What’s black and white and red and green all over? These new Christmas albums from piano players around the world. Settle back, push play on one of the streaming links and let their magic fingers do the work.
Rick Wakeman
Christmas Portraits
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Keyboard legend Rick Wakeman, famous the world over for his hugely successful and high-profile rock career – most notably with leading bands Yes and The Strawbs and for his sought-after collaborations with top artists of the day such as David Bowie and Black Sabbath – is pleased to celebrate the festive season with a brand-new album, Christmas Portraits. With all tracks personally chosen and arranged by Wakeman himself, this special holiday album celebrates Wakeman’s favourite time of the year as he performs familiar and favourite festive music, arranged for solo piano, all performed on his beloved Granary Steinway Model D grand piano. Wakeman commented: “Christmas is my absolute favourite time of the year. I love every aspect of it, especially traditional Christmas music and songs which have wonderful simplistic melodies that are perfect for adaptation to produce variations on the piano. That is something I love to do and that is exactly what this album is.”
José Cabrera
O Come, All Ye Faithful: A Piano Christmas
THE PRESS RELEASE: “This album features classic Christmas songs performed by world-class pianist José Cabrera. Fusing elements of jazz and classical influences in his style, José also introduces a touch of latin flair from his native Dominican Republic to these brand new original arrangements.”
Makiko Hirohashi, Yuki Kume
Relaxing Piano: Happy Christmas
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Laid back jazzy piano Christmas standards for romantic holy night.” Well, you can’t accuse them of trying to overhype themselves, can you?
David Schultz
Christmas Piano
THE PRESS RELEASE: “David Schultz grew up in the small Austrian town of Ziersdorf, being taught the piano by his Swedish mother. It was clear he was naturally gifted as a composer and piano player. In the Schultz household David soon started composing together with his mother. Before turning, right after finishing high school, 20 David moved to Germany to pursue a career as a classical pianist. In Germany David moved between cities before settling in Munich where he started recorded his own compositions as well as interpretations of contemporary pop pieces. In 2019 he decided that he wanted to release his piano covers.”
Laestadian Lutheran Church
Melodies of Christmas: Piano Music
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The Laestadian Lutheran Church takes its name from Martin Luther and Lars Levi Laestadius. The name of the reformer Luther and his teachings are well known around the world. The name of Laestadius is less familiar. Lars Levi Laestadius was a Lutheran pastor who served in northern Sweden from 1825-1861. In 1844, after nine teen years in the ministry, Laestadius was helped into living faith by a woman named Milla Clementsdotter, a member of a group known as “Readers.” Following his conversion, Laestadius’s sermons were instilled with a new power, the power of the Holy Spirit. A revival movement began and soon spread far beyond the borders of Swedish Lapland.”
David Carnes
A Christmas Journey: Solo Piano
THE PRESS RELEASE: “David Carnes is a pianist who has recorded instrumental versions of well known Christian music, including hymns and contemporary worship songs.”
