holiday gift ideas: early edition

It is a time of year when travels, visits, and friends and family gatherings come along, as well as many holidays. Music is is always a good gift, and easy to carry along with you, great to share. As you may be beginning to choose gifts for those holiday visits here are suggestions to get you thinking. Follow the links in the titles of these albums to learn more about each of them.


If you’ve someone who enjoys quiet meditation in his or her music, Bill Miller’s Spirit Wind East could be just the thing. Miller is Native American, of the Stockbridge-Munsee-Mohican nation. He has worked with artists in many areas of music and created his own albums as well. For this one, he uses the breath of his flute to reflect on the spirit, landscape and lives of the tribes of the northeastern United States. Music includes Where Waters never Still, Eastern Woodland, Nighthawk, and Founding Brothers.

If you’ve a person on your list who enjoys songs which are like three minute movies, filled with character and story, then Matraca Berg’s album The Dreaming Fields is a good choice. Berg’s stories will make you think as well as entertain you, and she is a fine singer as well.

New parents as well as lovers of Celtic music on your list will enjoy Lullabies for Love. On it, musicians including to Irish band Altan and Scottish style composer and fiddle player Hanneke Cassel join up for a collection of songs for children and parents. Proceeds from the album go to help a project for children in Kenya, too.

Those Celtic music lovers will also like Shannon Heaton’s The Blue Dress, which comprises traditional and original Irish music on the flute. In fact, if you’ve someone with adventurous music tastes on your list, why not choose both
Miller’s and Heaton’s flute music for them. Perhaps add Fred Morrison’s Outlands for a taste of innovative music from Scotland on the bagpipes, too.You could add in Everything Is Everywhere from Carrie Newcomer, as well, an album in which Americana and the music of India meet.

How about seasonal music? Jennifer Cutting’s Ocean Orchestra has that covered, with Song of Solstice. Music for the light and dark of the holiday season and the turning of the year, quiet pieces and ones to sing along with are just a taste of the interesting and lively music on this disc. Perhaps you’ll get Song of Solstice for yourself as well, to get you in the festive mood as you prepare for the winter holidays.


you may also wish to see
Music Road: holiday gift list: American harvest
Music Road: Best Music, 2010