Posted on: November 25, 2007 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

The holiday season got off to a ‘wonderful’ start today with the digital release of the two-song single by singer/songwriter Jolie Holland and soul icon Booker T. Jones. In the most heart-felt collaboration of the year, Holland and Jones met to record the classic Louis Armstrong track “It’s A Wonderful World,” in honor of the song’s 40th anniversary.

Called a “lovely song” by USA Today, the two tracks were made available for download today on iTunes and Amazon.com, and can be heard on the USAToday.com podcast at http://blogs.usatoday.com/popcandy/2007/11/podcast-the-lif.html.

Holland, considered “never less than charming” by Billboard magazine, has been growing in acclaim with each of her three lauded releases, and was recently played and praised by Bob Dylan on his XM Radio show “Theme Time Radio Hour.” While she is better known for her songs of heartbreak and turmoil, Holland’s uplifting performance of “It’s a Wonderful World,” was called a “joyful protest and precious gift” by Magnet magazine.

Jones, founder of the hugely popular Booker T and the MGs, felt Armstrong’s song to be as fitting now as it was 40 years ago, when it was written as a sort of salve to the racial and political turmoil taking place in the US in the 1960’s. “I’m hoping it’ll be a timely, refreshing uplift for music listeners,” says Jones. “I’m hoping it’s going to be something to pick people up and to reaffirm hope and beauty – to remind them that there is beauty in the world. We hear so much about what’s wrong and no one is really saying that the world is a beautiful place. It still is a beautiful wonderful place.”

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