyramids and the Taj Mahal as a Wonder of the World. Thenewly Grammy-nominated duoearn one of the few standing ovations of the evening, as does the ageless and timeless Tony Bennett.

Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay.Kayla Schoen/CMA

A pop icon, Bennett actually comes with some country bona fides: He had a monster No. 1 pop hit back in 1951 with Hank Williams’ “Cold Cold Heart.” Now 92, Bennett joins Diana Krall for “Our Love Is Here to Stay.” An evergreen any month of the year, it’s one of 12 cuts ontheir recent Gershwin tribute album, which garnered two Grammy nominations last Friday.

Diana Krall and Tony Bennett.Donn Jones/CMA

Brad Paisley.Kayla Schoen/CMA

Matthew Ramsey and Brad Tursi of Old Dominion.Donn Jones/CMA

Michael W. Smith, Reba McEntire and Amy Grant.Kayla Schoen/CMA

Lindsey Stirling.Donn Jones/CMA

Brett Young.Kayla Schoen/CMA

With the exception ofBrett Young‘s performance, the entire show was recorded in a four-hour marathon at the Curb Event Center at Belmont University back in September, about six weeks earlier than previous years, so give the cast extra credit for conjuring the Christmas spirit in early fall. It airs at 8 p.m EST Monday on ABC.

source: people.com