“Thank you for making a Christmas album that avoids the trite, cute, “Christmas sounds” that are so very “worn.” (Bells to hell, etc.). This takes me back (in a good way) to production values we used to hear on 70s recordings by the likes of Joni Mitchell and Judy Collins - gawd, how lucky we were to live in that time period, when depth was a goal to be striven for and, for some artists, still trumped shock value.
Speaking of depth, it’s (happily) impossible for you to hide the fact that you actually know what you’re doing in the writing and delivery of a song. I have stopped listening to “pop” music altoghether, as it seems that you can hear and feel - with most of today’s “artists,” that their main goal is to be famous and successful. ("Well, I guess I’m not going to be a movie star - I know - I’ll do music!”) The suptle baroque and classical-inspired touches (keyboard, chord progression) in a couple of these tunes is so satisfying. Thanks also for not compressing everything to death!
Glad to hear that you’re in fine voice. Mature, but solid as hell and really expressive.
This’d be a great album to have on at a holiday gathering, IMHO. Feels/sounds like Christmas, but a welcome break from traditional Christmas music AND from the hackneyed, superficial cuteness that plagues “new” holiday songs.
Kudos for pulling off a genuine “album” project in these difficult times. Really, really nice.”
Rusty Russell, writer for the Grand Ole Opry and Guitar Player Magazine,
guitarist, photographer
