That’s What I Love About Christmas
That’s What I Love About Christmas [2:32]
Looks Like Snow [3:50]
Sleigh Full Of Toys [3:43]
Prepare A Place For Him [3:18]
Christmas Every Day Of The Year [3:54]
Home Made Christmas [3:26]
Old Man Winter [4:32]
Snowfall [2:49]
Instrumental
Angels From On High [3:07]
Where Was Baby Jesus Born? [3:30]
Stephen Mougin, Jana Mougin, Annie Sellick (vocals)
RLM CD1005 [34:41]
New Hampshire song writer Rick Lang has been writing bluegrass, jazz and Southern gospel songs for the music industry for many years. His first Christmas album, “The Season Of My Heart”, was released in 2003. This time around, Rick has collaborated with Stephen “Mojo” Mougin, the owner/producer/director of Dark Shadow Recording in Joelton, Tennessee to create a new holiday album for the RLM record label. Rick and Stephen assembled a rich cast of jazz and country musicians for this effort, including Mojo himself on lead guitar and vocals, his wife Jana Mougin on vocals, along with Nashville jazz singer Annie Sellick, fiddle player Aaron Till, pianist Joe Davidian, jazz guitarist Pat Bergeson, drummer Chris Brown, acoustic guitarist Ron Block, bassist Todd Parks and mandolin player Sierra Hull. The result is a surprising, ten-song album; an easy-listening mix of bluegrass, country and jazz wrapped up for the holiday season.
The title song, a jazz number composed by Stephen Mougin, features singer Annie Sellick, whose voice is highlighted with Joe Davidian’s smooth piano accompaniment. Rick Lang composed the other nine songs on this album, including two that were on “The Season Of My Heart” album: “Christmas Every Day Of The Year”, this time sung by Stephen Mougin, and ‘Sleigh Full Of Toys” with fiddle player Aaron Till taking his turn on vocals. Jana Mougin sings on two of the slower, more contemplative songs with a country-bluegrass flavor ; “Angels From On High” and “Prepare A Place For Him”. Annie Sellick shows her versatility singing the country-style “Home Made Christmas”, and a gospel version of “Where Was Baby Jesus Born”, with her lovely voice reminiscent of country legend Barbara Mandrell. My favorite song on the album is the country-style “Looks Like Snow”, a slow and easy look at the weather forecast, played on guitar and sung by Stephen Mougin with his relaxed baritone.
Rick Lang writes his music with style and thoughtfulness, and on each song he uses his words and lyrics to paint a picture. Although it is a very short album at only ten songs and just over 34 minutes long, I would recommend this album as a nice addition to a home holiday music collection. This album was recorded in three sessions in the Spring of 2014 at Dark Shadow Recording, Joelton, Tennessee.
Bruce McCollum