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Our Review

For those who love the intimacy and easy elegance of solo piano instrumentals for the holidays, Mark Sorrells' December Night is an excellent choice. Although there are tons of piano Christmas albums on the market, Sorrells' CD reflects both character and balance not often seen.

Let me explain. First, some piano instrumentals ramble without color or direction. Sorrells' playing, on the other hand, is richly layered and presents emotional intensity in every line. Sorrells never pounds the keyboard, but he does make a statement, one that had me hanging on every note.

Even better, December Night reflects incredible balance. The song selection is sweet, impressively ranging over 18 tracks from ancient carols to modern traditional numbers to contemporary gems. And the musical styles are quite diverse, although they never clash and blend quite seamlessly into one classy product. The tone might be brilliantly new age (December Night/What Child Is This?), playfully ragtime (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, gently pop (White Christmas, or sweet classical/jazz blends (Silent Night). It's all good.

Mark Sorrells has created the sort of album I like to wrap my arms around when the weather turns dark and cold as Christmas approaches. This is creative companionship at its finest. December Night should keep you and your family and friends well satisfied when the holidays roll around.

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2006)

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From the liner notes:

Produced, Arranged, Performed and Recorded by Mark Sorrells

Associate Producer, Mixing & Mastering Engineer: Adam Hatley

Mark Sorrells

December Night

Artist link

Track List