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I am not jazz-savvy enough always to articulately characterize what I am hearing. The best I can to is compare it to other things I've heard (and that I can remember having heard). Royce Campbell's guitar trio (Bob Bowen on bass, and Ron Free on drums) seems, as I've remarked before, of a vintage with Vince Guaraldi's. I don't find this flavor of jazz to be something I tend to listen to in my daily life, which tends to date me, too. At the same time, it is something I relish, having allowed myself to become acquainted with it over the years, during my annual Christmas listenings. Royce's trio have become a recurrent musical audition this time of year, and I like listening to them deconstruct these themes I have heard ten thousand times. Their improvisational delivery and obvious delight in their play conveys despite the idiom's inherent dryness.

Campbell made a good choice, about putting Silent Night in the middle instead of at the end. (Which might seem to be a small point, but I've listened to a few Christmas albums, and the number of those that ended with Silent Night is... a lot. Bravo, Royce Campbell!)

Other than that, it's jazz, something Campbell, Bowen, and Free do quite well together. A Jazz Guitar Christmas, Volume II will probably get more play during the season when family start showing up in numbers.

--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2008)

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From the liner notes:

Royce Campbell: Guiter

Bob Bowen: Bass

Ron Free: Drums

Recorded & Mixed by Bobby Read

Small World Audio Alton, VA

Recording Date July 22, 2008

Produced by: Royce Campbell

Cover Artwork: Jennifer Jacovitch

Royce Campbell

A Jazz Guitar Christmas,
Volume II

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Track List