Christmas '24

The next installment in my Christmas series! This time we have eleven songs (with two bonus tracks) of improvisations I made during, and for, the Advent and Christmas seasons. There's no editing, just me sitting down and letting the music come out. Enjoy the Spirit of the Season!

CLIPS

SONGS SYNOPSIS:

1. A VOICE CRIES OUT (5:45): Drawing from the prophesies of Isaiah 40, this song by Michael Joncas is alternatively mellifluous and passionate. It's one of my favorite songs.
2. LET THE KING OF GLORY COME (5:58): Another Michael Joncas song! This one is much more fiery and excited: let the triumphant King of Glory come!
3. THE KING SHALL COME WHEN MORNING DAWNS (2:03): Fast paced and expectant theme and variations on an old carol. I used to test myself on how fast I could run through a verse: ~15 secs at best.
4. SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN (4:01): Drawing a bit more from the jazzy side, but with a dose of upbeat cheer. Imagine walking down a snowy street in a small town, December 20. That's how it should feel.
5. (WALKING IN A) WINTER WONDERLAND (5:06): Lighter than the last song, but still on that mental image. There's a bit more emphasis on the snowy delicate feel in the first half.
6. SILVER BELLS (4:26): Very smooth, sweet and more flowing. You've just finished that walk in the snow.
7. WHAT CHILD IS THIS / CHILD OF THE POOR (5:21): This song is a one-person duet between these two songs, with my right hand playing both melodies atop each other. Desolate, but underneath is that constant Christmas vein.
8. A CHRISTMAS OUTCAST (4:17): OK, so this is a bit of a joke track. It's an arrangement of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer into a minor key, with a more folksy feel.
9. ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH (4:33): One of those mandatory classic Christmas songs. I tried to make the drawn-out "Gloria" in the refrain as lyrical as possible.
10. HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING (3:37): I drew my interpretation of this song from the rendition in "A Charlie Brown Christmas:" a simple melody first, then richer development.
11. ANGELS, FROM THE REALMS OF GLORY (3:17): A very nice, less-well-known carol. First comes cleaner sound, and then the grandeur of the Realms of Glory builds up.

BONUS TRACKS

12. ENDLESS BALLAD (18:01) This song is one long improvisation on Oasis's Wonderwall and Green Day's Boulevard of Broken Dreams. At release time, it was the longest nonstop improvisation I had ever played (at the time!). Whatever style I could dream up, it was there!
13. O HOLY NIGHT (6:23): With an emphasis on the outer ends of the piano, a quieter, lyrical piece that closes the album well.