The
Music Of Christmas
I
once played a Christmas song on the air in the middle of June! It was 1986, and
I was going through a terrible divorce; I'd lost my will to live and was consumed
with pain. On that summer's day, I reached for something I knew would make me
feel better in spite of the season. It was Mannheim Steamroller's Silent Night,
and within ten seconds the phone lit up like a Christmas tree. The first call
was from an elderly English lady who just wanted to know where to buy it; the
second from a man who offered its history as a folk song from Austria. I answered
calls for over an hour and not a soul mentioned one negative word! It was not
that they wanted Christmas in June; they wanted joy maybe, a little hope and,
of course, that feeling of love we get in December sometimes in spite of ourselves.
Christmas
makes universal love palatable for most of us. Each December we share joy like
we wish we could the rest of the year. I broke the rules that day and realized
that I wasn't hopelessly alone. Christmas gives us a second chance. A clean slate
and holiday music just accentuates the whole experience. When we hear it, like
a spell our hearts open and we feel hope again.
As
a radio programmer for Smooth Jazz and New Age in the eighties and nineties, I
always started listening to new Christmas music in late October. Interestingly
each year I would really look forward to it like a kid counting the minutes on
Christmas Eve. Still today I listen for the songs that make me feel like Silent
Night did sixteen years ago. We have all heard these songs over and over but certain
versions touch us inside; they wake us up! Let me share with you my list of albums
that may just jiggle you inside. These CDs are not just about Christmas, but the
spirit that makes the holidays so important. - John
Beaudin
Mannheim
Steamroller
- Christmas (1984) American Gramaphone
Mannheim
Steamroller - Fresh Aire Christmas (1988)
American Gramaphone
If
you want that melt your heart spiritual version of Silent Night mentioned above,
it's on their first Holiday album 'Christmas' from 1984 - many consider this CD
the best of the bunch. I think Fresh Aire Christmas from 1988 is just as good.
It may not have Silent Night but versions of Still Still Still and The Holly and
The Ivy will send you to the same place.
Philip
Aaberg - Christmas (2000) Sweetgrass Music
In
the 80's and 90's my favorite part of the Windham Hill Winter Solstice recordings
was the Philip Aaberg touch - that pure melodic inspiration. His thoughtful reflective
music of the west specifically the Montana landscape has an understated delicacy
which has always helped me gain insight on the big picture. Thought primarily
as a New Age pianist it seems unfair to move him into any particular genre considering
his country leanings, touches of Blues and Classical. Aaberg also spent his early
years touring with Peter Gabriel, Elvin Bishop and John Hiatt plus stints with
Boston Pops Orchestra. Christmas released on his own Sweetgrass label sound just
like a Winter Solstice album only it's far superior by the very fact that it's
all Philip Aaberg - there's no filler. The warm detailed 'I Saw Three Ships' opens
the album and from the first few seconds the listener understands that this is
no cookie-cutter cover - Aaberg almost extends the feeling, the journey of the
song. 'Shepherds Rocking Carol' enters softly like a winter's snowflake - kind
and memorable. 'Earth Abides' a quite ode to mother earth sounds like it was handpicked
for his 1985 treasure High Plains on Windham Hill. Its slow contemplative melody
doesn't bring me to Christmas but it does give me an appreciation - a certain
clarity on what the seasons about. 'The Gift' originally recorded for A Winter
Solstice Volume two is one of my favorite solo piano songs of all time and this
new version is slowed down just a little. Its subtlety is well appreciated. Aaberg
adds simple, sentimental nuances to 'Away in a Manger' again slowing down the
pace. The warm introspective 'Charity' again brings the listener to a quiet inspiring
space. Christmas is treated with delicate dedicated hand on this album. A wonderful
groundbreaking CD for the holidays. Available at www.philipaaberg.com/pages/philipaaberg.htm
Ottmar
Liebert
- Poets and Angels (1990) Higher Octave
This is flamenco Christmas
music. As Emeril says "let kick it up a notch" - Liebert does! Poets
and Angels is your morning cup of coffee Christmas album. It's lively, positive
and has more energy than Ron Popeil on Viagra. Deck the Halls never sounded so
alive! I never get sick of this album.
Read
our interview with Ottmar Liebert
Liz
Story - The Gift (1994) Windham Hill / BMG
This is a very grounding CD for me. If stress gets to you at Christmas, use this
one to relax. I've always loved the rhythm and certainty in Story's piano playing
- tranquilizing and reassuring. The gift combines well known favs like Greensleeves
and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas with lesser known classics like Pange
Lingua.
