Hello Friends----

Creating our Christmas CD---"I Wonder As I Wander" has truly been a labor of love. Actually, it was hardly labor at all. It just seemed to flow. It was recorded up at the "Farm" in Little Egypt (Southern Illinois) over a period of about 6 months in 2010. The farm is where I (Kristi Rose) grew up and no matter where we travel it will always feel like home for us. Fats and I recorded this totally on our own with Fats playing ALL the instruments. For those who have already heard it, you know that it is a reflective album. It is Christmas as a dream.....its memories, its poignancy, its hope and even its tinge of melancholy.

The album is about half instrumental and half with vocals. It opens with a brief original oud piece entitled "The Magi's Dream" that sets the tone of the musical journey that is being embarked upon. The title track, "I Wonder As I Wander" is a beautiful traditional song that I've sung since I was a child. I say traditional because its origins go far, far back, but the folklorist, John Jacob Niles, who collected so many beautiful folk songs, brought this song into popularity. I probably first sang it at church (solo!) when I was eleven or so. My mother accompanying me on piano.

"Comfort & Joy" is actually Fats' imaginative take on "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". Fats gave it a sort of Eastern European/Klezmer/Middle Ages vibe to which I LOVED singing. From there, his "And The Shepherds Danced" conjures up a scene of ecstatic joy as shepherds revel to a jig (played on a Syrian oud!) at the birth of the Child.

One of our favorite tracks on the album is "How Far Is It To Bethlehem" a song we only discovered very recently. We recorded this live AND in one take---Fats with guitar, I singing, the two of us facing each other. Fats then added violin, viola and his wonderful Albert System C clarinet. Made in Paris, you know...circa 1900.

For me, Fats' instrumental version of "Angels We Have Heard" completely captures the depth of the Christmas Season. The arrangement, has an additional section which he wrote. It is heartbreakingly lovely.

"Waltz Balsam"---We must always have a waltz! And this magical instrumental with mandolins and kantele conjures up an old time music box complete with swirling dancers.

The accordion interlude of "The Good King" leads into "Come See The Baby" written by Angela Lashley and myself. Angela and I actually wrote this a couple of years ago and every time that I have ever sung it in public, folks ask how they can get a recording of it. The story, of little children enacting the nativity story rings true to many, including myself. How many of us took part in these homespun pageants? It always feels so exciting...year after year.

And finally, "Breaking Up Christmas" an old time fiddle tune that Fats says would be played at the end of the Christmas Festivities to let everyone know it was the last dance and that it was time for everyone to head for home.....hopefully, to all return the next year.

So as Fats says, "No Ho-Ho-Ho" in this Christmas album. Perhaps for another year, but this year we wanted to create a simple, beautiful expression of the Christmas Season....and we hope you all will find it so.

Wishing All A Joyous Holiday--

Kristi Rose