An Intimate Christmas
Danny Wright proves that less is more on his aptly titledAn Intimate Christmas, featuring a dozen pieces, most of them just on piano. He understands that small strokes, not big statements, make the season bright, and whether approaching hymns such as "Oh Come Emanuel" or chestnuts like "White Christmas," Wright plays with a depth that borders on meditation. The effect is rewarding, as the gifted pianist finds ways to refresh the most covered songs in the Christmas canon with passion and constraint. Even his four memorable originals frame the set with an intimacy often missing from similar discs. "My Son's Lullaby" and "Gloria's Prayer" (both about family members) and the telling numbers "Be Still" and "Peace Within" retain a quiet majesty that serves as a fitting refuge from the ceaseless white noise of the holidays.--Martin Keller