Prog4you.com - Progressive Rock Review - California Guitar Trio

:: Review ::

For those of you who are independent musicians publishing your own CD's, you probably know that it's not a good idea to send your new material off to the replicating plants between early August and about mid-November. They are all busy producing Christmas albums from everyone under the sun, and your expected delivery date goes from about two weeks, to about six during this time. Christmas albums are, traditionally, some of the biggest selling items for many musical groups.

The California Guitar Trio is no exception to this tradition. I was recently given a copy of "A Christmas Album" to review. This album contains ten tracks, most of them quite familiar to all of us. The lineup for this release is Hideyo Moriya, Paul Richards and Bert Lams, all superbly excellent guitarists and they do a wonderful job of reproducing some of our favorite Christmas tracks on this recording, with
songs like "Carol of the Bells", "Oh Christmas Tree", "Greensleeves", "Jingle Bells" and a rendition of the well know John Lennon/Yoko Ono song "Happy Xmas (War is Over)". Oh, and who could forget "Silent Night"?

This album, to my ears, is lushly produced and recorded, capturing some very nice acoustic work by all three players. There are some additional things like saxophone on "Jesus, Joy of Man's Desiring" originally by J.S. Bach), played by Bill Jannsen and Roger Lambson. Saxophone can also be found on the "Jingle Bells" track, played by Henry Miller. I can't quite say I've ever heard Sax in "Jingle Bells" before, but it works well in this arrangement. Very interesting.

I have to admit, that it is somewhat hard writing a review on an album that is, for all intents and purposes, a compilation album and one containing songs I've heard a million times in my life. This is not original stuff. However, it is handled quite well by expert musicians and, as mentioned above, lushly produced. Plus, you don't often hear many of these songs presented from a guitarist's point of view.

For what it is, I would give it 10 keyboards out of 10.
Well Worthy of your Christmas Music Collection.
Rating: 10/10
Reviewed By: Rowen Poole

Visit the artist website: California Guitar Trio

:: DISCOGRAPHY ::

The Bridge Between - 1993 - as Robert Fripp String Quartet
Yamanashi Blues - 1993
Invitation - 1995
Pathways - 1998
An Opening Act: Live On Tour With King Crimson - 1999
Rocks The West - 2000
Monday Night In San Francisco - 2000
Robert Fripp String Quartet - Live In Japan - 1992 (video)
Live At The Key Club - 2001
CG3+2 - 2002
A Christmas Album - 2002

You can purchase this CD from
California Guitar Trio