MY CHRISTMAS GUITAR is a contemporary approach to some popular Christmas favorites, with an obvious emphasis on guitar as the featured instrument. Electric and acoustic, finger-style and slide; the guitar playing styles vary, but the BLUES influence is evident. The works are all adaptations and arrangements of Christmas carols and songs from the Public Domain. The album begins with an electric blues slide guitar instrumental version of John Wesley Work Jr’s GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN, along with upright bass and drums accompaniment. And once again the album concludes with a vocal arrangement of this same song. While WHAT CHILD IS THIS and AULD LANG SYNE are given a more traditional acoustic finger-style approach, and CHRISTMAS GUITAR MEDLEY maintains a ragtime blues acoustic finger style (somewhat similar to Big Bill Broozy), we hear more electric slide blues guitar (and even some vocal) in SILENT NIGHT. OH CHRISTMAS TREE is what might happen when you combine open tuned electric blues guitar with classical piano. It might be the captured result of Ry Cooder and Wolfgang Mozart casually drinking a few friendly beers and jamming in the studio, while unknown to them the engineer had pressed “record”. OH HOLY NIGHT (previously released by Jeff as a single for Christmas 2013) and THE FIRST NOEL have a different, but still bluesy electric feel due to Jeff’s use of a Fender Stratocaster, bringing to mind some of the ballad laden riffs of Jimi Hendrix and Mark Knopfler. Orchestral accompaniment adds a colorful backdrop to both of these tracks while the Stratocaster overlays it’s prominent brush strokes.

MY CHRISTMAS GUITAR is a contemporary approach to some popular Christmas favorites, with an obvious emphasis on guitar as the featured instrument. Electric and acoustic, finger-style and slide; the guitar playing styles vary, but the BLUES influence is evident. The works are all adaptations and arrangements of Christmas carols and songs from the Public Domain. The album begins with an electric blues slide guitar instrumental version of John Wesley Work Jr’s GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN, along with upright bass and drums accompaniment. And once again the album concludes with a vocal arrangement of this same song. While WHAT CHILD IS THIS and AULD LANG SYNE are given a more traditional acoustic finger-style approach, and CHRISTMAS GUITAR MEDLEY maintains a ragtime blues acoustic finger style (somewhat similar to Big Bill Broozy), we hear more electric slide blues guitar (and even some vocal) in SILENT NIGHT. OH CHRISTMAS TREE is what might happen when you combine open tuned electric blues guitar with classical piano. It might be the captured result of Ry Cooder and Wolfgang Mozart casually drinking a few friendly beers and jamming in the studio, while unknown to them the engineer had pressed “record”. OH HOLY NIGHT (previously released by Jeff as a single for Christmas 2013) and THE FIRST NOEL have a different, but still bluesy electric feel due to Jeff’s use of a Fender Stratocaster, bringing to mind some of the ballad laden riffs of Jimi Hendrix and Mark Knopfler. Orchestral accompaniment adds a colorful backdrop to both of these tracks while the Stratocaster overlays it’s prominent brush strokes.

MY CHRISTMAS GUITAR is a contemporary approach to some popular Christmas favorites, with an obvious emphasis on guitar as the featured instrument. Electric and acoustic, finger-style and slide; the guitar playing styles vary, but the BLUES influence is evident. The works are all adaptations and arrangements of Christmas carols and songs from the Public Domain. The album begins with an electric blues slide guitar instrumental version of John Wesley Work Jr’s GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN, along with upright bass and drums accompaniment. And once again the album concludes with a vocal arrangement of this same song. While WHAT CHILD IS THIS and AULD LANG SYNE are given a more traditional acoustic finger-style approach, and CHRISTMAS GUITAR MEDLEY maintains a ragtime blues acoustic finger style (somewhat similar to Big Bill Broozy), we hear more electric slide blues guitar (and even some vocal) in SILENT NIGHT. OH CHRISTMAS TREE is what might happen when you combine open tuned electric blues guitar with classical piano. It might be the captured result of Ry Cooder and Wolfgang Mozart casually drinking a few friendly beers and jamming in the studio, while unknown to them the engineer had pressed “record”. OH HOLY NIGHT (previously released by Jeff as a single for Christmas 2013) and THE FIRST NOEL have a different, but still bluesy electric feel due to Jeff’s use of a Fender Stratocaster, bringing to mind some of the ballad laden riffs of Jimi Hendrix and Mark Knopfler. Orchestral accompaniment adds a colorful backdrop to both of these tracks while the Stratocaster overlays it’s prominent brush strokes.

Lyrics: I didn't want to break your rules I didn't want to lie like a never did But this feeling gives me what I need Who's to say whats wrong or right? When did who become an authority? Im always doing what I feel Now Im a better man With nothing to hide And a lot to tell I hope you understand I wasted away I lost my way That me was gone x2 Long long gone Now Im a new man I know what Ive done And I know where Ive been I found my way, yeah I dont need a cause to stand I dont need a reason to go against Fallen angel like a morning star And I will keep my feet up the seat, hey Im graffiti paint on the city Its on the streets, its in my heart That me was gone (x2) Long long gone This is a warning, this is a call This is a riot called rock n roll (x2)