Blackmore’s Night – Winter Carols (2006/ 2013)

Winter Carols is the sixth studio album by the group Blackmore’s Night, released in the United Kingdom on October, 2006, and in the United States on November 7, 2006. It is a Christmas themed album. The cover artwork for this album, painted by Karsten Topelmann, is an adaptation of a street in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany, in line with the band’s heavy Renaissance influence. The same street is portrayed in the cover of Blackmore’s Night’s second studio album, Under a Violet Moon. In the cover of “Winter Carols” the street is painted as winter time, whereas Under a Violet Moon’s cover takes place on apparently a summer night. While the selections “Winter (Basse Dance)” is credited to Ritchie Blackmore as composer, it is an adaptation of the second section of Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Fantasía para un gentilhombre,” which Rodrigo composed for classical guitar virtuoso Andres Segovia in 1954.

On December 2006, Winter Carols entered at #7 on USA Billboard New Age Charts.[4]

The album won the New Age Reporter Lifestyle Music Award as the Best Holiday Album. (by wikipedia)

Ever wonder what Christmas carols sounded like back in time when the finest form of transportation was by horse and wearing armor was a hip fashion statement? Well then, the second release of 2006 by Blackmore’s Night, Winter Carols, may offer some insight. As with their previous efforts, the music on Winter Carols is of the Renaissance-inspired folk variety. And while the majority of the songs are traditional compositions, there are also a few originals, including “Winter (Basse Dance),” which includes some simply gorgeous acoustic guitar doodling by once Fender Strat/Marshall amp abuser Blackmore. Elsewhere, songs such as “Hark the Herald Angels Sing/Come All Ye Faithful” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” would sound splendid sung around the campfire — if it were still the 15th century. Unfortunately, a rendition of the Chipmunks’ “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” is not included. (by Greg Prato)

This is one of the most refreshing albums of Christmas music released in many years! There are no Santa Clauses, Rudolphs, or Sleigh Rides here. Candice Night (vocals) and Ritchie Blackmore celebrate Christmas without all the commercialism that saturates most Christmas albums and tastefully interpret carols with a few original compositions added for flavor. Of the originals, “Christmas Eve” and “Winter (Basse Dance) are most notable, although the latter is an adaptation of a classical guitar piece written for Andres Segovia by Joaquin Rodrigo (“Fantasia Para Un Gentilhombre”). Candice Night’s vocals are perfectly suited to the music on the album, and if you want to celebrate the season by listening instead of partying, WINTER CAROLS comes highly recommended! (Tom Daly)

Personnel:
Ritchie Blackmore (guitar, mandola, nyckelharpa, hurdy-gurdy, percussion)
David “Bard David of Larchmont” Baranowski (keyboards)
Robert “Sir Robert of Normandie” Curiano (bass)
Albert Dannemann (bagpipes, background vocals)
Anton Fig (drums)
Candice Night (vocals, shawm, pennywhistle)
Pat Regan (keyboards)
Sarah Steiding (violin)
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background vocals:

Sisters of the Moon:
Lady Madeline and Lady Nancy (Madeline and Nancy Posner)
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Ian Robertson – Jim Manngard

Tracklist:

CD 1:
01. Hark the Herald Angels Sing / Come All Ye Faithful (Traditional) trad. 3.50
02. I Saw Three Ships (Traditional) 2.40
03. Winter (Basse Dance) (Blackmore) 3.08
04. Ding Dong Merrily On High (Traditional) 3.17
05. Ma-O-Tzur (Traditional) 2.19
06. Good King Wenceslas (Traditional) 4.44
07. Lord Of The Dance / Simple Gifts (Carter/Brackett) 3.34
08. We Three Kings (Traditional) 4.49
09. Wish You Were Here (song from Shadow of the Moon) (Teijo) 5.02
10. Emmanuel (Traditional) 3.33
11. Christmas Eve (Blackmore/Night) 4.20
12. We Wish You A Merry Christmas (Traditional) 1.21

