Gareth Davies-Jones
Album: Nine Lessons
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 10
Website: http://www.garethdavies-jones.com/

For those reading this who have not had the sheer pleasure of hearing Gareth Davies Jones yet there is one of life's better experiences awaiting you. Though he has his roots in Northern Ireland, Gareth now lives in the North East of England and I first heard his name a while ago when I asked Jez Lowe for some suggestions of whom he felt would emerge into the national folk scene over the next few years from that fertile ground twixt the Tees and the Tweed.

I reviewed Gareth's 2011 CD 'Chasing Light' and saw him live around the same time and was hugely impressed by his melodic invention, beautifully constructed guitar playing and rich, comforting voice. These characteristics are all there to witness in this latest seasonal download offering which takes ten Christmas songs, primarily carols, and reinvents them with either new melodies or arrangements. Its really a bit of a shame that it is not a full CD release as the beautiful 'cover' photo included with the download is also a wintry gem.

Opening song 'Love Come Down' has lyrics by Christina Rossetti and, I suspect but am not certain, an original tune by Gareth - it works well in setting the scene for 30 minutes of rather lovely music.

My three personal favourite carols are here - two of which, 'God Rest You Merry Gentlemen' and 'In The Bleak Midwinter', keep their familiar melodies. They are, however, refreshed by Gareth's arrangements which pick out the light and shade in the flow of the melody thus making them that little bit more special. 'Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel' sports a much livelier and wider ranging tune than the original - nothing wrong with it at all but I do love the traditional dirge so much it will take me a while to feel comfortable with this version.

On my first listen through the songs I was initially slightly depressed to find 'Winter Wonderland' was included but this arrangement is so gentle it has grown on me and I haven't once felt the need to skip this song that in other interpretations has caused me turn a bilious shade of green.

Elsewhere old favourites 'Infant Holy', 'Oh Little Town' and 'Silent Night' are given sensitive treatment where Gareth's subtle guitar playing intensifies the mood. The 'Wexford Carol' is livened up with a driving rhythm and sharply clipped vocals and the less familiar - to me anyway - 'A Child Is Born' is appropriately uplifting.

Gareth has stated on his blog that 'I'm hoping that Nine Lessons will sit comfortably and without cringing somewhere between the Kings College Choir Collection and Bob Dylan's "Christmas In The Heart"'. I think his aspiration has easily been met and I will certainly take great pleasure in playing these songs along with my Coope Boyes & Simpson seasonal CDs this year and, indeed, for years to come. As long as I can find them on my PC of course!

Joe Grint