Without music, Christmas just wouldn’t be quite the
same. Like Santa without the reindeer, a tree without the lights, egg without
the nog, something would be missing.
Fear
not. Thanks to local guitar wizards John
Ware and Dave
Reynolds, the soundtrack to the holidays has never
been sweeter. And not even the Grinch can stop these boys from swingin’ and
scorchin’ their way through your favorite Christmas tunes on their latest
independent CD, It’s
Christmas All Over.
This
is not the first time that Ware and Reynolds have joined forces to create
musical mischief. Chances are, if you live in the Mid-Atlantic United States
you’ve heard these guys before. John
Ware has toured the region extensively over the past few years and Dave
Reynolds has entertained thousands at the Mayflower Hotel and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. since
1996. Ware and Reynolds resumes aside, it is safe to say that It’s
Christmas All Over represents some of their best work to
date.
It’s Christmas All Over is
the rarest of musical compilations because it truly contains something for
everyone and touches the listener on many emotional levels. Jingle
Bell Rock swings deliriously and Sleigh Ride’s carefree bounce brings
out the kid in anyone. But your musical elves don’t stop there, the glowing
classical tones of Winter Festival and It Came Upon A Midnight Clear warm
you like the old family fireplace and bring a smile to your face that you can
feel all the way to your Christmas stockings. Hey, that sounded suspiciously
like some advertising guy wrote it… so don’t take my word for it, let’s ask the
experts.
Globetrotting
pop sensation Dave
Berry was in his own words, “floored” by the CD. “I think it’s
great! …Those arrangements are fabulous,” said Berry. And Berry’s not the only
one raving. An anonymous fan was heard to exclaim, “those boys can shore play
perty!” upon hearing the CD.
By M.D. Mallicoat (as printed in The Picket,
Shepherdstown, WV, 12/9/98)
“Good music is any music played
well.”
So says John Ware, Shepherd guitar major and one of two featured artists on
a new CD titled It’s Christmas All Over—and he ought to
know.
Ware,
with a background in classical, jazz, rock, and heavy metal, and fellow
guitarist Dave Reynolds have combined their strengths to produce, engineer, arrange
and perform an innovative assortment of holiday music. Synthesizing traditional
Christmas tunes and jazz harmonies, ethnic rhythms and some very facile
playing, they have created a diverse, entertaining collection of instrumental
guitar music.
“It started with us recording a few songs every year to
give to family and friends for Christmas,” Ware
said. “Last year we didn’t do it and everybody complained. This year we decided
to do it right.”
The
selections found on It’s Christmas All Over vary
in tone from a mellow acoustical version of “Home for the Holidays” to the electric jazz-rock rendition of “Jingle Bell Rock,” in which Ware truly burns on his solos. Other
highlights include a Reggae arrangement of “I
Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” and “Jolly
Old Saint Nicholas” jumping to a blues-rock beat. Both Ware and Reynolds each perform
an original song: Reynolds’ “Winter Festival” conjures images of
the frozen, fireside Decembers that we used to know; while Ware’s “Song for Dee,” the only non-seasonal cut, creates a cool,
playful theme that Ware artfully
embellishes as the piece develops.
Ware, a guitar performance major, comes
to Shepherd from Germantown, where he studied with Shepherd guitar instructor Gerry Kunkel. He has played
professionally throughout the region for more than a decade. Reynolds has entertained audiences at the
Mayflower Hotel and Kennedy Center since 1996. It’s Christmas All Over, recorded at Total Obscurity Studios in
Germantown, Md., is Ware’s debut as
a feature artist on a CD.
In
a December 4 promotional concert at the SC Sports Shop Spirit Day Celebration, Ware and Orland Moses, another Shepherd guitar major, delighted an eclectic
crowd of shoppers, staff and passers-by with a seasonal program of dueling
guitar duets. The two performed cuts from the Reynolds/Ware CD, as well as other Christmas favorites. Ware and Moses can be seen performing locally at Harry’s House of Blues in
Hagerstown on Dec. 11 and 12. It’s Christmas All Over is available in the Shepherd College
Bookstore.
I got the CD and was floored!..
I think it’s just great! Your playing and those arrangements are fabulous! You
can use whatever ya want as quote...if you don't like what I've said you can
make something up and say I said it....
(Dave Berry of the Mighty Chihuahuas)
I received your CD, thank you very very very much it's
really good, I'm just trying to figure out where you guys went without your
guitars and half drunk beers. I liked the quality of the recordings and I don't
have to worry about screechy little twerps singing so I guess this CD has the
makings of a perennial X-mas favorite.
(Kerimcan Guleryuz Istanbul, Turkey)
My daughter Samantha likes it--
2 ˝ year olds love the Christmas album as a dance mix. AND
YOU WILL TOO... Try it today! (Brian Foster GTG-Inc.)
The CD is awesome!!!! It sounds even better on my CD player. My folks love it too. (BeCkY)
Here's an unsolicited
endorsement........ The CD is awesome and inspiring. Especially love the John
and Dave originals. Definitely worth it. I've ordered a few more as
gifts. (Donate Von Bredow-Gardner)
I listened to your CD for the first time and it kicked some $%@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was really good, did I mention it kicked some $%@? (Josh Moffatt)