CD 2:
01. Hark the Herald Angels Sing / Come All Ye Faithful (live from Minstal Hall 2013) (Traditional) 4.11
02. Emmanuel (live from Minstal Hall 2013) (Traditional) 4.34
03. We Three Kings (live from Minstal Hall 2013) (Traditional) 5.24
04. Ma-O-Tzur (live from Minstal Hall 2013) (Traditional) 2.11
05. Good King Wenceslas (live from Minstal Hall 2013 (Traditional) 6.15
06. Christmas Eve (2013 version) (Blackmore/Nigh) 4.34
07. Christmas Eve (German radio edit) (Blackmore/Night) 3.58
08. Christmas Eve (English & German radio edit) (Blackmore/Night) 3.58
09. Christmas Eve (English radio edit) (Blackmore/Night) 3.56

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The cover artwork for this album, painted by Karsten Topelmann, is an adaptation of a street in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany, in line with the band’s heavy Renaissance influence. The same street is portrayed in the cover of Blackmore’s Night’s second studio album, Under a Violet Moon. In the cover of “Winter Carols” the street is painted as winter time, whereas Under a Violet Moon’s cover takes place on apparently a summer night.

And here´s the same scene … in our time:

 

Jon Chappell – Blues Guitar For Dummies (2006)

Do you wish you could play your favorite blues music on guitar? Even if you don’t read music, it’s not difficult with Blues Guitar for Dummies.

With this hands-on guide, you’ll pick up the fundamentals instantly and start jamming like your favorite blues artists!

Blues Guitar for Dummies covers all aspects of blues guitar, showing you how to play scales, chords, progressions, riffs, solos, and more!

It’s packed with musical examples, chords charts, and photos that let you explore the genre and play the songs of the great blues musicians. This accessible guide will give you the skills you need to:

Choose the right guitar, equipment, and strings
Hold, tune, and get situated with your guitar
Play barre chords and strum to the rhythm
Recognize the structure of a blues song
Tackle musical riffs
Master melodies and solos
Make your guitar sing, cry, and wail
Jam to any type of blues

Jon Chappell is a multistyle guitarist, arranger, and author. He grew up in Chicago, attended Carnegie-Mellon University, and earned his master’s degree in composition from DePaul University. He was Editor-in-Chief of Guitar magazine and played and recorded with artists such as Big Walter Horton, Billy Branch, Pat Benatar, Judy Collins, Graham Nash, and Gunther Schuller. Jon has also contributed numerous musical pieces to TV and film.
Jon served as Associate Music Director of Cherry Lane Music, where he transcribed, edited, and arranged the music of Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Steve Morse, Bonnie Raitt, and Eddie Van Halen, among others. He has more than a dozen method books to his name and is the author of Guitar For Dummies, 2nd Edition, and Rock Guitar For Dummies (both published by Wiley), Blues Rock Riffs for Guitar (Cherry Lane), as well as the textbook The Recording Guitarist — A Guide for Home and Studio (Hal Leonard).

Table of Contents:
Introduction.

Part I: You Got a Right to Play the Blues.

Chapter 1: Every Day I Have the Blues . . . Hallelujah!

Chapter 2: Blues Meets Guitar: A Match Made in Musical Heaven.

Chapter 3: Grab Hold, Tune Up, Play On!

Part II: Setting Up to Play the Blues.

Chapter 4: Getting a Grip on Left-Hand Chords.

Chapter 5: Positioning the Right Hand for Rhythm and Lead.

Chapter 6: Blues Progressions, Song Forms, and Moves.

Chapter 7: Musical Riffs: Bedrock of the Blues.

Part III: Beyond the Basics: Playing Like a Pro.

Chapter 8: Playing Lead: Soaring Melodies and Searing Solos.

Chapter 9: Playing Up the Neck.

Chapter 10: Express Yourself: Making the Guitar Sing, Cry, and Wail.

Part IV: Sounding Like the Masters: Blues Styles through the Ages.

Chapter 11: Acoustic Roots: Delta Blues and Its Country Cousins.

Chapter 12: The Birth and Growth of Classic Electric Blues.

Chapter 13: Blues Rock: The Infusion of Ol’ Rock ’n’ Roll.

Part V: Gearing Up: Outfitting Your Arsenal.

Chapter 14: Shop Till You Drop: Buying the Right Guitar for You.

Chapter 15: Choosing Your Amp and Effects.

Chapter 16: Changing Strings.

Part VI: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 17: Ten Blues Guitar Giants.

Chapter 18: Ten Great Blues Guitars.

Chapter 19: Ten (Plus One) Must-Have Blues Guitar Albums.

Part VII: Appendixes.

Appendix A: How to Read Music.

 

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