Hi Everyone, It's been a few years since I made a Christmas video. But learnign this one for my kids school program got me interested in recording it. A slightly jazz-inflected version of the Ukranian carol:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clixd7PhCD8[/youtube]

Wishing all of you Happy Holidays.

Cool arrangement and nice hat!

Is there some relationship between Dali and "Carol of the Bells" or is your gear rack scorching?

Man, what a release when you break into that 6/8 jazz waltz! Never heard those ever descending jazz chords either. If you made that part up, it's a coup of a song arrangement. I hope it gets around.

Are those Santa's shoes too? Thanks for the Christmas spirit, Emmett.

Wooo. So fluent, it's heavy in a joyous XMas kind of way. Oh it's finished, too short Greg.

Or is it a precursor to more amazing GH stuff. The mixing is amazing as well.

That descending chord thing is tremendously soulful...! Then the chiming chord at the end. On second listen it's a perfectly balanced musical short story.

Thanks for the love and power Greg.

Greg,
Very Cool Dadd-io! You are Tha Lightest and the Brightest of the Season!

I agree with Emmett wholeheartedly- these are some really wonderful reharmonizations that I have never heard before on this tune. I thought the 6/9/11th chord sung the Ray Connif Singers at the end of their version was quite visionary, but wow this takes it to a whole new level.

One of my Christmas wishes was granted by your wonderful rendition of the Carol of the Bells.
I was getting sick of the commercialism of this tune by the NBA, Garmin, Wall Mart, Andre Champagne, Verizon, Burger King, Target and I am sure some awful version by the Trans Siberian Orchestra. Yours is so refreshing by contrast and.... there is no comparison!

I don't know where you found the "time"!

Happy Holidays to you and your family,
Dave B

Nice harmonies and arrangement. Good back and forth between counterpoint and chord movement.. Happy holidays

Thanks for all the kind comments everyone.

The left-hand chords just kind of came as an extension of the descending bass I heard in my head while working out the tune. The are possible because of the high bass 4th.

Here's how I would identify them, your nomenclatura may vary

E G C# F# (Emin13) played on strings 7, 10, 11, 12

D F# B E (DMaj69) played on strings 7, 10, 11, 12

C E A D (CMaj69) played on strings 7, 10, 11, 12

B D A D (Bmin7) played on strings 7, 10, 11, 12 (I think the first time I played this as:
B D G# C# (Bmin13?))

A C G C (Amin7) played on strings 7, 10, 11, 12

G F B E (G13) played on strings 6, 10, 11, 12

F# E A# D# (F#13) played on strings 6, 10, 11, 12

F Eb A D (F13) played on strings 6, 10, 11, 12

E E B E (Edrone) played on strings 6, 10, 11, 12

If any of you have a better suggestion for how to name the chords (especially you, chordmaster Esteban) I'd be most grateful.

Thanks again!

Yo Rad, thanks for your focus on the sonics. I thought my wife was gonna kill me for staying up late mixing this last night. (I didn't get to bed until almost 2 AM). I'm all about re-amping these days. listening through the amp when tracking through direct lines, but then re-capturing each channel independently and mixing them as needed. Also makes it possible to add little delays and things to the parts that I don't want to have to worry about while tracking.

Both sides into the StepAbout, then the DAW for tracking, then the melody goes through the Fender (loving that old spring reverb, too) and the bass through the SWR and the Bag End.

Greg, nice job. I used to hate that song because to me it always embodied the hectic, stressful, crowded nature that often rears its head this time of year. I am talking about the vocals and harmonies in a round. Somehow the many words and many voices make me dizzy.

But take away the words and add soothing ambiguous sounding chords to support and you've got a beautiful harmonic, dare I say "organic" sound.

Sounds like you are doubling the melody. Is that happenning with an effect, live? or is it done in the mix? Not that it matters much, just curious. I have often thought before that some of the tones ot the Stick sound a lot like bells or chimes. Or perhaps it is the overtones or what my ears hear between the notes.

Cheers, Mike

Thanks, Mike, I kind of felt the same way about the tune until I learned it for my kid's Holiday music program.

I did fly in a little synced delay during the 4-note melody ostanato parts, but took it out for the other theme. The left hand also picks it up as a double sometimes.

I chose the Stickup for this because of the tone of that high string through that pickup is so bell-like. Thinking of the music of Steve Hahn, Guillermo Cides and Parallel Galaxy era Emmett, all Classic Stickup Stickistas who make great use of the sound of that string...

Man I love this instrument...so many possibilities...