Christmas Whisperings 2 is the second album produced by SoloPianoChristmas.com (a Whisperings Solo Piano Radio partner site) featuring fifteen independent artists from around the country who are part of the Whisperings Solo Piano Radio group. What keeps this from being a “normal” compilation with one track from each artist’s Christmas album is that all of the music was recorded at Piano Haven Studio in Sedona, AZ on Joe Bongiorno’s Shigeru Kawai SK7L acoustic grand, making the sound quality of the piano consistent from song to song. (Two of the songs are brand-new and haven’t been released previously.) That might not sound like a big deal, but it is - pianos vary tremendously in tone, brightness, and expressiveness, so if all of the tracks were recorded on different pianos, there would be a change from piece to piece. Instead, it is unified by the use of one excellent piano, creating a smoothly-flowing listening experience rather than a hodge-podge. Designed to be a peaceful and soothing collection, there is no bravado or pianistic flashiness, just beautiful, sensitively-played Christmas music coming from a diverse group of pianists playing favorites from the heart. This is the perfect music for a holiday meal, decorating the tree, wrapping gifts, or just settling down with a cup of hot cocoa (or a glass of wine!) and letting things “be” for an hour or so. All of the songs are given the artists’ interpretations, but they are all recognizable and true to the traditional melodies with a few artistic changes here and there.
All fifteen tracks on
Christmas Whisperings 2 are outstanding, so it doesn’t seem fair to single out just a few to write about. The artists are Brad Jacobsen, David Nevue, Michele McLaughlin, Joseph Akins, Joe Bongiorno, Thad Fiscella, Tim Glemser, Jeff Bjorck, Joe Yamada, Kendra Logozar, Louis Landon, Rhonda Mackert, Greg Starr, John Albert Thomas, and Gary Girouard. There is also a companion sheet music book that can be purchased as a printed spiral-bound book or as a downloaded PDF.
So, if you are looking for some calming yet inspiring solo piano Christmas music, this is a great choice!
Christmas Whisperings 2 is available from
SoloPianoChristmas.com, Amazon, and iTunes. Very highly recommended!