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New Music For The 2012 Holiday Season

 

 

Approximately 4 hours of new music has been added to the NACR music rotation for the 2012 holiday season.  Be listening for new tunes from Isadar, Jim Hudak, Ken Elkinson, Kevin Kern, RJ Comer, and Shauna Burns.  Enjoy!

Welcome to the 2012 Holiday Season!

It seems hard to imagine that as recently as a few months ago we were firing up steaks on the grill outside, and now the leaves have fallen from the trees, and the sky is beckoning of an impending snowfall.  It's time to fire up the fireplace, decorate the hearth, and prepare ourselves for the holidays.

NACR is also gearing up for the season, and soon you will be enjoying new music from Albedo, Isadr, Jim Hudak, Kevin Kern, and Ken Elkinson.  And who knows?  Each holiday season always seems to have a few musical surprises up it's sleeve!  Of course, all your favorite Windham Hill musicians are there as well.

If you are a regular visitor to NACR throughout the holiday season (and beyond), please take a moment to consider making a small financial donation to this effort to keep it going healthy and strong.  Learn more here.  And while you're at it, take a moment to "like" my NACR page over on Facebook here.  I'll be keeping everyone posted about last-minute announcements, news.

If this is your first visit, take a moment to learn more about NACR and its history here.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope that you find peace, comfort and joy in the music, not only during this holiday season, but always.

Happy Holidays!

Leslie Produces Award-Winning Album

March 17, 2012 – Bill Leslie's latest album A Midnight Clear was awarded Zone Music Reporter's Best Holiday Album, in the publication's 8th annual ZMR Music Awards this week.

Released in 2011, the album ranked 46th overall in ZMR's Top 100 Airplay Chart for 2011.  At it's highest point it ranked 5th in top broadcast airplay spins.

Thanks For Listening!

The 2011 holiday season was the most successful yet for NACR!  Thank you for listening and supporting the broadcast.  As my gift to you, the music marches onward into 2012.  And, even though the holidays are officially behind us, I encourage you to listen in from time to time as a reminder that the spirit of Christmas is something we should have in our hearts and minds all year long.  All the best in 2012!

New Music on NACR: December 4, 2011

I am pleased to announce that I have added new music for the 2011 season from: Bill Leslie, Chuck Cape, Fiona Joy Hawkins, Jeff Bjorck, Louis Colaiannia, and The Four Freshmen.  Enjoy the music, and Happy Holidays!

Welcome to New Age Christmas Radio!

Welcome to New Age Christmas Radio!  I'm glad that you took a moment from your busy holiday season to spend a few moments of reflective relaxation here with us.  If you haven't yet taken the opportunity, click on "About Us" and learn about the history behind this unique holiday experience.

Once again this year I have decided to lease a bandwidth-based streaming server in order to accommodate the maximum number of simultaneous listeners possible.  This server allows up to  200 listeners at any given time, and is more robust than has historically listened to the broadcast at any given time.  I lease this server based on the amount of bandwidth consumed over time.  The more that are listening to the broadcast, the faster the leased bandwidth is consumed, and the more frequently I must invest to "top off" this bandwidth.  Last year, thanks to your donations, I was able to top off this bandwidth three times over the course of the holiday season.  If you made a donation last year, THANK YOU!

Once again this season, I am asking that you consider doing your part at keeping NACR running healthy through the holiday season.  Please click on the "tip jar"and consider donating to this effort.  If you listen to NACR for at least 2 hours each day, please consider a dontation of at least $5 for the season.  If you listen for at least 6 hours each day, please consider a donation of at least $10 or more for the season.  Of course you may enter any amount into the donation box that you feel reflects your appreciation for, and use of this service.

You may also support this service by purchasing music or other merchandise from Amazon using the links on this website.  If you hear a song on NACR you would like to add to your collection, simply click on the "buy" button associated with its listing in the "now playing" section.  We also offer a "CD Store" and an "MP3 Store" that offers music similar to what you hear on NACR.  NACR receives a commission on any Amazon purchse made as a result of clicking on one of the links from this website.

We now have a Cafe Press Gift Store, including a number of custom imprinted products featuring the banner photography you see on the website (at the top of this page).   You can now purchase mugs, mousepads, greeting cards, calendars, keepsake boxes and even a stadium blanket adorned with our beautiful winter scene, and a portion of your purchase goes back into supporting the music here.

Even if circumstances dictate you cannot make a donation this year, please at least take a moment and click on my "Guestbook" page and leave a note about where you're listening from and how you discovered the music here.  And, take a moment to read where some of your friends and neighbors are listening from!

I hope this year's broadcast of NACR finds you happy, healthy, and full of hope.  Enjoy the music!

So… Who’s That Voice?

TERI WILDER: I Choose JoyIf you have been listening to New Age Christmas Radio for any extended length of time, you have no doubt heard the beautiful voice of Teri Wilder.  She’s the one you hear on New Age Christmas Radio wishing you “happy holidays” and inviting you to visit this website.  I am truly blessed to know Teri, not only as a friend, but also as a colleague in the broadcast industry.

What you may not know about Teri is that she is also a very talented musician, and has just recently released a brand new album, I Choose Joy.  Like Teri herself, I Choose Joy is an exploration in pure positivity, something we desperately need in these difficult times.

Teri wastes no time expressing her positive vibes on this album, placing the title track right up-front, and it only gets better from there!  All in all, I Choose Joy is an introspective look into a fine person and talented musician, without ever missing a beat!

While the music on this album isn’t necessarily appropriate for airplay on New Age Christmas Radio, you will find I Choose Joy to be a musical experience worthy of play in your world – over and over again!  Listen to music samples and purchase I Choose Joy here .

