Martina McBride has an album of classic Christmas songs, a tour and a cookbook in the works. The country music star has been hard at work in the studio and kitchen and now she's ready to hand the fruits of her labor over to fans.
McBride's new record, It's The Holiday Season, will be released on October 19 to get everyone in the mood for early Christmas shopping. The new 9-song record will serve as a perfect companion piece to her multi-platinum 1998 album White Christmas.
"It's been exactly 20 years since I released White Christmas. With that album I wanted to make it classic and something that would stand the test of time, which I feel like it has done," McBride said in a statement. "I wanted to accomplish the same thing with It's The Holiday Season, but with a different feel. So I decided to make most of the album with a big-band swing vibe that takes you back to the Sinatra, Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald records."
Since McBride recorded her new Christmas album with a 38 piece band, she was concerned that the powerful emotions the band evoked would be lost if she didn't have a large ensemble on tour. As a solution, McBride has decided to work with a local orchestra during each of her stops on the 2018 incarnation of "The Joy of Christmas Tour."
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In addition to bringing us the excitement of Christmastime, McBride is also letting us in on how she works her magic in the kitchen. Her second cookbook, Martina's Kitchen Mix: My Recipe Playlist for Real Life, will be released after the new record on October 30th.
The nearly 300-page follow up to her 2014 cookbook, Around The Table, promises to provide a combination of healthy and splurge-worthy meals. "When I find a delicious recipe I can't wait to share it, just like when I find a great song", McBride stated. "So I'm excited to share what I am cooking right now in my own kitchen for my family and friends. These are some of my very favorite recipes I've created since the last book, as well as some family recipes that have been handed down to me."
Martina McBride's 2018 The Joy Of Christmas Tour Dates:
No. 23 — Biloxi, Miss. — Beau Rivage
Nov. 24 - Jacksonville, Fla. — Florida Theatre
Nov. 25 - Charlotte, N.C. — Ovens Auditorium
Nov. 29 - Nashville, Tenn. — Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Nov. 30 - Nashville, Tenn. — Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Dec. 1 - Nashville, Tenn. — Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Dec. 4 - Atlanta, Ga. — Atlanta Symphony Hall
Dec. 6 - Kansas City, Mo. — Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland
Dec. 7 - Dallas, Texas — Majestic Theatre
Dec. 8 - Sugar Land, Texas — Smart Financial Centre
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