Bill Perry's A Christmas Carol breaks new ground in the well-familiar territory of instrumental holiday albums done on acoustic guitar. And it's not just that Perry is a phenomenal guitarist with lighting-fast fingers and a creative core that would melt Vesuvius. No sirreee! And its not just that Perry has contributed 5 of the 11 cuts. The real innovation here it the title track--"A Christmas Carol," which actually has 5 subparts inspired by Charles Dickens'famous short story.
I absoultely love almost everything about this album. The arrangements are are astounding--intelligent, complex, sensitive, and right on the money. Really spectacular! For example, Perry's treatment of "Little Drummer Boy" is innovative and impressive. He performs a "drum beat" on the guitar's body, and he uses stylistic changes throughout
the song to heighten the drama and effect. Perry's approach to "Carol of the Bells' is equally amazing--how many fingers does this guy have on each hand anyway?
Perry's original numbers are also a revelation--so well developed and familiar in voice and tone, like "old favorites" right from the start. Of these, I particularly liked the sprightly and upbeat "Josylvia Winter." As for
the "Christmas Carol," it's a great concept that is well executed here; I can almost visualize the story as Perry moves through the various subparts("The 1st of the Three Spirits," etc.)
Bill Perry is an outstanding guitarist, and A Christmas Carol is a brightly shining star in the universe of holiday offerings this season. Reach for the stars!
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