In the shimmering world of theatre and song, few names carry the weight of experience quite like James A. Rocco. A veteran of the stage and a former "Vocalist of the Decade" for Broadway Minneapolis, James has spent half a century perfecting his craft. However, his latest release, the three-track EP ‘Holidays with Mom’, isn't just another professional milestone; it is a profoundly personal love letter to family, tradition, and the enduring power of memory.
At 92 years old, James’ mother remains the North Star of this project. The EP was born from a desire to encapsulate the warmth of their shared history. As James explains: “My mom is 91 and I wanted to do something special for her. When I was a child she told me 'The Christmas Song' was her favourite holiday song, and I have never forgotten that. I introduced her to the sounds of a rock and roll holiday with Darlene Love's classic, 'Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home).' This year she fell in love with Sondheim's 'I Remember' and that's how this EP came to be.”
While the tracklist, featuring ‘I Remember’, ‘The Christmas Song’, and ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’, feels like a cozy living room sing-along, the production is a masterclass in modern global connection. The standout single, ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’, is a “legacy recording” that bridged vast distances. Recorded entirely remotely, the track features Russian guitarist Steve Kittens (beaming in from Bali) and layers tracked in New York, Minnesota, and Seattle.
This ambitious collaboration serves as a full-circle moment for James, who began his journey as a teenager at the iconic Gold Star Studios—the very birthplace of the original Wall of Sound.
“Fifty years in, I still feel like that kid at Gold Star, chasing the magic of music,” James says. “Christmas, Baby Please Come Home is my way of saying thank you to everyone who has shared this journey with me — and to invite new listeners to celebrate the season together.”
Between his duties co-directing ‘White Christmas’ at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre and his national ‘Holiday Songbook’ tour, James has delivered a collection that balances Broadway sophistication with raw, infectious enthusiasm. It is a respite from a chaotic world, proving that whether in a theatre or a family kitchen, music remains our greatest shared language.
You can listen to the new EP above, and for more from James, join him on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
