The Sounding Joy
© Copyright-Matthew Cook
(634479145391)
Record Label: Arianna
No items available in your wishlist
I am an artist from Northern California. I create environments for people to enjoy. Surrounded by the beauty of our Ancient Redwood Forests, steeped in the stillness and awe-inspiring power of nature, my art speaks of a sense of peace and well-being amid the struggles of being human
The Sounding Joy is a collection of Christmas favorites, from sacred to secular, that was created as a cassette for a Christmas Celebration at the Eureka Inn in Eureka, California in 1992. I hear so often from people who still have, play, and cherish the original cassette in their homes, classrooms and other workplaces that I wanted to add something more to the CD release. I recorded 5 bonus tracks for The Sounding Joy in August of 2004.
---------
Recorded at Humboldt Cultural Center,
Eureka, CA October 18, 1992. Bonus Tracks Recorded at Laughing Coyote Studios, August 2004
---------
This album of solo piano Christmas music was Matthew Cook's first completed recording. From the standard carols such as Joy To The World, Silent Night, and O Little Town Of Bethlehem to the more secular Santa Baby and Winter Wonderland, this collection rings in the spirit of the season.
Combining New Age, Jazz and Popular influences, Cook has created a great addition to any collection of Christmas music that continues to be cherished by many year after year.
Read more...
Please
log in to review the album.
Sounds of Joy!
author: Merry Mary
This beautiful cd does a great job of setting the mood for the Christmas season. It includes pop and sacred music, all beautifully played. Highly recommended.
Read more...
Easy-going Christmas Piano Music...
author: Kathy Parsons
“The Sounding Joy” is a very comprehensive solo piano collection of Christmas music presented in a straightforward and accessible style that includes jazz, folk, and new age elements. The collection includes sacred and secular songs as well as some standard pop Christmas classics. Matthew Cook’s playing style is easy-going and yet sophisticated, unpretentious yet impressive. Most of this CD was released on cassette in 1992. It was remastered in 2004 and five new songs were added, bringing the selection up to twenty-three tracks. Highlights include a poignant arrangement of the “chestnut,” “The Christmas Song;” an expansive and heartfelt “O Holy Night;” an elegantly flowing “What Child Is This? “ a sweet, bluesy rendition of “Santa Baby” that is sure to bring a smile; a country-feeling “Blue Christmas;” a light-hearted arrangement of “Christmas Island” (a rare holiday song I’ve never heard before!); a graceful “The Christmas Waltz;” and a heartfelt “White Christmas.” A lot of Christmas CDs focus on the sacred or spiritual side of the holiday season and others emphasize the secular side. This one does both, and provides a warm, easy-to-listen-to compilation that will be wonderful while decorating the tree, opening gifts, enjoying a holiday meal, or just kicking back after a long day of running errands.
Read more...