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Our Review

Contemporary pianist Jason Farnham's Christmas is an exciting, well-executed instrumental album that features Farnham's piano, but includes other instrumentation and a synth/programming element reminiscent of Mannheim Steamroller. There are quite a few piano offerings for the holidays; this one is more intensely modern than most.

Farnham's arrangements are special. Old friends like Angels We Have Heard on High sparkle with new life. For me, the album's final third absolutely wails! Farnham produces some inspired cross-genre hybrids, beginning with Calyps-O Christmas Tree, a syncopated crowd-pleaser that melds jazz, classical, and calypso into a deliciously spicy stew. His creativity similarly explodes on the outstanding We Wish You a Merry Christmas Charlie Brown Style, which boasts a hot bass line and great improvisational piano chops. We Three Kings Tango will have you dancing all over the room, and I Got the Jingle Bells Blues is guaranteed to put a grin on your face. I also particularly enjoyed the deep-throated bass on God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen; Farnham's piano/keyboard gently floats over the top when it picks up the melody line.

Farnham adds a few originals to the mix. Of the three, my favorite is Christmas in L.A., which pushes a cool urban percussion foundation, topped with a high-flying, sweetly joyous piano/keyboard. His closing "bonus track" (Love Around the World) is an interesting multi-cultural, multi-lingual melange with vocals that urge the universal message of global peace.

Fans of Mannheim Steamroller and rich piano instrumentals with an electronic kick will find much to love here. Jason Farnham is a first-class entertainer, and his Christmas is a spirited gift for the holiday season. Enjoy!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2009)

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From the liner notes:

Every year I plan to record a Christmas album, but every year, Christmas season comes and goes, and it never happens. But this year, I started recording in April, and here it is! I have selected a variety of Christmas songs that I feel truly represent the season--some are more traditional in style, and some are completely new arrangements of old familiar melodies. So grab a cup of hot cocoa, keep the fire going, and feel free to hum along. Enjoy wherever you are!
--jason, merry christmas 2009

Produced, Recorded, and Mixed by Jason Farnham at B.G.S., Los Angeles, CA
Musicians:
Jason Farnham: piano, keyboards, harpsichord, organ, programming, arrangements, vocals on "love around the world"
Nadda Rhee Alperson: strings, bass, flute
Pho Trum Pett: jingle bells trumpet solo
M.T. Kitt: drums and percussion loops
Ike and Zink Learly: voices
Fay Korne: horns


From the artist's Website:

Jason Farnham of Los Angeles, CA is truly THE "International Entertainer of Contemporary Piano Music". From the baby grand at Deepak Chopra's retreat in San Diego to the Cultural Center for the Arts in Canton, Ohio, Jason's spectacular show "An Evening of Contemporary Piano" delights audiences around the world, again and again. Whether it's his ability to connect with the audience on a personal level, the way he creates a variety of emotions through his soul-soothing compositions, or the inclusion of occasional guest artists such as Seattle-based master percussionist Ian Dobson or Japanese jazz virtuoso guitarist Yosho Doi, Jason's true gift of captivating the audience and taking them along on his picturesque musical journey is unmatched by any other.

Jason Farnham

Christmas

Artist link

Track List