However much I love Classic, Jazz, Blues and Rock music, there will always be a very warm place in my heart for acoustic as there is no room to hide, everything has to be perfect as otherwise it will be jarring and there for all to hear.
Guitarist Margaret Slovak and bassist Chris Maresh deliver an elegant holiday experience with A Star’s Light Does Fall, an album that reimagines the boundaries of seasonal music.
Margaret and Chris started playing together in November 2023, recording this set just six months later. They very quickly bonded over shared musical experiences as both have Czech musicians as fathers, so they grew up in similar backgrounds where polkas could be playing in the house, or classical, or country.
Rooted in jazz yet infused with reflective intimacy, the album evokes images of starlit nights, serene solitude, and winter’s quiet beauty.
Slovak and Maresh’s collaboration transforms traditional carols like “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” and “Away in a Manger” into meditative masterpieces, while seamlessly incorporating unexpected influences, including works by Wayne Shorter and Leonard Cohen.
The album’s spirit calls to mind the emotional depth of Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden’s Beyond the Missouri Sky.
Margaret Slovak’s liner notes shed light on the album’s intent: to bring solace during the holidays, especially to those enduring life’s hardships or grief.
This mission is deeply personal for Slovak and Maresh, whose shared Czech heritage and upbringing immersed in music shaped their creative synergy.
The duo’s connection runs deeper than notes and rhythms. Both grew up surrounded by Eastern European folk melodies, western classical compositions, and the twang of Johnny Cash and Hank Williams.
With just a guitar and acoustic bass, they take us on a journey which is best heard on headphones as the use of space and reverb are essential to the pleasure of this, and they could well be lost where there is ambient noise intruding.
They interpret classic carols such as “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” and “Away In A Manger”, and also take the music on interesting asides by using the melody of “Greensleeves” within “What Child Is This”? (I know it is an 16th century madrigal, but it always makes me think of Ritchie Blackmore).
Not all the songs are what one would consider to be traditional Christmas numbers as they close with “Hallelujah” which is an interesting choice, consider the subject matter (which is both holy and horny according to many) but there is no doubt they do a fine job.
Interestingly, their ancestors hailed from villages just 90 miles (145 km) apart in what is now the Czech Republic.
Margaret Slovak shared: “There is a saying: ‘Every Czech a musician!’ We dedicate this album to our late fathers, Henry Slovak and Lee Maresh, who instilled in us the beauty and joy of playing music. Veselé Vánoce! Merry Christmas and peace to you all.”
It is certainly a beautiful album in many ways, and I look forward to one where they do not constrain themselves just to the season.
We recommend, especially these days and not only, to definitely purchase this CD and enjoy it.
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