Our Review
"ReCreated Christmas" is a true family affair, with Brian Blose doing the recording and producing, as well as the guitars, some bass, and a vocal; his daughters Jennifer and Alicia handle the musical arrangements and vocals (mostly Jennifer); and his son-in-law Cliff provides the drums and percussion. The family should be darn proud; "ReCreated Christmas" is a rockin' delight.
The musical selections here are traditional holiday standards, both ancient and new. It is probably a stretch to characterize the entire album as rock; after all, some tracks have the feel of folk ballads and a few carry a hint of country. Still, the opening ("Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree") and closing ("Joy to the World") convey that genuine rock 'n roll feeling in a big way.
Jennifer (Blose) Eckhart is the featured singer here, and she carries the load handsomely. Her voice is a powerful instrument, earthy but sweet. Her fine singing shines perhaps most effectively in numbers like "O Holy Night" (which includes some wonderful guitar riffs, too) and "Silent Night" (which has a country rock feel).
My favorite tracks on "ReCreated Christmas" include the very cool and exotic arrangement of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and the fantastic vocal exchanges on the dramatic "Mary Did You Know." Although the production values for this album are generally strong, the balance between vocals and instrumentation was uneven in spots; for example, the orchestration tended to overshadow Brian Blose's fine vocal lead-in on "Mary Did You Know." The a cappella opening to "Joy to the World" is terrific.
For those who are tired of the "same old, same old" when it comes to holiday music, "ReCreated Christmas" provides a rockin' diversion.
--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2004)
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From the liner notes:
Vocals: Jennifer (Blose) Eckhart, Alicia Blose, Brian K. Blose, Paul Galante
All guitars: Brian K. Blose
Drums and Percussion: Cliff Eckhart
Bass: Ron Gould, Brian K. Blose, Ed Bachman
Tambourine: Jennifer (Blose) Eckhart
Recorded and produced by: Brian K. Blose
Musical arrangements by Jennifer (Blose) Eckhart and Alicia Blose
Wishing You Peace and Joy This Holiday Season! May the re-creation of these musical arrangements bring fresh excitement in celebrating the birth of Christ!
Blose-Eckhart Project
ReCreated Christmas
Artist link
Label: B&K Audio
Length: rr minutes
Genre: Rock
Release: 2002
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree |
| God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen |
| O Holy Night |
| Mary Did You Know |
| Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas |
| Come Let Us Worship the King |
| Angels We Have Heard |
| Silent Night |
| What Child Is This |
| Joy to the World |