CHRISTMAS, HARMONY & THE PIANO
by Mika Pohjola

Christmas, Harmony & The Piano is a reflective recording of fifteen traditional Christmas carols in a solo piano setting. Most of the carols have been played here according to traditional arrangements. Some have also been improvised in a more contemporary - perhaps a somewhat Satie-esque - style, but always retaining the melody at the forefront. These carols are traditionally sung, however when played on the piano they are transformed into something more personal and introspective. This recordings fits anywhere from background music to listening with headphones.

Mika Pohjola (born 1971) is a Finnish-born jazz pianist and composer, who resided in New York City from 1995 to 2012. Currently he lives in Stockholm, Sweden. He is one of the most prolific Scandinavian jazz musicians in his generation. Pohjola has released more than thirty albums under his own name, most of them jazz, but also several large productions with Scandinavian themes. Pohjola is a Steinway Distinguished Artist since 1997, and a major visiting artist at Berklee College of Music since 2006.

http://christmasharmony.bluemusicgroup.com