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Great instrumental guitar music for the holidays depends on several important factors. First, the artist has to know his way around a guitar. Grammy-winning, International Fingerstyle Guitar Champion Doug Smith certainly brings the right credentials to the job, and his musicianship here is astounding. Second, song selection can make or break a release. Smith's A Guitar for Christmas presents 14 traditional carols, the classic ancient pieces that ring warm and true in the hands of a superbly talented guitarist like Smith. Even better, the music extends over nearly an hour (56 minutes!), making each track average a full four minutes in length. This brings me to my final--and perhaps most significant--element: the arrangements. Since we have all heard these traditional tunes a zillion times over our lifetimes, it is important that the artist bring something fresh and compelling to the holiday interpretations. Here, Smith uses the four-minute-per-track average to develop and unwind thoughtfully conceived and exquisitely executed arrangements of the seasonal selections we know and love.

Honestly, A Guitar for Christmas is outrageously good. From the opening bars of his first cut (Oh Come All Ye Faithful), I was hooked. Smith's incredibly rapid cascade of fingerstylin' beauty had me wondering whether he might have two or three Smith clones joining him on the album. The arrangement transitions from the richly layered tapestry to a more serene, minimalist presentation of the melody before building once more into a delicately-constructed and dramatic wall of acoustic sound. This sweet combination of the straightforwardly simple with the sensationally complex typifies the entire release. Smith has the heart to convey deep emotion in the more elementary passages and the artistic chops to sell the most sophisticated sections with deceptive ease. In fact, his rendition of Carol of the Bells brought tears to my eyes; the creative midsection had me holding my breath as the bars crescendoed, then receded once again into the fragile melody.

I must confess to a certain bias for acoustic guitar music for the holidays. The instrument's warm and organic voice just seems so naturally matched for the songs and sentiments of the season. Music like this provides the perfect backdrop for just about any holiday activity or function; your family and friends will enjoy basking in the glow of Smith's artistry.

Doug Smith's excellent A Guitar for Christmas is the gift that keeps on giving. If, like me, you relish holiday favorites in the cheerful context of brilliant fretwork and innovative arrangements, you will not find a guitar album better than this. Bravo!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2007)

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From the liner notes:

Credits:
Produced by Doug Smith
Exectuive Producer: James Jensen
Recorded by Jon Lindahl at Fresh Tracks Studio, Portland, Oregon
Mastered by Kevin Nettleingham at Nettleingham Audio, Vancouver, Washington

Song Notes: All song traditional, arranged by Doug Smith
The traditional melody of "Star of the County Down" is used in "What Child Is This"
Recorded on Goodall, Larrivee and McCollum guitars
THANKS to James Goodall (www.GoodallGuitars.com) for the wonderful guitars and also for the the photo of the gorgeous ebony peghead used on the cover.


From the Website:

Grammy Award Winning acoustic guitarist Doug Smith is the winner of the prestigious Winfield International Fingerstyle Competition in 2006, and Billboard Magazine writes, "Inviting melodies...stunning fingerpicking". Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine raves, "Smith's fretboard brilliance continues to dazzle".
His original music has been heard on radio and TV shows throughout the world, including True Hollywood Story and Martha Stewart Living , and his playing has been heard in movies such as "Twister" and "Moll Flanders" and the upcoming "August Rush".

Doug Smith is a nationally recognized acoustic guitarist who weaves together folk, classical, jazz and contemporary forms into a unique, flowing fingerpicking style recalling the playing of Chet Atkins, Leo Kottke, Michael Hedges, and Alex de Grassi.

Doug Smith's playing style has developed through many influences over the years. He began playing in the mid-60's when he was around 10 years old. His parents wanted him to take piano lessons (as had the rest of the family), but Doug had developed an interest in the Beatles and was drawn to the guitar instead, so he began guitar lessons from a local music store and continued these lessons for about a year.

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In 1998, Doug put out his hit CD on Solid Air Records (AMR) , " Alone at Last " which finally features Doug in an entirely solo acoustic setting. This album was co-produced by Lawrence Juber, fellow acoustic guitarist and former lead guitarist of Paul McCartney's band Wings. In 2001, Doug completed two CDs, both duo albums! The first is with fellow Acoustic Guitar Summit guitarist, Mark Hanson and is called " The Power of Two " and the second is another classical album with another Acoustic Guitar Summit guitarist and classical music composer, Paul Chasman called " For You ". His first two albums " Order of Magnitude " and " Labyrinth " were re-released in 2000! And most recently in December 2002, Doug's latest solo album (and first self-produced!), Alone Again has been released with a compilation album called, Doug Smith, The Collection. In February of 2005, Doug and the other fantastic guitarists from Solid Air Records, won a Grammy Award for "Best Acoustic Pop Album" for the album, " Henry Mancini - Pink Guitar ".

In September 2006, Doug won the prestigious International Fingerstyle Guitar competition in Winfield, Kansas. This is a tough competition playing with some of the best players in the world.

Doug's music has been heard on radio and T.V. stations throughout the country, including The Discovery Channel, Martha Stewart Living, CNN, TNN, ESPN, and Encore. He also played guitar on the soundtracks for the recent movies " Moll Flanders " and " Twister " .

Doug Smith is a well traveled performer, serving as the opening act for such musicians as Liz Story, David Lanz, Strunz & Farah, and Richard Elliot, as well as performing solo in various venues and festivals around the country. He's also an accomplished vocalist, including music from David Wilcox, Dan Fogelberg, Gordon Lightfoot and Richard Thompson.

Doug currently resides in Portland, OR, where he teaches guitar, writes and performs.

Doug Smith

A Guitar for Christmas

Artist link

Track List