Content tagged 'Classical'

Since 1996, Trans-Siberian Orchestra has cemented itself as one of the world's biggest rock acts, playing approximately 2,000 shows for nearly 13 million fans and selling in excess of 10 million albums and DVDs. TSO's holiday perennial THE GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS EVE - a favorite among fans from the 2001 multi-platinum DVD and long-running PBS fundraiser of the same name – has now been released as an audio package. The enchanting rock opera follows the journey of a young runaway who breaks into an abandoned vaudeville theater seeking shelter from the cold on December 24. Once inside, the teen is discovered by the theater's caretaker, who uses the ghosts and spirits from the building's past to turn her life around. With such seasonal songs as “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24," "O' Come All Ye Faithful," "Good King Joy" and the special bonus track "Music Box Blues (Daryl Pediford Tribute New York 2004)," THE GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS EVE is the ideal way to ring in the holidays.

Some of the biggest and best songs of the 1980s are given epic reworkings on 80s SYMPHONIC. The 15-track collection features iconic tracks from David Bowie (“Let's Dance”), a-ha (“Take On Me”), Tina Turner (“What's Love Got To Do With It”), Pretenders (“2000 Miles”), Ultravox (“Vienna”) and more with brand-new symphonic and string arrangements. The orchestrations are the work of producer and arranger Andy Wright, who has worked with Simple Minds, Eurythmics, Simply Red, Jeff Beck and Massive Attack. Elements of the original multi-tracks were paired with recordings made by the London Studio Orchestra at the world famous Abbey Road Studios to create the new collection. These timeless songs have collectively sold more than 20 million copies and been No.1 hits in more than 20 countries, but you've never heard them with the majesty of 80s SYMPHONIC until now.

Hawaii might not qualify as a winter wonderland, but the holiday spirit is strong there to judge from Don Ho's CHRISTMAS ALBUM. The 1967 Reprise collection frames Ho's vocals with choral and orchestral backing arranged by Gordon Jenkins (a veteran of Sinatra sessions), and the singer's easy-going style meshes perfectly with these 11 songs. There are plenty of seasonal chestnuts here, including wonderful versions of “Silver Bells” and Mel Torme's “The Christmas Song,” but there are also unusual selections that reflect the set's tropical origins - “Mele Kalikimaka” and the Hawaiian equivalent to “Silent Night,” “Po La'i.” You can have a Honolulu holiday without setting foot on a plane just by cueing up THE DON HO CHRISTMAS ALBUM.

For more than 20 years, progressive metal group Trans-Siberian Orchestra has cornered the market on holiday concept albums. The second installment in a trilogy, THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC tells the story of a little girl who spends nights in an attic filled with Yuletide reveries, a concept that TSO's sweeping soundscapes play to the hilt. Solo and choral vocals soar over the septet's rock orchestral backing across 16 tracks interweaving traditional and classical material with compositions by bandleader Paul O'Neill and cohorts. “Christmas Canon” would become a signature song for TSO, and this 1998 album and subsequent tour helped turn the group into a commercial juggernaut. The new 20th Anniversary Edition of THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC includes a previously unreleased on CD and vinyl version of “Christmas Jam (Live).” Merry Christmas from Rhino and Trans-Siberian Orchestra!

Both Frank Zappa and the Mahavishnu Orchestra put Jean-Luc Ponty's talents to use on their records, but it's on his solo albums for Atlantic that the French-born violinist truly soars. From 1975, UPON THE WINGS OF MUSIC was the first of these, and it's a terrific showcase for both Ponty and his band (which included future R&B hitmakers Patrice Rushen and Ray Parker Jr. on keyboards and guitar, respectively). Highlighted by such songs as “Question with No Answer,” “Polyfolk Dance” and the title track, these eight originals offer funk-tinged jazz fusion that's consistently engaging; as a producer, Ponty's adventurous combination of acoustic and electric textures is as impressive as his instrumental skills. We'll let UPON THE WINGS OF MUSIC take flight again now to wish Jean-Luc a happy birthday.