Review and More

Our Review

Born in the late-night hours of Christmas Day 2005, Seasons: Christmas Carols provides over an hour of intensely-creative and well-executed instrumental music. Ron Korb and Donald Quan are two supremely talented fellows who blend their flutes and keyboards, respectively, into a most beautiful partnership. This is excellent ambient music of the loveliest new age/classical sort.

The piano and flute are perfectly matched; the combined voices are delicate, yet energized, and the overall feeling is uplifting, though relaxed. I was fully engaged throughout the album. The song selection is excellent. These pieces present many of my personal favorites, beginning with the cheery opener (I Saw Three Ships). Tracks such as Coventry Carol and The Huron Carol (more personal favorites!) carry a slightly mystical air, and the flute/piano interplay is wonderful to track. The Huron Carol also evidences a most appropriate--and very cool--Native American vibe, conveyed largely by flute.

Korb and Quan artfully improvise, providing colorful portraits of well-loved standards without losing the familiar essence of each. The closing The Night After Christmas is both elegant and mysterious; it's a fine capper to a grand listening experience.

To be honest, when I headed into this review, I was feeling tired and had an irritating headache; after just a few bars, I felt a sweet release. Looking for top-notch instrumental music to relieve your holiday stress? Put your faith in "Doctors" Kolb and Quan to chase away your anxiety with a healthy prescription of Seasons. No adverse side effects!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2006)

More

From the liner notes:

Donald Quan: Keyboards
Ron Korb: Flutes
Brian Nevin: Engineer
Carolyn Quan: Package Design

This album came about in a very special way. Donald asked me if I had any ideas for a small project to test his new protools studio. Since it was December I suggested we make a Christmas album and record it on Christmas day. We both agreed it would be a great way to capture the spirit of the season. We had Christmas dinner with Donald's family including visiting relatives. Also in attendance was his sister Carolyn who would be destined to design the artwork for this release.

It was a very cold winter in Toronto that year which certainly reflected our collective childhood memories of growing up in Canada during the Christmas season. At 8pm we drove to the studio where Brian was setting up. Our friend Rick Lazar happened to be there and joiked that we were too late to make a Christmas CD. I retorted that we were actually 364 days early.

We played through the songs capturing the first impulse for each tune. The studio worked remarkably well, and except for a few first time technical challenges with the gear, we were able to finish the recording an hour hour or two past midnight. It was really a joy to render these lovely tunes in such a simple way with just flute and piano. We hope you find the spirit of Christmas within these tracks.

--Ron Korb

Ron Korb and Donald Quan

Seasons: Christmas Carols

Artist link

Track List