Bo and Luke Duke are back. Well, John Schneider and Tom Wopat are back together. Both men have enjoyed success as singers since their hit TV show The Dukes of Hazzard. Schneider has had hit country songs. Wopat has performed in Broadway musicals, to much acclaim.
The pair have sung together in concert before, but now they are releasing a project together. It is a Christmas album called Home for Christmas.
“I think this is a fresh take on the Christmas album,” Tom Wopat said in a statement. “Jazz fans and serious musicians will appreciate what we’ve done with theses tunes. Our arranger John Oddo has a true affinity for that classic 50s and 60s sound. He really nails it. [Jazz pianist and arranger] Tedd Firth is a major talent and a creative voice. And, of course, I love singing with John Schneider. The timbre of our voices match, the harmonies blend so easily. Plus, he’s a barrel of laughs.”
John Schneider said, “Tom and I really bring out the best in each other. We may not sound alike when we talk, but when we sing sometimes you can’t tell us apart. In the studio, I put him first and he puts me first. If that’s not friendship, I don’t know what is.”
The album is not just a collection of Christmas tunes. There are short spoken pieces between some songs that feature the pair’s humor. Think of it like a Tenacious D album, but with jazz arrangements and the humor of the Dukes of Hazzard.
The album is in stores and online October 28. The duo will put on a concert at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater on December 2 at 9:30 PM.
Here is the track listing for Home for Christmas:
1. Merry Christmas (:17)
2. “Christmas Time is Here” (3:14)
3. “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” (3:05)
4. “Cool Yule” (3:21)
5. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” (3:34)
6. “Even the Snow (Falls for You)” (3:13)
7. Love (0:13)
8. “Sleigh Ride” (3:56)
9. “Christmas Waltz” (3:23)
10. “Johnny, It’s Cold Outside” (3:23)
11. “The Secret of Christmas” (3:08)
12. Coal (0:05)
13. “Blue Xmas” (2:53)
14. “Holiday Season” (2:48)
15. Ponch & John (0:13)
16. “On a Quiet Christmas Morn” (2:55)
17. “Silver Bells” (2:48)
18. Egg Nog (0:11)