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A unicyclist who hails from Pittsburgh, Mark Burnell is that multi-faceted Renaissance man, and he certainly is a guy who knows his way around a keyboard. On Christmas Piano Burnell delivers a wonderful set of one dozen jazzy instrumental pieces for the holidays.

Burnell has a clean and creative approach to these well-loved tunes; the syncopated touches on Carol of the Bells were lively and quick, and his light treatment of Nuttin' for Christmas (a holiday tune that ranks very low on my personal list) made me smile. The recording quality is excellent--you definitely feel as though Burnell is performing in your living room. The song selection nicely ranges from the classical through ancient carols to modern mayhem (a sweet interpretation of Up on the Housetop complete with boogie woogie fluorishes). I was disappointed that the CD ended after only 36 minutes--I would have loved to hear much more.

Mark Burnell is a talented pianist with a charming command of these holiday tunes. His Christmas Piano is a delight. Apparently, Burnell also sings a blue streak; I hope to review his vocal interpretations of seasonal classics next year!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2007)

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From the liner notes:

Produced by Mark Burnell
Arrangements by Mark Burnell
Recording Engineer: Jared Saunders
Mastered by Sparrow Sound Design


From the Website:

Originally from Pittsburgh, Mark Burnell has been a part-time unicyclist his entire life, but since that doesn't pay the rent, he's also a full-time musician. He has played piano, sung, and trained vocalists in almost every musical style imaginable. He's performed at jazz festivals, nightclubs and cabaret rooms in Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., Paris, Amsterdam, Switzerland, Germany, and the Caribbean. Mark is comfortable recording and performing jazz, gospel, blues, and pop.

Mark Burnell

Christmas Piano

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Track List