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Our Review

Royce Campbell is an accomplished jazz guitarist, whose work we have featured here before. For jazz fans, his new CD A Solo Guitar Christmas will no doubt be a treat. Fortunately for people like me, who usually look at jazz the way my grandchildren look at spinach, this is no over-the-top, cool cat, jazzers only title. It can be grokked rather as an "oh, that sounds like jazz" experience. In other words, it is "cool" in the finest sense of the word.

The set itself appears to emanate entirely from the public domain, so it is definitely mid-December, candlelight dinner selection. The contemplative, coffeehouse mood is maintained throughout.

Jazz purists will want to dig out their berets and sharpen their goatees for this one.

--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2007)

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From the promotional materials:

World-class guitarist Royce Campbell has released his second Christmas CD A Solo Guitar Christmas on Moon Cycle Records. A follow up to Campbell's critically acclaimed CD A Jazz Guitar Christmas this CD features Campbell performing mellow, sensitive solo guitar arrangements of many of the all time Christmas classics. Royce Campbell has performed with many legendary performers in the music business including touring for 19 years with film composer Henry Mancini and has also performed with Marvin Gaye, Mel Torme, Rosemary Clooney, Quincy Jones, Sarah Vaughn, and numerous symphony orchestras.

From the liner notes:

Produced by: Royce Campbell
Recorded at Electric Arts Recording, Singers Glen, VA
March 11, 2007
Recording Engineer: Bart Reardon
Cover Artwork: Jennifer Jacovitch

Royce Campbell

A Solo Guitar Christmas

Artist link

Track List