Cusco
- A Choral Christmas (1995) Higher Octave
This is where New Age and Classical meet. A great production featuring the Munich
Opera Choir giving it that midnight mass feel. The synth work on Lo, How a Rose
is mysterious and infectious. Christ the Lord is Born today always brings me back
to that almost overwhelming feeling of wonderment Christmas brought me as a child
- it's angelic feel of importance and joy hits the spot. Play this at any holiday
gathering and your guaranteed many inquires.
The Sound Of Blackness
- The Night Before Christmas (1992) Polygram
Ever wish you were in a black gospel choir at midnight mass? This CD will get
you in that zone - expect goosebumps. Led by Gary Hines this forty person choir
and ten piece orchestra create a larger than life experience - a bit urban soul
and a lot gospel! Formed in Minneapolis in 1969 the band used to open for The
Jackson Five and Hampton Hayes. Their breakthrough came in 1989 when producers
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis brought Janet Jackson to one of their shows - she was
blown away. Jam and Lewis produce this one which may explain its commercial appeal.
Highlights include Soul Holidays capturing that perfect wall of sound through
voice and spirit and It's Christmas Time combining an almost Janet Jackson background
vocal with a moving inspiring melody. This is one of the best CDs in my collection.
88
88
Various Artists - Narada
Christmas Collection Volumes 1 (1988) Narada / Virgin
Various Artists - Narada
Christmas Collection Volumes 2 (1992) Narada / Virgin
Various Artists - Narada
Christmas Collection Volumes 1 (1995) Narada / Virgin
I can never decide which one of these I like more. All three
feature the artists that put this label on the map - David Lanz, David Arkenstone,
and Michael Jones. No new age Christmas collection should be without these.
George
Winston
- December (1982) Windham Hill / BMG
Some say George is as good as it gets in New Age Piano.
He is certainly plugged into something good upstairs on this album. Like Liz Story
Winston's playing is steady and peaceful and his interpretations show an artist
who put everything he had into this project. Winston has a reputation of painstakingly
working and reworking whatever covers he tackles - he is a perfectionist and it
shows on tracks like Carol of the Bells and Joy a take on J.S. Bach's Jesu Joy
Of Man's Desiring. Read
our interview with George Winston
88
88
88
88
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Various Artist - Winter
Solstice Volume 1 (1986) Windham Hill / BMG
Various Artist - Winter Solstice
Volume 2 (1988) Windham Hill / BMG
Various Artist - Winter Solstice Volume
3 (1990) Windham Hill / BMG
Various Artist - Winter Solstice Volume 4 (1993)
Windham Hill / BMG
Various Artist - Winter Solstice Volume 5 (1995) Windham
Hill / BMG
Various Artist - Winter Solstice Volume 6 (1997) Windham Hill /
BMG
It's all good - any one of these will touch you where it counts featuring Will
Ackerman the carpenter/guitarist who started the label in the seventies and other
heavyweights like Michael Hedges, Philip Aaberg and Michael Manring.
Vince Guaraldi - A Charlie
Brown Christmas (1965) Fantasy
We all know it - we grew up with it. Guaraldi once said he wanted to write standards,
not just hits. One listen to Linus and Lucy and you'll know his wish came true.
Chris
Botti
- December (2002) Columbia / Sony
In spite of the fact that I'm surrounded by Smooth Jazz day in and out I don't
find a lot of albums in the genre that move me quite the same way New Age does
in the Christmas category. There are exceptions Dave Koz is in a great space on
his December Makes Me Feel This Way CD and Chris Botti follows suit on this very
intimate quiet collection. December at times feels like a slow Jazz/New Age CD.
It doesn't jump out at you and that's a good thing. The album opens with Billy
Childs on Fender Rhodes and that unforgettable distinctive Chris Botti trumpet.
If Mel Torme was around to tip his hat I'm sure he would. The string arrangement
on The First Noel brings one back to tradition arrangements and the mood again
a delicious crawl. Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah is breathtaking - the production
is simple just Botti's trumpet accompanied with guitar and bass. Jimmy Haslip
of Yellowjackets fame adds a salsa bassline to Santa Clause Is Coming To Town
and the breezy Winter Wonderland is guaranteed to de-stress anyone hooked on chaos
this holiday season. Botti appropriately recruited Vinnie Colaiuta one of the
best drummers in the universe on Little Drummer Boy - its feel is a bit traditional
yet very fresh and alive. Botti also sings albeit quietly on two tracks the Richard
Marx/ Cynthia Rhodes penned Perfect Day and on one of my favourite Christmas Classics
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. This is the best Smooth Jazz Christmas
out there - you gotta get it!
