James Taylor released 'A Christmas Album' in 2004 as a special edition exclusive to the Hallmark store chain. The album was produced by Taylor himself along with Dave O'Donnell and contains a selection of traditional carols and classic Christmas songs.
The record includes versions of songs such as 'Winter Wonderland', 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas', and 'The Christmas Song', performed in Taylor's characteristic soft acoustic style. The recording took place in New York studios during 2004.
Although initially a limited edition for Hallmark, the album was well received by the artist's followers, leading Taylor to record a second Christmas album two years later, 'James Taylor at Christmas', with wider distribution.