Philip Aaberg - Christmas
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
or at the links below. - By JohnBeaudin
