Search - Bill Perry :: Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol

Jon Chase | 08/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bill Perry's A Christmas Carol breaks new ground in the well-familiar territory of instrumental holiday albums done on acoustic guitar. And it's not just that Perry is a phenomenal guitarist with lightning-fast fingers and a creative core that would melt Vesuvius. No sirreee! And it's not just that Perry has contributed five of the 11 cuts. The real innovation here is the title track--"A Christmas Carol," which actually has five subparts inspired by Charles Dickens' famous short story.



I absolutely love almost everything about this album. The arrangements are astounding--intelligent, complex, sensitive, and right on the money. Really spectacular! For example, Perry's treatment of "Little Drummer Boy" is innovative and impressive. He performs a "drum beat" on the guitar's body, and he uses stylistic changes throughout the song to heighten the drama and effect. Perry's approach to "Carol of the Bells" is equally amazing--how many fingers does this guy have on each hand, anyway? Perry's original numbers are also a revelation--so well-developed and familiar in voice and tone, like "old favorites" right from the start. Of these, I particularly liked the sprightly and upbeat "Josylvia Winter." As for the "Christmas Carol," it's a great concept that is well-executed here; I can almost visualize the story as Perry moves through the various subparts ("The 1st of the Three Spirits," etc.).



So what's my one small gripe? Although the production values here are amazing (you are right in the room, up close and personal with Perry), one recording aspect was problematic. The microphones really pick up the squeals as Perry's fingers quickly adjust, flying up and down the strings. This noise is particularly noticeable on the quieter cuts (like the first track). Not a big deal!



Bill Perry is an outstanding guitarist, and A Christmas Carol is a brightly shining star in the universe of holiday offerings this season. Reach for the stars!



--Carol Swanson"