Also From Teri Wilder:

TERI WILDER: Teri Wilder

Windham Hill & The Birth of New Age Christmas Radio

If you’ve already read the story of New Age Christmas Radio then you’re aware this whole thing was really an accident – an experiment that became a holiday tradition.  What I haven’t expounded on, at least up to this point, is the music library I chose to use for that experiment.

My taste in music has always focused on unique sounds rather than just the lyrics.  Most of my collection focuses on instrumental music, specifically avoiding stuff that contains vocal.  For whatever reason, I generally find vocals distracting and taking away from the music itself.  Not that there isn’t a place for vocals in music.  But I’ve always felt that a good instrumental can speak as loudly as the lyric – and when done correctly, can tell a story just as clearly and effectively, and is the mark of a truly talented musician.

My first “exposure” to Windham Hill music was sort of an impulse purchase of A Winter’s Solstice.  I was intrigued by the simplicity of the cover photograph, and that was enough for me to “take a chance” on what would become (and still is) one of my all-time favorite holiday albums.

What makes the Winter Solstice series unique is the fact that the musicians featured convey the spirit of the holiday season, without regurgitating the all-too-familiar Christmas songs that we hear over-and-over.  While later releases in the series did include more familiar Christmas songs, there was still enough original content to make them worthwhile.

Unfortunately, Windham Hill recordings no longer exists today, although there are still enough copies in circulation, on CD, as MP3 downloads, and even some still on cassette tape and vinyl disc, that you can continue to enjoy this unique collection of music.

For your convenience, I present a collection from the Winter Solstice Series, as well as other holiday recordings from the Windham Hill label below.


Holiday Music From A Jazz Harpist!

LORI ANDREWS: A Jazz Harp ChristmasIt doesn’t take much listening to New Age Christmas Radio to encounter music performed on the harp.  It is one of my favorite musical instruments, and is perfectly fitting for the holiday season.  I am also a big fan of Smooth Jazz music, and listen regularly to several online stations that play the format.

What hit my ears a few months ago while listening to Smooth Jazz Dot Com however, took me completely by surprise!  Music by a jazz harpist! Never had I heard such a heavenly sound presented in such a modern, and unique way.  It sent me on an online quest to learn as much as I could about Lori Andrews.

What I discovered was an excellent collection of Jazz Harp recordings by Andrews, some of which I am still looking forward to adding to my collection.  One recording, however, immediately stood out to me as an excellent choice to share with you this season on New Age Christmas Radio.

Jazz Harp Christmas is a completely new twist on all of your favorite holiday songs, played in a way only Lori Andrews can!  It is a collection of 12 solo pieces, performed in a variety of styles.  Lori’s “jazz roots” are evident right from the start on “Jingle Bell Rock,” and carries on in “Santa Baby,” “Frosty the Snowman,” and the fast-paced “Jingle Bells / Sleigh Ride.”  However, Lori also lets the more relaxing side of her talent shine on “Winter Wonderland,” and “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.”  And even more solemn selections, such as “Do You Hear What I Hear?” and “What Child Is This” are treated with the respect they deserve by this uniquely talented musician.

I encourage you not to let your exploration of Lori’s music end with this album, however!  All of her albums offer a variety of moods and sounds sure to please anyone who is searching for a unique new listening experience year-round.  Listen to samples of Jazz Harp Christmas here.

New Holiday Music From David Arkenstone

If you have been listening to New Age Christmas Radio over the past several years, you are well-aware of the mostly solo-type performances I like to play.  Generally, the more simplistic the sound, the greater likelihood it ends up on the station.  David Arkenstone has been a significant part of that sound since the beginning.  So, it was almost a knee-jerk reaction when I decided to add Christmas Lounge to this year’s playlist.  What I found upon auditioning this album, however, was nothing short of surprise!

This is a totally different sound for David, and for New Age Christmas Radio!  Flowing senthesizer soundscapes that is trademark Arkenstone is replaced with rhythmic, nonchalant medium to up-tempo renditions of popular holiday tunes.  Many people might easily call this “chill” music, and Christmas Lounge definitely fills this niche.  As the title suggests, Arkenstone considers the music here akin to the “bachelor pad-style” music of the 50s and 60s, and any fan of “lounge” music should find this album a welcome addition to their collection.

Arkenstone immediately sets the tone for Christmas Lounge with the first cut, “Sleigh Ride,” presenting a carefree sound complete with the sleigh bells, all in perfect tempo.  That same sound of holiday merriment continues onward through “Deck The Halls,” and “Jingle Bells,” that is reminiscent  of a blues club tune.

Even the more “serious” tunes on this album are tastefully presented, without sacrificing the “lounge” atmosphere.  Classics such as “Do You Hear What I Hear,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” and even the most sacred “Silent Night” is given a unique, yet peaceful sound, and is a fitting conclusion to this unique collection of holiday music.

There always seems to be an entire crop of “unique-sounding” ablums that come out only during the holiday season, and sometimes it can be difficult to choose.  Most of the time I end up buying them all, but only end up listening to a few on an ongoing basis.  Christmas Lounge is one of those albums.  It’s perfect as music for entertaining, or listening on your own – at home, in the car, or at the office.  I would even dare to predict this is an album you will not only want to play over and over again this holiday season, but will return to again for many seasons to come.

One “technical note” here.  You have probably noticed that the Amazon links associated with the above song titles don’t match the title inside the article content.  That’s because Amazon mis-labeled the title of the tracks on this album.  I choose to link to the proper song track, rather than the title, so that in case you decide to purchase that song, you will get the correct one.  Better yet, just purchase the entire album download.  You’ll need to rename the tracks on your computer once you do.  But it is well worth the effort!  You can hear samples of Christmas Lounge here.

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