Rounder's first collection of Christmas songs played bluegrass style, a sound perfectly suited for evoking the warmth of the holiday season. This collection features some of the top names in bluegrass today, including Rhonda Vincent, Lynn Morris and The Cox Family. O Christmas Tree also offers both surprises and new discoveries, with the debut Rounder recordings from four artists or groups who will release full-length compact discs in 2003. Songs by The Shankman Twins, Alecia Nugent, Jeannie Kendall and Open Road give bluegrass fans reason to celebrate and anticipate the new year. While most of the songs on O Christmas Tree are newly recorded, the disc also features gems from the Rounder catalog by artists such as The Johnson Mountain Boys, Bill Keith and Tony Trischka as well as the previously unreleased "Silver Bells" by Bill Grant and Delia Bell. With the growing popularity of bluegrass, demonstrated by Billboard magazine's new bluegrass sales chart, O Christmas Tree: A Bluegrass Collection for the Holidays is a timely release that will be welcomed by old-timers and new fans alike. This delightful collection of 18 authentic bluegrass interpretations of holiday songs is sure to become a perennial favorite.
Track Listing:
Christmas Times A Coming – Rhonda Vincent
Christmas Time Is Near – Open Road
Winter Wonderland – Shankman Twins
The Friendly Beast – Johnson Mountain Boys
Beautiful Star of Bethlehem – Alecia Nugent
Sinver Bells – Ron Stewart
Smokey Mountain Christmas – Jeannie Kendall
Blue Christmas – Open Road
Go Tell It On The Mountain – The Cox Family
Silver Bells – Bill Grant & Delia Bell
Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer – Lynn Morris
Precious Child – Tony Trischka with Dudley Connell
Here comes Santa Claus – Chankman Twins
Call Collect At Christmas – James King Band
O Christmas Tree – Rhonda Vincent
O Come All Ye Faithful – Tony Trischka
Auld Lang Syne – Bill Keith