Calm New Age tunes just seem suited to the season, especially if one listens alone on a quiet night by the light of a fire or Christmas tree. Granted, "quiet nights" are few and become fewer as we near the year's end, but that doesn't mean I won't make the attempt. No familiar Christmas tunes here unless you put the "What Child Is This" lyrics to the Greensleeves melody, yet they all just seem to fit. Perfectly conceived and executed, this release was successful enough to spawn numerous sequels and a series of concert tours.
Press of the time:
- Billboard: "A collection of seasonally oriented compositions including originals and traditional tunes."
- CashBox: "Should sell like antifreeze in St. Paul in February."
- Art Lange in DownBeat: "there's no denying the sheer beauty of the 10 pieces on this compilation."
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard Top 200: #77
- Billboard Jazz: #11
- CashBox: #106
- CashBox Jazz: #7
- R&R Jazz Radio National Airplay: #26
Tracks:
- Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - David Qualey (guitar) ✔
- Engravings II - Ira Stein (piano) & Russel Walder (oboe)
- New England Morning - William Ackerman (guitar)
- High Plains (Christmas On The High-Line) - Philip Aaberg (piano) ✔
- Nollaig - Bill Oskay (violin) & Mícheál Ó Domhnaill (guitar)
- Greensleeves - Liz Story (piano) ✔
- Bach Bourée (From The French Suite) - Darol Anger (violin) & Mike Marshall (mandolin)
- Northumbrian Lullaby - Malcolm Dalglish (hammered dulcimer)
- Petite Aubade - Shadowfax
- A Tale Of Two Cities - Mark Isham (keyboards, trumpet) ✔
Tracks 1, 6, and 7 are arrangements of tunes found in the public domain, the remaining tracks are original compositions
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None
Previously revisited for the blog:
Windham Hill releases
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