Cybergrass Bluegrass Music News: 'Jerry Christmas' The First-Ever Holiday Album by Jerry Douglas.

BMNN wrote: on Nov. 19, 2009:
Jerry Douglas Christmas

New York, NY -- The world's most renowned Dobro player, Jerry Douglas, has released his first ever holiday album, Jerry Christmas, on E1. The eloquent lyricism and dynamic virtuosity of Jerry Douglas, hailed by the New York Times as "the dobro's matchless contemporary master," is ideally suited to the creation of an Americana Christmas classic. And that's exactly what Jerry has produced: a spirited group of carols, traditional folk tunes, and modern seasonal songs. With a guest vocal by Grammy-nominated vocalist Maura O'Connell, Jerry Christmas gets that warm, down-home holiday feeling just right from the first note to the last.

"The thought of recording a Christmas project has been with me for some time, though I held the idea as a disquieting prospect. After all, these melodies have become established perennials due to the fact they are GREAT songs; to do them disservice would be, to me, unforgivable.," Douglas says. "I have tried being faithful to the original versions of these classics precisely because the melodies are so special. My instrument lends itself well, in an emotional sense, to performance of these treasures, allowing me to offer my interpretations of works I have heard sung by such definitive artists as Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, and Burl Ives."

Fellow musicians Todd Parks, Guthrie Trapp, Luke Bulla, and Doug Belote have conveyed their own expressive spirits via their individual instruments, and friend Maura O'Connell has lent her alluring voice to a melancholy new song, rounding out this unique serving of these time honored holiday treats. Douglas has garnered twelve GRAMMY® Awards and numerous International Bluegrass Music Association awards, and holds the distinction of being named "Musician of the Year" by The Country Music Association (2002, 2005, 2007), The Academy of Country Music (11 times), and The Americana Music Association (2002, 2003). In 2004, the National Endowment for The Arts honored Douglas with a National Heritage Fellowship, acknowledging his artistic excellence and contribution to the nation's traditional arts, their highest such accolade.

Douglas's musical brilliance has graced over 2,000 recordings by such distinguished artists as James Taylor, Paul Simon, Ray Charles, Lyle Lovett, Elvis Costello, Garth Brooks, Charlie Haden, Earl Scruggs, Phish, Emmylou Harris, Bill Frisell, The Chieftains, and the eight million-plus selling soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Since 1998, Douglas has been an inimitable member of Alison Krauss & Union Station, and over his career has been a featured player in such groundbreaking bands including The Country Gentlemen, J.D. Crowe & The New South, Boone Creek, and Strength in Numbers (of which both Sam Bush and Edgar Meyer were also members). While music aficionados have come to know the sound of Jerry Douglas from his stunning contributions to countless albums and concerts with other acclaimed artists, it is with his singular solo recording projects where he unabashedly unveils the elegance of his own songwriting and artistic virtuosity.

Douglas has recently been on tour with Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes, and has performed on Costello's recent Secret, Profane and Sugarcane album.

TRACK LIST

"The First Noel"
"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"
"All Through The Night"
"New Year's Eve"
"Do You Hear What I Hear?"
"Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"
"In The Bleak Midwinter"
"Christmas Time Is Here"
"O Holy Night"
"Mary Did You Know"
"Maui Christmas"
"Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem"

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