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Our Review

Christmas in Australia? The fabulously talented Catherine Mundy and Jay Turner take you there in Bonzer Aussie Christmas, a rollicking funfest with a distinctive Aussie theme. The Mundy-Turner duo are acoustic folk stars loaded with troubadour virtuosity and good humor. A great combination in every sense!

In addition to being a great musical experience, Bonzer Aussie Christmas provides cultural expansion for the unitiated (like me). The fascinating slang and unfamiliar terms here kept me guessing. Thank god for the Internet, which provides impressive answers to a whole host of questions. "Bonzer," for example, is apparently a lively term of approval. And "Gunumeleng" refers to the pre-monsoon season of hot weather. You get the idea--listening to Bonzer Aussie Christmas can be a revelatory adventure!

Mundy-Turner are creative songwriters, and they feature five new holiday originals, as well as nicely "refreshed" versions of three others. In order to completely appreciate the comedy inherent in many numbers, having the lyrics is crucial (especially for those of us not fully familiar with Aussie terms/slang). Mundy-Turner are most accommodating in that respect; their liner notes booklet extensively details what's what throughout, including cool graphics and full lyrics. These excellent artists provide comedic jabs at adolescent Christmas dreams (Wayne Wants a Surfboard for Christmas) and seasonal rituals (Deck the Sheds). Pieces such as these are high fun and intelligently-written.

Bonzer Aussie Christmas is much more than laughs and games, and that's a good thing. Novelty comedy albums can become tiring very quickly, and this album has much more balance than that. The duo also write numbers packed with serious meaning without being trite or overwrought. The plight of the homeless comes through in Christmas Road, and Peace Is All We Need needs no explanation.

As for musicianship, this duo rocks. Their seamless harmonies on Angels We Have Heard on High are exquisite. Their playful interchanges on the comedy numbers are well-executed and fun. The pair's heartfelt renditions on the more serious pieces reflect depth, texture, and warm emotion.

Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! Mundy-Turner's Bonzer Aussie Christmas is super-BONZER, mate!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2006)

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From the liner notes:

Catherine Mundy: vocals, violin, piano, percussion, synths
Jay Turner: vocals, acoustic guitars, harmonica, percussion

Gerry Conway: drum-kit, congas, percussion
Fred Baker: fretless & fretted bass guitars
Felicia Dale: hurdy-gurdy on "We Wish You"
unityvoices & Jacey Bedford: backing vocals on "Peace" & "Aussie 12 Days"

Engineering, mixing & mastering: Brian Bedford
Parkhead Studios, Birdsedge, Huddersfiled, UK, June-September 2004
Front & Back Cover Photography: Suzon Fuks
Cover design, additional photography: Mundy-Turner & Barbara Mundy

Catherine Mundy and Jay Turner

Bonzer Aussie Christmas

Artist link

Track List