Our Review
Repeat after me, five times, very fast: "Howard and Karen Pancoast play power piano!" Not so easy, eh? Tongue-twisters aside, Howard and Karen Pancoast DO play power piano, and it's the sort of intense, gut-busting piano that you might expect from "Ferrante and Teicher on steroids" (as the Pancoasts themselves put it). This is pop piano with a jazzy bent, and Christmas Sugar and Spice presents joyous piano playing by this married couple, who clearly love creating music together.
The Pancoasts, both piano teachers, have done their own arrangements on 15 holiday classics, some for solo piano and some for duets. For the most part, the style is clean and forceful, even on the more delicate numbers. As a result, the Pancoasts consistently send the message of high energy and rich enjoyment. This is no sleepy little piano album, that's for certain.
Christmas Sugar and Spice often presents a driving bass beat with rippling overtones. The styles are quite varied, from the boogie woogie Jingle Bells to the state Hallelujah Chorus and everything in between. I tended to favor the duo renditions and especially liked the Pancoasts' winning interpretation of Jolly Old St. Nicholas.
Howard and Karen Pancoast know the musical value of power piano and collaboration, and they generously share their holiday delight in Christmas Sugar and Spice. Sweet!
--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2006)
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From the liner notes:
Howard and Karen Pancoast: Power Piano
Howard and Karen have arranged fifteen of their favorite Christmas carols for solo or duo piano. They love improvise together on two pianos side by side. When one of them starts an idea, the other picks up on it and the result is magic. The styles range from power chords with a driving funky bass rhythm to delicate and lyrical melodies with crystalline clear notes.
Howard and Karen have been improvising on the piano their whole lives, but with each other for only 7 years. They live in Colorado where they continue to compose and teach piano.
Howard and Karen Pancoast
Christmas Sugar and Spice
Artist link
Label: Colorado Power Piano
Length: 53 minutes
Genre: Piano
Release: 2006
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| Fum, Fum, Fum! |
| Ding Dong Merrily on High Duo |
| We Three Kings of Orient Are |
| O Sanctissima |
| God Rest Ye Merry Gents Duo |
| O Holy Night Duo |
| Jingle Bells |
| O Come, O Come Immanuel |
| Pat-A-Pan |
| Ave Maria Duo |
| Joy to the World |
| Jolly Old St. Nicholas Duo |
| Hallelujah Chorus |
| I Saw Three Ships |
| We Wish You A Merry Christmas Duo |