I just released a holiday album,
10 Shades of Christmas, that offers new interpretations (“compelling” is the words used in the press release) of some of the world’s favorite Christmas carols. I thought it would be fun to reinvent carols by experimenting with their musical structure, harmony and rhythm. I was inspired by Tori Amos’ inventive holiday album
Midwinter Graces, in which she intertwines traditional melodies with new material; by Vince Guaraldi’s classic
A Charlie Brown Christmas; and by my collaborative effort with Andre Akinyele back in 2005, Gemini Soul’s
A Cyber-Jazz Holiday. On that album, we gave a jazz twist to some standards, and the jazz influence is evident on
10 Shades of Christmas.
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The recent release of Christmas Moods for Piano marks my second effort to reinvent cherished carols. Reminiscent of Vince Guaraldi, Tori Amos, and George Winston, these distinctive arrangements provide the perfect backdrop for the holidays. The collection includes favorite tunes such as “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” “Carol of the Bells,” and “Joy to the World.” I arranged a sprightly medley of “Jingle Bells” with “We Three Kings.” I also wrote two original tunes, for a total of 12 tracks. Continue reading →
10 Shades of Christmas
Okay, you’ve heard all the typical Christmas collections — popular singers performing familiar carols, divas singing newly minted “contemporary” songs, tasteful arrangements of the same old same old — but you’re craving something unique, something that breathes new life into the tradition, something that stimulates both your need for nostalgia and your need for adventure. These five choices, spanning styles from jazz to alternative to folk to classical, deliver the goods.