A product of America’s rich aural folk tradition as well as clasical music, Grammy award-winning violinist and composer Mark O’Connor’s creative journey began at the feet of a pair of music giants. The first was the folk fiddler and innogavtor who created the modern era of American fiddling, Benny Thomasson; the second, French jazz violinist, considered one of the greatest improvisers in the history of the violin, Stephane Grappelli. Along the way, between those marvellous musical extremes, Mark O’Connor absorbed knowledge and influence from the multitude of musical styles and genres he studied. He has melded and shaped these into a new American Classical music, and a vision of an entirely American school of string playing. As the Los Angeles Times recently noted, he has “crossed over so many boundaries, that his style is purely personal.”

Though he was born in Seattle, Mark O’Connor’s heart is in the hills and hollows of Appalachia. On this largely self-produced CD, “An Appalachian Christmas,” there are bluegrass instrumentals and cosmopolitan crooners — all paying their mountain dues. A perfect musical delight for the holiday season, these beautiful, lilting Christmas melodies take you right to the Heartland with an all-star cast of music greats. This album is anything but cliche.

Mark plays the fiddle as James Taylor sings about a dog, “Ol’ Blue” (though this has nothing to do with Christmas; it's a strange inclusion in the CD). Jane Monheit turns in a jazzy though acoustic performance featuring fiddle, guitar and string bas on “Carol of the Bells.” Renee Fleming, (a great opera singer), adjusted her interpretation to this material with a heavenly rendition of “Away In A Manger” that includes a string section. This even sounds rustic with the violin slide sounds in the orchestra and sets the mood to the mountains. Both this track and the starkness of “Amazing Grace” will give you chills. Though the latter song’s inclusion in a Christmas CD seems a bit odd, when Jane Monheit soars for an A-flat above high C to start the last line, it's an unexpected present. Allison Krauss’ angelic soprano enriches Stephen Fosters’s “Slumber My Darling” and she is backed by a string trio of O’Connor, Yo-Yo Ma and Edgar Meyer. It is nothing short of breathtaking. Mark does some serious sawing on a Mannheim Steamroller-style rendition of “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.”

“Carol Of the Bells” is turned into a haunting string affair, and O’Connor adds smoky jazz coloring to “The Christmas Song,” along with Monheit.

One of our favorites is ‘What Child Is This?” — one of the most beautiful melodies, which lends itself to Mark's violin playing. Steve Wariner is a wonderful country singer and provides a melancholy rendition of “One Winter’s Night” as Mark accompanies him. On “Sleigh Ride” — the lively Leroy Anderson traditional carol — Mark has overdubbed all ten instruments himself.

Granted, there has been some criticism that some of the numbers are not Appalachian music, or have much to do with Christmas. We have to agree that the music doesn't exactly resemble the mood evoked by the picture on the cover of the CD. Mark’s collaborators are also an eclectric mix — including Sharon Isbin, Jerry Douglas, Byron House, John Jarvis, Bryan Sutton, Frank Vignola, Chris Thile in addition to the artists previously mentioned.

But overall, if you’re looking for a very pleasant album to listen to during the holiday season — that is not your typical, cliche line-up or performances — than Mark O’Connor's “An Appalachian Christmas” is a good choice.

To sample some of the tracks, click the speaker icon below to hear them. Then scroll down the page to order today!