It’s the most wonderful time of the year… for arranging Christmas Music??? Well, if you’re a church staffer like me, ’tis the season for Church pageants, concerts, and services that include traditional Christmas music. And, if your like me, you’d think some of those traditional songs need sprucing up from time to time.
This year for the NPHX pops concert, I’m arranging a mashup of Christmas standards for a jam/blues type band. “Mashup” is fancy lingo for putting two or more songs together that are pretty much played exactly as they were originally recorded. The term “Arrangement” refers to a different takes on original recordings. The songs I’m mashing are:
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Kenny Wayne Shepard
Sleigh Ride by Stu Hamm
Skating by Vince Guaraldi
Little Drummer Boy by Gary Hoey
Because this type of arrangement is for a jam/blues type band, the structure can be more organically derived from other band member input. Drummer Andy Ziker, Bassist John Bullock, and keyboardist Rocky Searan all helped form the final product. Make sure you come out to hear the final tune, along with many other amazing Christmas songs at the North Phoenix Baptist Church free Pops concert this Saturday and Sunday night, 6pm.
And here is the final version:
https://www.robertpaynemusic.com/2011/12/21/merry-christmas/
Rob Payne is a great arranger (along with his other lengthy list of skills). Come to the show on Sat/Sun night at 6 pm at North Phoenix Baptist Church to hear his killer arrangement.
I’d love the charts for the Christmas Mashup!
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