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Joe Hesh's Christmas is a jazz/new age instrumental affair. Although he scores no points for creative album titles, Hesh does put together a super set of ancient carols, presented in a soothing, but not boring, setting. This generous (over 65 minutes!) offering will create the perfect backdrop for your holiday gathering, large or small.

Although the album contains over an hour of excellent music, it reflects only 15 tracks, which means that these relatively beefy pieces are given full attention, with an average length of more than four minutes. With less jumping around, the album seems more fluid, possessing better continuity. The longest track is the opening "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," which provides more than six minutes of classy, jazzy excellence. Apparently, Hesh is the only musician here, creating a lovely ensemble through computer-assisted magic. Still, this music feels largely real and intimate in a way that synthesized music often does not. His solo piano on "We Three Kings," for example, is intensely beautiful and reverent. In contrast, the funky techno-pop of "Three Ships" sails listeners in a different direction. Whatever stylistic approach is applied, the music remains tasteful and upbeat.

This is a wonderful album throughout. My favorites include "What Child Is This," which undergoes a cool evolution from gentle to jumpin' jazz, and the intricate and exquisite piano improvisations on "Hark the Herald Angels."

Christmas is coming, and Joe Hesh is guiding the sleigh. Climb aboard for a smooth, contemporary treat!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2005)

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From the liner notes:

To me the challenge of Christmas is always understanding my current spin on my past and wondering about my next step in expectations. It is sitting back to count all my blessings and wonder how a season can be so timeless and so constantly giving. The season mixes the joyful memories of childhood (I Saw Three Ships), the soulful remembrances of celebration (I Heard the Bells), the quiet reverence and meditation of God's gift to man (We Three Kings), and the fire of mystery that God's Son brought to a hungry world (What Child is This?). I hope that this mixture of emotions sits well with you whether you are trying to open your locker or your heart; whether you are trying to endure the pain of the season or finding just a few blessings to count. You are greatly loved in God's sight, and with that love comes more than joy of the season. Merry Christmas!
-- Joseph McLean Hesh

From the Web site:

Joe Hesh is currently on staff at Souderton's exciting Calvary Church, located due north of Philadelphia, and can be heard most Sundays there in a unique and progressive musical and artistic environment. He has been an Aspenbreeze Productions artist since 1987, and currently serves that organization as the vice-president of product development. As a music therapist and songwriter, Joe has written and adapted music in teaching and performance settings professionally for over 20 years. As an author with NavPress, he wrote the Crossroads Series for junior high small groups. His recordings in the last two years include Joe Hesh Christmas, and ONE PURPOSE, ONE MIND. He currently resides with his wife, Claudia, and daughter, Corrie in Perkasie (pronounced per-kuh-sea), PA.

AspenBreeze Productions, Inc. is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was originally started in 1987 to help produce music products generated by Jeff Nicholson, Greg Rockwell, and Joe Hesh in an effort to raise money for a youth group mission's trip to Africa. The group of 3 formed a techno-pop music group called Mission On Banjo Project (which later became Joe Hesh and the MOB) to continue creating alternative music for youth and young adults of various styles and personalities. Over the years, several albums were made based on themes ranging from parent-teen relationships to teen rebellion.

AspenBreeze develops original music compositions for background/incidental music for films and videos as well as being an outlet for qualified independent artists.

Joe Hesh

Christmas

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Track List