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Greg Vail is the sax man, and Christmas: The Hymns is one of two excellent holiday CDs featuring his instrument of choice. The other CD, Is It Christmas Yet?, is also reviewed on this site. Both albums are jazzy pop instrumental gems that will help make your season bright.

Christmas: The Hymns is perhaps the more serious of the two, containing ten ancient carols that are well familiar. The disc has keyboard icon Rob Mullins (see him at www.planetmullins.com) providing serious support, amping up the album's stellar jazz credentials.

The opening is somewhat unusual, but very well executed. "Deck the Halls" proceeds with the fanfare of a Broadway musical, combining the country hoedown sensibilities of "Oklahoma!" with sophisticated jazz smoothness--COOL! In stark contrast, the next track ("What Child Is This/Away in the Manger") opens with the calmest, most reverent approach one could imagine. The CD reflects contrast like these, from funkadelic ("God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen") to adult contemporary pop ("Joy to the World") to new age sweetness ("Silent Night") to electro-synth hip-hop excitement ("We Three Kings"). The variety is impressive and attractive, keeping the listener on her toes. Most importantly, the musicianship is top-notch; the sax is consistently solid throughout, and Mullins' keyboards are a noteworthy addition. I particularly enjoyed Mullins' piano on tunes like "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" and "O Come All Ye Faithful." Vail's flute on that final cut ("O Come All Ye Faithful") is also outstanding.

Christmas: The Hymns is a very nice choice for those who favor smooth, but not too smooth, adult contemporary music. Thank you, Greg Vail, for creating an outstanding, multi-purpose, jazz instrumental offering for the holidays.

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2005)

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From the liner notes:

Greg Vail: soprano & alto saxes, flute & alto flute
Featuring keyboardist Rob Mullins: piano, keyboards, and all programming
Benjamin Vail: alto sax on "We Three Kings"

Executive Producer: Greg Vail
Produced by Rob Mullins & Greg Vail
Arranged by Rob Mullins & Greg Vail

Rob Mullins: When Greg came to me in October 2000 and asked me about being involved in making a new CD with him, I was quite excited. It had been over a year since he and I did "Joyful Noyz," which was released under my name, and I've always enjoyed Greg's enthusiasm musically and otherwise.

On this particular project, he wanted to do some updated versions of his favorite Christmas songs because it was something he felt passionate about. I have long awaited an opportunity like this because of my own experience growing up in the Church and my memories of how important these songs are in a person's life and personal growth over the years.

From the Web site:

Saxophone.. speaks the language of love. RE: Smooth Jazz Saxophone Player, Sax Player Greg Vail - Jazz Sax, Smooth Jazz Artist.

Greg's first CD on his own label (Greg Vail Music) was "Christmas The Hymns". In contrast to the new Christmas CD, Christmas The Hymns is all Traditional Christmas Carol favorites, performed in a Pop, or Smooth Jazz style. Like most of the Pop Records today, Christmas The Hymns employed extensive computer sequencing and lots of Keyboards performed by Jazz Giant, Rob Mullins. The finished product is very polished and beautiful, Instrumental Pop, and features Flute, Alto Flute, Soprano Sax and Alto Sax.

Greg Vail

Christmas: The Hymns

Artist link

Track List