Merry Christmas Lawrence

Between 1957 and 1968, Ray Conniff had 28 albums in the American Top 40. He started out at Columbia Records as their home arranger, backing artists such as Rosemary Clooney, Johnny Mathis, and Johnnie Ray, with his orchestra and was eventually offered the chance to do his own record. We Wish You a Merry Christmas is packed with traditional holiday tunes that Conniff and his (25) Singers wove into a series of medleys. This album has a retro studio sound, which, upon listening, may conjure up images of Lawrence Welk singers strolling the stage, dressed in matching holiday garb. Sometimes melodramatic ("Ring Christmas Bells"), other times, bright and exuberant ("Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!"), it's good, clean fun for the whole family and a solid addition to any Christmas catalog.

Not that there is an abundance of progressive rock-tinged acoustic guitar trios among the ranks, but this aggregation stands tall among its peers as the guitarists' inventiveness surges forward with this altogether warmhearted reckoning of Christmas carols and other pleasantries. The guitarists' nimble yet at times forceful approach is wholly evident during their highly rhythmic spin on "Jingle Bells." They perform the classic "Greensleeves" with a sensitive, chamber-like approach while also tackling the Lennon/Ono favorite "Happy X-Mas (War Is Over)." However, part of the magic resides within the trio's ability to delve into the inherent frameworks of each song, while also reformulating themes and rhythms into personalized statements. Essentially, the artists have produced a rather poignant Christmas outing, awash with interweaving lines and lilting harmonies, as they complement their superior artisanship and forward-thinking deployments with a cheerfully rendered collection of holiday favorites.

Experience holidays like never before, as pianist, composer & producer Chloe Flower puts her spin on classic carols, festive favorites & contemporary holiday hits with the stunning new holiday album Chloe Hearts Christmas. As the first classical instrumentalist to perform solo at the annual Disney Holiday Special and Magical Christmas Day Parade, Chloe now achieves a life-long dream of releasing a Christmas album. - The album features Chloe's unique interpretations of Holiday favorites from V of BTS, Ariana Grande, Sia, Joni Mitchell, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Faith Hill, and more with drummer, record producer, DJ, filmmaker Questlove as a guest artist on many of the tracks. Chloe Hearts Christmas will be available on CD November 17th, just in time to set the stage for your Holiday magic.