Reviewed by Matthew Cordle

From the outset the tone of this CD is meditative and conjures up an image of late-night introspection around an open fire. There is a wonderful breathing space in Kevin's playing, with none of the over-complication that so often characterises Christmas music, neither the excess of "virtuoso" playing that can sometimes dominate guitarists' music. The arrangements are musically creative and the recording quality is excellent - you can almost imagine Kevin is right there sitting between your speakers as the notes hang like droplets in the stillness. There is a curious shift in the stereo field about two thirds of the way through "Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming" which I'm not sure should be there and "Auld Lang Syne" seems a little out of place to my mind. But other than that there are no weak points at all here. "Away In A Manger" seamlessly combines two of the traditional tunes, the arrangement of "Good King Wenceslas" is beautifully interesting, "What Child Is This?" is Greensleeves with a delicate dash of Spanish flair. Unless you really dislike the acoustic guitar I would thoroughly recommend this CD as a reflective reminder of the Christmas story.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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