Happy Holidays
Track List:
1. Good Evening To You (2:15)
2. Carol Of The Bells (1:31)
3. A New Joy Has Come ( 3:07)
4. Schedrivka - Trad. (2:55)
5. On The River Jordan (1:49)
6. Schedrivka - Trad. (3:06)
7. God Is Coming* (3:25)
8. Heaven And Earth (2:26)
9. In Bethlehem** (2:45)
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10.God Eternal*** (3:41)
* Sleigh Bells - Len Szymanski
** Drums - Len Szymanski, Bass - Norm Murray
*** Vocal - Borys Sawyn
Christmas isn’t just Jingle Bells or Sleigh Ride. And it’s not limited to Silent Night and The First Noel. Come, with permission, and peek into the window of Christmas as it sounds in another culture and another country: Ukraine.
Guitarist George Sawyn, who has spent most of his life in Chicago playing today’s music with the finest Chicago musicians, pays homage to his Ukrainian roots in this CD. Here, the music of his childhood, of his family celebrations, is pulled lovingly from his acoustic and electric guitars, enhanced by synthesizers that create sounds and music as old as the Ukraine, and as fresh as it will be to American ears that hear it for the first time.
The Carol of the Bells will be familiar—and is the only piece with no guitar. Shedrivka is pure Old Country, with even its name conjuring up images of the color and tradition of the Eastern European world. As George plucks the strings of his guitars, he paints musical images of his own heritage, of family gathered around decorated tables celebrating togetherness and ushering in the seasons both of Christmas and Epiphany.
There are more surprises, too. Despite its title, In Bethlehem is the “something rowdy” that sometimes supersedes George’s love of soft and mellow music; and, most unique treat of all, the voice of his now late father, in all its operatic sweetness, sings the final God is Eternal, accompanied by his son’s classical guitar.
George, who regularly performs jazz, folk, pop and all the best of American music during the rest of the year, offers Happy Holidays as an invitation to add something to your holidays from his own deep-rooted tradition.
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Purchase price is $12.00 USD, and
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Happy Holidays can be purchased online at CD Baby,
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Their listing of the CD includes
mp3 samples of most of the tracks.
