With lockdowns and tense elections and bad news everywhere, we thought it'd be a good

year to bring you some Christmas cheer early.

Most of us won't be traveling far from home for the holidays, but luckily one of Broadway's

most compelling stars is here with a new album to transport us to a place where all is

Mary and Bray.

That's Leslie Odom Jr. with Snow, a song from his new release, The Christmas Abum.

This is actually Leslie's second Christmas album, plus he's released several vocal jazz

albums over the last few years.

But he's best known for his Grammy and Tony award-winning performance as Aaron Burr and

Hamilton.

Leslie spoke to Bruce Hadlam about his career on stage and in music, but his all-time

favorite Christmas Abum, which is a touchstone of 90s R&B.

He also talks about how playing a founding father as a black man was an exercise and

empathy.

And he shares the lesson he learned thanks to the incomparable talents of Nat King Cole

and Sammy Davis Jr.

This is Broken Record, Liner Notes for the Digital Age.

I'm Justin Richmond.

Here's Bruce Hadlam with Leslie Odom Jr.

So you're in a strange point in your career because you've had a long career.

People might know you from rent, people might know you from television, but people really

got to know you as Aaron Burr in Hamilton.

...