There are holiday records that sparkle for a season, and then there are those rare releases that feel like heirlooms, passed gently from one generation to the next. Holidays with Mom by James A. Rocco belongs firmly in the second category. Originally released on Nov 22, 2023, this intimate three track EP has taken on renewed life with the arrival of the music video for Christmas Baby Please Come Home on Dec 10, 2025. Together, they form a deeply personal chapter in Rocco’s long and storied career, one rooted not in spectacle, but in love, memory, and gratitude.
James A. Rocco is known to many as a commanding presence on stage, a performer whose voice has filled Broadway houses, concert halls, and cabaret rooms for decades. Named Broadway Minneapolis Vocalist of the Decade, his résumé reads like a living archive of American musical theatre and pop history. Yet Holidays with Mom strips away grandeur in favor of something quietly profound. This is not a career statement meant to impress. It is a family offering, created for his mother and shared with the world almost as an afterthought, which is precisely why it resonates so deeply.
At the heart of the EP is its origin story. Rocco’s mother, now in her nineties, has been a guiding force in his musical life since childhood. The songs chosen for this collection are not random seasonal favorites, but emotional landmarks tied to shared moments and conversations across decades. The result is a record that feels less like a holiday product and more like a handwritten letter set to music.
The opening track I Remember immediately establishes the reflective tone of the EP. Drawn from the world of musical theatre, the song carries the weight of time passing and memories layering upon one another. In Rocco’s hands, it becomes a meditation on aging and love, delivered with restraint and warmth. His vocal performance is deeply controlled, allowing emotion to rise naturally rather than being pushed forward. It feels like listening to someone recall their life out loud, with pauses that matter as much as the notes themselves.
The Christmas Song follows as a tender centerpiece. This track carries special significance, having been his mother’s favorite since Rocco’s childhood. Rather than reimagining it with modern flourishes, he leans into its timelessness. The arrangement is lush yet intimate, evoking the feeling of a living room filled with soft light and familiar faces. Rocco sings not as a performer reaching an audience, but as a son honoring a memory. That distinction changes everything.
The EP closes with Christmas Baby Please Come Home, the most exuberant and outward facing track of the collection. Known as a rock and roll holiday classic, it takes on new dimension here through an international collaboration with guitarist Steve Kittens. Recorded remotely across continents, the track carries an unspoken message about music transcending borders, distance, and even generations. Despite its energy, it remains emotionally connected to the EP’s central theme of togetherness.
The release of the official music video for Christmas Baby Please Come Home in December 2025 adds another layer to this project’s evolving story. Rather than presenting a polished performance piece, the video reflects the spirit of the song itself. It captures the joy, movement, and warmth of connection, reinforcing the idea that this music is meant to be shared, not observed from a distance. The video arrives two years after the EP’s initial release, but feels perfectly timed, as if waiting for the right emotional moment to return.
What makes Holidays with Mom especially compelling is the context in which it was created. Rocco recorded these tracks while co directing and choreographing Irving Berlin’s White Christmas at the historic Fifth Avenue Theatre in Seattle. Balancing a major theatrical production with such a personal recording project speaks to his extraordinary range as an artist. It also underscores the sincerity of this EP. Even while surrounded by large scale production, his creative focus returned to the smallest and most meaningful details.
Throughout the EP, the musicianship is impeccable without ever becoming showy. An all star cast of players supports Rocco’s voice with sensitivity and care, allowing the songs to breathe. Every arrangement feels intentional, designed to serve the emotional narrative rather than overshadow it. The production invites listeners in, offering comfort at a time when the world often feels overwhelming.
Holidays with Mom succeeds because it understands the true power of holiday music. It is not about perfection or novelty. It is about presence. These songs feel like an invitation to slow down, to sit with family, and to remember why these traditions matter in the first place. For pop fans, theatre lovers, and anyone longing for a moment of calm, this EP offers a rare sense of peace.
In revisiting this release through the lens of the new music video, it becomes clear that Holidays with Mom is not bound to a single season or year. It is a living project, one that grows richer as time passes. James A. Rocco has spent a lifetime commanding stages and captivating audiences, but here he offers something far more enduring. He offers proof that the most powerful performances often happen at home, surrounded by love, memory, and music that means something.
