Michael Barden

Glory to the Newborn King

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Expressive, meditative piano arrangements of classic Christmas carols.

tracks

: 1 Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
: 2 O Come, All Ye Faithful
: 3 Away in a Manger
: 4 The First Noel
: 5 What Child is This?
: 6 O Come, O Come Emannuel
: 7 We Three Kings
: 8 I Wonder As I Wander
: 9 Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming
: 10 Silent Night
: 11 Joy to the World!
: 12 I'll Be Home For Christmas (jazz improv)

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By Location

USA: Wisconsin

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notes

From www.christmasreviews.com:

"a catchy, can't-quite-put-your-finger-on-it style...uniquely appealing. His energetic arrangements...share the positivism of many new age recordings, and the CD, taken as a whole, plays out as thoughtful but optimistic...He is able to make his production work, primarily because the carols hang together so well (almost as it were a really, really long medley of popular carols)...If you enjoy listening to contemporary piano stylists, you will enjoy Michael Barden's Glory to the Newborn King."

From Kathy Parsons at www.solopianopublications.com:

"Barden has a big, full sound, but this album isn't about showmanship. It is the sound of an accomplished musician who is passionate about his material. The arrangements are quite original and different, so this is a very nice album if you want to hear a new (but not overly radical) take on some old favorites...All [of the tracks] are very well-done and enjoyable."

These reviews can be read in their entirety below...

Michael Barden is a pianist from central Wisconsin, who also presently serves as a Pastor of Worship at his church in Waupaca, WI (www.fccwaupaca.org); he also performs regularly with local jazz ensembles, including the River Cities Jazz big band (www.rivercitiesjazz.com).

"Glory to the Newborn King" is essentially a re-release of Michael's 1994 cassette of the same name. It is a collection of solo piano arrangements of eleven classic Christmas carols. The overall mood of this CD is introspective and relaxing; it's a good one if you're ever trying to just sit back and "wind down" during the chaotic rush of the holiday season.

For the original cassette recording, all the songs were performed on a Yamaha Disklavier, which is a modern-day "player piano" that can record, store, & replay piano performances using a computer interface. So in 1994, the songs were played, recorded, and released as the original "Glory to the Newborn King" cassette. A year or two later, those original performances were edited to clean up some mistakes; then, in summer 2002, they were re-recorded, using a Disklavier piano at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The recordings were then brought into Michael's studio, where the sound was produced for a bigger, clearer sound quality, and where the song order was also adjusted for a better flow, thus creating this 2002 CD release.

The final track on the CD comes from a live jazz trio performance at a hotel in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, on December 2001. The trio consisted of Michael on piano, Simon Weller on saxophone, and Larry Shneider on bass. Simon's friend, Paul Garber, happened to bring out some new recording equipment that evening to try out. The result of this impromptu recording session is a bonus track: "I'll Be Home For Christmas."

Mike's other two recordings, "REST" and "Groovy Church Tunes", are also available on CD Baby.

reviews

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author: Kathy Parsons
"Glory to the Newborn King" is a collection of eleven solo piano arrangements and one jazz ensemble improvisation of various Christmas carols. Michael Barden's influences are varied, and range from classical to rock to jazz and new age. The first eleven tracks were originally released on cassette in 1994. In 2002, they were edited and re-recorded, and the songs were put into a different order. The last track came from a live performance of a jazz trio in 12/01. Barden has a big, full sound, but this album isn't about showmanship. It is the sound of an accomplished musician who is passionate about his material. The arrangements are quite original and different, so this is a very nice album if you want to hear a new (but not overly radical) take on some old favorites. My favorite track is a jazzy "We Three Kings," a song that works well in many different musical settings and styles. This one seems mostly improvised, letting the melody slip in and out. "Silent Night" has some unusual harmonies and lots of open space to suggest just how still that night was. Both gentle and reverent, this is a very effective arrangement of the world's most-recorded song. "Joy to the World" is big and celebratory, with lots of interesting chord progressions and a strong, almost march-like rhythm. "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" is upbeat and rhythmic, and starts the collection on a joyful note. The ensemble piece is "I'll Be Home For Christmas" with piano, bass, and sax. Other titles include "O Come, All Ye Faithful," "Away In a Manger," and "O Come O Come, Emmanuel." All are very well-done and enjoyable. "Glory to the Newborn King" is available from www.cdbaby.com. - Kathy Parsons Solo Piano Publications
author: Spirit Guide
I spent more time than usual thinking about how to characterize Michael Barden's style of play (it's my job), and concluded that his style is somewhat genre-defying. Because the final cut, I'll Be Home for Christmas is a live improvisational jazz performance with Simon Weller (saxophone) and Larry Schneider (bass), one might surmise that Mr. Barden plays jazz piano. However, the remainder of the CD features contemporary "pop" piano arrangements, but played with the percussive weight, the tempo, and the energy of a barrelhouse bluesman. The result is a catchy, can't-quite-put-your-finger-on-it style which sounds more individualized than eclectic. (In other words, I don't know what Michael Barden's musical influences are, but his style is uniquely appealing.) At any rate, his energetic arrangements won't be mistakenly called "new age". However, they share the positivism of many new age recordings, and the CD, taken as a whole, plays out as thoughtful but optimistic. The first eleven selections are sacred carols, with Mr. Barden's only tip o' the hat to contemporary secularism that final jazz number. But he is able to make his production work, primarily because the carols hang together so well (almost as it were a really, really long medley of popular carols). If you enjoy listening to contemporary piano stylists, you will enjoy Michael Barden's Glory to the Newborn King.