Dec. 18, 2024 at 7:09 am

The Unfinished Symphony of Christmas: Bryan Andrew Wilson’s ‘Jingle Jams’ Brings Healing, Heart, and Holiday Cheer

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It’s not every day that a Christmas album comes with a story as rich, raw, and human as Bryan Andrew Wilson’s Jingle Jams. For the singer-songwriter, this project has been less of a holiday whim and more of a heartfelt chronicle—a pieced-together mosaic of music created in the quiet corners of a life filled with love, loss, and an indomitable spirit of resilience.

Bryan Andrew Wilson Releases New Album 'Jingle Jams'

“This is my incomplete Christmas album,” Bryan quips, a smile sneaking through the weight of his words. “It’s been in progress for years. I’d start a song, leave it, and come back to it years later.” Those “incompletions,” however, weren’t born from laziness or lack of creativity. They were the result of a life that demanded his presence elsewhere—far beyond the recording studio.

A Life of Service Behind the Microphone

Bryan Andrew Wilson’s life has been anything but ordinary. While others might pour their soul into just one vocation, Wilson wears many hats: pastor, educator, caregiver, and now, a master’s degree student. Yet, amid the rigors of life, it was tragedy that ultimately shaped the heartbeat of Jingle Jams.

“My mother, who set the standard for our family holidays, passed away from cancer. I took care of her those last few months,” Wilson recalls. “Then my former road manager died of COVID, and I handled her funeral. My spiritual mother, Duranice Pace, passed suddenly too.” As loss after loss mounted, Wilson admits, “I wasn’t always in a Christmas spirit.”

But from that grief, a determination arose—to finally finish what had been started, to offer a gift of music and healing not just to the world, but to himself.

A Holiday Soundtrack Like No Other

Jingle Jams is no cookie-cutter holiday album; it’s a curated experience that spans genres and moods, blending Wilson’s gospel roots with creative forays into jazz, blues, funk, and even Motown.

The album opens with “The Best Gift,” a silky, slow jam co-written with Darryl Pearson, whose production credits include industry titans like Missy Elliott and Mary J. Blige. This heartfelt opener sets the tone for a record that’s as intimate as it is celebratory. From the Chicago-style stepper’s anthem “Jingle Bell Swing” to the nostalgic glow of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles’ 1963 classic “Christmas Everyday,” Wilson proves he’s unafraid to reimagine the holiday playlist.

On the album’s second half, Jingle Jams transitions into a musical homecoming of sorts, firmly rooted in Wilson’s gospel heritage. “Greatest Gift of All” is a standout, with its stirring orchestration by Yoed Nir and heavenly backing from Roderick Giles & Grace, the choir that helped Wilson claim his Billboard No. 1 gospel hit, “Overflow.” The track feels less like a song and more like a reverent prayer wrapped in sound.

And just when you think you’ve settled into the soulful groove, Wilson takes listeners on a vibrant detour to New Orleans with “The Savior Has Come.” Featuring the Grammy®-winning Rebirth Brass Band, the track fuses Bourbon Street festivity with unshakable spiritual fervor. The bluesy “A Wonderful Child,” meanwhile, enlists gospel legend Dorothy Norwood and powerhouse Darrel Walls to meditate on Christ’s birth with raw, heart-wrenching depth.

Finally, the album closes with “He Brought Joy,” a funk-fueled homage to James Brown’s gospel beginnings, leaving listeners uplifted and ready to dance into the season.

More Than Music, It’s a Legacy

For Bryan Andrew Wilson, Jingle Jams is more than a collection of holiday songs; it’s a time capsule of his journey—one that began when, at just 10 years old, his soaring rendition of “His Eye is on the Sparrow” with the Mississippi Children’s Choir made him a household name in gospel music. Thirty years later, that voice remains just as arresting, with Wilson’s high notes and soulful runs still capable of evoking awe and reverence.

As Jingle Jams finds its home on streaming platforms, Wilson looks ahead. “I have five more songs I didn’t want to rush,” he teases. “We’ll finish those next year and reissue the album in 2025.”

For now, though, this “incomplete” Christmas album feels perfectly whole. It’s a testament to love, endurance, and the healing power of music—a gift to anyone who presses play.

A Christmas Spirit Rekindled

As the season unfolds, Bryan Andrew Wilson’s Jingle Jams invites us to embrace the imperfect beauty of life. It reminds us that joy and sorrow often walk hand in hand, and that even in the face of loss, there is always a song waiting to be sung.

Wilson’s story—and his music—are a gentle nudge to cherish what matters most this Christmas: family, faith, and the moments that make life sing.