Tag Archives: Winter Holiday music

Matt Wilson’s Christmas Tree-O’s Tree Jazz: The Shape of Christmas to Come

The “mischievous Midwestern boy from Knoxville, Illinois” really shines through on Tree Jazz: The Shape of Christmas to Come, drummer Matt Wilson’s second recorded outing with his winter holiday trio Christmas Tree-O. I mean, who else would mash up the … Continue reading

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Christine Lavin and the Mistletones’ The Runaway Christmas Tree

Kim Bates wrote this review. This is a refreshing change from those horrid holiday songs that blare out at folks in every public place here in North America, and a great choice for a family holiday soundtrack. The music is … Continue reading

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The Unthanks’ In Winter

It’s hard to believe The Unthanks haven’t released a winter holidays album until now, but it was worth the wait. It’s apparently been on their to-do list for at least 15 years, which would explain the amazing track list on … Continue reading

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Gjermund Larsen Trio’s Christmas Sessions, and Berit Opheim’s Helgasong

If you’re looking for some winter holiday music that almost totally avoids the familiar and yet is still recognizable as yuletide music, here are two that fit the bill, one by a longstanding Norwegian folk trio, the other by a … Continue reading

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Napfonat’s Égből, Fényből

Napfonat is an energetic and enigmatic female a cappella band from Hungary whose debut album, Szól a világ released by Hangvető in May 2021, was shortlisted for the 2022 Fonogram-Award among the five Best Folk and World Music Albums of … Continue reading

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Lado’s Preveliku Radost Navišćujem Vama (Christmas Songs and Carols of Dalmatia)

This album combines one type of music that I love, Balkan folk, with one type of music I’m not so crazy about, Christmas carols. The Balkan folk music wins this battle of the genres. Lado, the Folk Dance Ensemble of … Continue reading

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Steeleye Span’s Winter

Folk rock and Christmas always seem to go well together. There is a long line of successful seasonal albums incorporating singers and musicians from that field. There have been three from different guises of the Albion Band, two from St … Continue reading

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Cass Meurig’s Crwth

Until this CD showed up in the post, I had no idea that a crwth even existed. Even the members of the Welsh folk punk band, Ymyl Danheddog (Serrated Edge), had no idea what it was, though one of them … Continue reading

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Johnny Coppin’s Keep the Flame, and Laurie Lee & Johnny Coppin’s Edge of Day

That time of year is once again approaching, the time when all singers and groups feel themselves obliged to contribute to the celebrations by releasing seasonal songs and carols. Johnny Coppin (ex-Decameron) made his contribution in 2004, a seven-track-CD suitably … Continue reading

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John Harbison’s Six String Christmas

Naomi de Bruyn wrote this review. The best word I can think of for this CD is “quaint.” It is nothing more than a single acoustic guitar, and seventeen Christmas carols being expertly played, with rather original additions included in … Continue reading

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