Review and More

Our Review

Last season I had the pleasure of reviewing Doug Smith's superb A Guitar for Christmas, a 2007 release that showcased Smith's acoustic guitar artistry. Now comes Christmas Guitar, a 2000 offering that overflows with simple pleasures.

On a surprisingly cold September morning in Minnesota, Smith is a mighty fine companion. He is technically excellent without sounding clinical; his guitar strings warmly articulate classic Christmas and winter pieces that embrace me with mellow enthusiasm. The most sophisticated passages sound absolutely effortless in Smith's capable hands. The sounds are fully familiar and flawless, making me sit back and sweetly reminisce about Christmases of long ago. The artist dedicated the album to memories of "wonderful Christmastimes" with his father; mine passed away not so long ago, and Christmas Guitar is the ideal vehicle for taking that nostalgic trip. From Star of Bethlehem to Jingle Bells, the album shines. I particularly loved Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring and Good King Wenceslas, both stately and folksy all at once, as well as the unexpectedly complex and multi-layered Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer.

For those who enjoy acoustic guitar instrumentals when the holidays roll around, Doug Smith's outstanding releases should occupy a well-loved spot in their Christmas music collection. Make Smith your companion every December; his music will never outstay its welcome.

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2008)

More

From the liner notes:

"This CD is dedicated to the memory of all of the wonderful Christmastimes spent with my Dad."

Special thanks to Marty Henderson.
Produced by James Jensen.
Recorded by Laurence Juber at SIGN OF THE SCORPION STUDIOS, Studio City, CA.
Mastered by John Archer at ACOUSTIC ARTS.
Guitars used were Goodall, McCollum, and Collings.


From the Website:

An album of beautiful arrangements of classic Christmas and winter carols and songs. All solo guitar, Doug turns his arranging skills on Holiday favorites with Christmas Guitar. A playful blend of classical "Jesu Joy" by Bach and traditional "Deck the Halls"intertwined with a frolicking version of "Winter Wonderland" and followed by a very "danceable" version of "Christmas in Killarney" and a very clever "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". All this makes for a collection destined to be a Holiday classic.
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

Christmas Guitar

Artist link

Track List