A
Windham Hill Christmas - Various Artists
(2002) Windham Hill/BMG
This
could be called a Winter Solstice 7 - the feel is very similar with the exception
of the obvious Christmas songs where the Solstice collection was more seasonal.
Interestingly Windham Hill has been slowing down the pace the last few years -
remember when they went Smooth Jazz signing the Rippingtons and Michael Franks?
Well you won't find a lot of that genre on the label these days. It seems Windham
Hill has gone back to its roots of clean acoustic music and this Christmas collection
is a step in the right direction. Guitarist Steve Erquiaga treads softly on 'Angels
We Have Heard on High' - its quiet yet has a wonderful light sense of motion.
Jim Brickman adds a solo piano version of 'O Holy Night' and Tim Story creates
his usual tranquil heavenly mood with 'It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.' W.G. Snuffy
Walden who gave us the great soundtrack for the Thirtysomething television show
as well as The Wonder years and more recently the West Wing and Providence contributes
an airy moody 'The First Noel.' It's fortunate that the label just happens to
have a Vince Guaraldi expert on board with George Winston and Guaraldi at Christmas
can only mean Charlie Brown! Winston who's Guaraldi tribute album was a huge success
a few years ago adds 'Christmas Is Coming' an up tempo soundtrack for anything
fun this holiday season. Winston isn't the only guest from the golden Windham
Hill days of the eighties expect multi-instrumentalist Barbara Higbie with a classically
tinged 'In Dulci Jubilo' and Alex de Grassi on the peaceful 'Christ the Apple
Tree.' Other mainstays include Liz Story, Paul McCandless, Nightnoise and the
labels founder guitarist Will Ackerman. Dawn Atkinson who produced some of the
biggest selling Windham Hill albums is back at the helm on this great collection.
A Windham Hill Christmas does everything the Solstice albums did celebrating the
season with feel good tunes with an understated relaxing comfort. - John
Beaudin
Narada Presents
The Best Of Celtic Christmas - Various Artists (2002)
Narada - Virgin
I
once heard Celtic music described as an extroverts harmony for life. Sure an oversimplification
but I think we all know what the chap meant. Thanks to Enya, Loreena McKennitt,
Connie Dover and a host of others the masses are reminded that Celtic runs on
many speeds and inspirations. This two CD set covers much musical ground and like
any good Christmas albums reminds us why the classics never get old. Part one
opens with Cathie Ryan who the Irish American News named female vocalist of the
decade Joyously singing 'It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.' You may remember her
as the lead vocalist for Cherish the Ladies - she has been a solo act for the
last six years. Former country diva Kathy Mattea showed with her Narada debut
'Roses' that she longed for more inspiring terrain - her heavenly version of the
traditional Christ Child's Lullabye features Dougie MacLean on guitar and backup
vocals. One of the albums highlights include Anonymous 4 an early-music vocal
ensemble formed in New York in 1986 with a goal to sing medieval chants. Their
stirring angelic take of 'Nowel: Owt Of Your Slepe Aryse' unearths an amazing
depths of emotion. The early 15th century carol about Christ's birth is comforting
and blankets the album with that 'bigger than us' feel. Cape Breton fiddle great
Natalie MacMaster adds another highlight with 'Get Me Through December' featuring
Alison Krauss on lead vocals. Originally from her 'In My Hands' album this haunting
addition is a little pop, a touch country and of course inspired with Celtic spirit.
Frankie Gaven's energetically reaching 'Ding Dong Merrily on High' and Maddy Prior's
'I Saw Three Ships' gives the album some rhythmic energy. Guitarist El McMeen's
offer's a delicate 'Away In a Manger' much in the classic Windham Hill way. Aoife
Ni Fhearraigh who Clannad's Maire Brennan refers as "the finest young singer
that has come to my attention in quite some time" contributes a mesmerizing
medieval hymn 'Seacht Suailci na Maighdine' very much in the Enya vein. Disc two
is reserved for the Galway based quartet Dordan and is much more traditional in
sound and spirit - loved their delicate take on Silent Night. The Celtic genre
when translated right has an emotional sophistication and delicacy that rivals
anything on the market. This two CD holiday offering is extremely worthy of many
Christmas listening sessions. -
John Beaudin
