I love Christmas.
If you know me, that’s not a new statement. I’ve been that way my whole life. At least as long as I can remember. And for me, the best part of Christmas has always been the music. I remember listening to Perry Como, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, and more, over and over. I remember when my dad bought the Time-Life Treasury of Christmas music on LP and playing them all year round. My Christmas playlists on Spotify are days long, not just hours. I love Christmas music.
There’s something about Christmas music that makes us happy. I think it’s all the happy memories that get tied to these songs year after year. Those memories just build up, one on top of the other, year after year until we’ve got a file cabinet full of memories attached to each song. Eating Christmas dinner, opening presents, playing games with friends and family, sitting around the fire, each of these moments have been framed with Christmas music. And when we listen to them, these cascading memories all get lit up inside us.
One of our other favorite things about Christmas is the movies we watch. “It’s A Wonderful Life.” “Elf.” National Lampoon’s “Christmas Vacation.” (Anybody want a subscription to the jelly of the month club?) “Home Alone.” Just to name a few.
One of the complaints a lot of people have about Christmas music is that it’s the same 20 songs over and over in different ways. And, they’re not wrong.
So, when I was picking the songs to record for my second Christmas album (I released “When The Snow Falls” in 2012), I wanted to pick at least a few songs that you might not hear on every other Christmas album. You’ll find peaceful versions of “Christmas Vacation”, the main title from “Elf”, “Somewhere In My Memory” from “Home Alone”, and a very nostalgic medley from “It’s A Wonderful Life” (Yes, “Buffalo Gals Won’t you Come Out Tonight” is in it.)
If you listened to my 2012 album but haven’t listened to anything I’ve done recently, this album is all piano. No singing. No busy instrumentations. Just peaceful piano music. Music you can enjoy while you’re sharing a meal, opening presents, or just to have on at your desk while you work.
Don’t be surprised if you find yourself going off to “distant places” while you listen. Music has a way of taking us there. And if you do, let me know. That’s exactly what I’m hoping for.
This album will be available on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, YouTube and basically, everywhere you buy or stream music on Monday, November 21, 2021. A single of the Main Title from Elf will release a few days earlier on November 17th to whet your appetite.
Merry Christmas!
