Margaret Slovak & Chris Maresh: “A Star’s Light Does Fall” (2024) CD Review

Each year, fourteen million new Christmas albums are unleashed upon the world, and while most of them are tired and unimaginative, there are a few excellent discs that make their way to us. Often it is the albums of instrumental renditions that really shine, for the obvious reason that many Christmas songs have terrible lyrics (looking at you, “Rudolph” and “Frosty” and “Jingle Bells” and “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”). Guitarist Margaret Slovak and bass player Chris Maresh deliver a beautiful album of classic holiday numbers, some lesser known holiday tunes, a non-Christmas jazz tune, and one decidedly non-Christmas song with a seemingly spiritual title, all as instrumentals. The album’s title is a slight variation of a line from “I Wonder As I Wander,” one of the songs the duo performs here.

They open the album with a rendition of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” that is pretty and soothing. This is exactly the vibe that many of us associate with the holiday, with what the holiday could, or should, be. That image of the world at peace on Christmas Eve, loved ones together on a quiet night, cuddling near the tree, glasses of wine on a nearby table, a fire in the fireplace. I’m not sure how many of us actually experience that anymore, but this music conjures that very image, and has that feel. It’s what we yearn for. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is followed by “I Wonder As I Wander,” a meditative piece written by John Jacob Niles. A couple of minutes in, I get the image of walking along a snowy path in the woods, alone, no one else in sight, feeling relaxed, even joyful. The guitar helps guide the way, picking the spots where the sun shines brightest through the trees, and the bass then feels like the forest itself, responding to our presence. And we become engaged in a conversation of sorts with nature. The line in this song that gives the album its title is “But high from God’s heaven a star’s light did fall.” “What Child Is This?” follows, though an instrumental rendition of “What Child Is This?” is actually “Greensleeves,” so not a holiday song, but still a perfect choice for this sort of approach. And Margaret Slovak and Chris Maresh deliver a beautiful rendition that soothes us while also giving us a place for our minds to journey to, a place and time apart from the madness of the world, before returning to that familiar theme.

A Charlie Brown Christmas is far and away the best holiday television program that ever aired, and a great part of its appeal is Vince Guaraldi’s music. As children, we didn’t know we had become jazz fans, but of course that’s precisely what happened because of that program. Margaret Slovak and Chris Maresh deliver a sweet rendition of “Christmas Time Is Here,” one of that special’s main songs. I like how the bass has the opportunity to lead fairly early on. These guys add their own personal touch, as they do on each of the songs chosen here. They then turn to a composition by Wayne Shorter, “Infant Eyes,” which is not a Christmas number. This one too has a soothing effect, at least for the body, while letting the mind be free to move forward as well as into memory, looking at things with curiosity, but not fear. Inquisitive, but not anxious. There is a calm center. That is followed by one of the classic Christmas songs, “Away In A Manger.” There is something wonderfully light about this rendition, like we could walk, even dance, upon the snow without sinking in, without breaking the surface, and without feeling the cold. This track feels a bit like a dream. It has a fairy tale vibe, which works perfectly.

“Christmas Dinner” was written by Noel Stooky, the Paul of Peter, Paul & Mary. It was included on the Peter, Paul And Mommy album, released in 1969. This instrumental rendition by Margaret Slovak and Chris Maresh feels welcoming. There is also something about it that feels like a memory that we are experiencing again, some of the rough edges worn away by fondness and time. There is a strong bass lead. Margaret Slovak and Chris Maresh then deliver two pieces written by Alfred Burt and Wihla Hutson. These are songs I don’t hear as often as some of the others. The first is “Some Children See Him,” which Amber Weekes covered on her 2020 album The Gathering. There is an element of play here, as well as something loving in its delivery, like it is watching over us. We can feel safe within this song. The second is “The Star Carol,” a tender and pretty piece. There are moments when it feels like a lullaby, as we drift into sleep and stardust.

“Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” begins almost delicately, then soon gathers a warmth. Though there is of course a beautiful sadness to this piece, as certain lines might be recalled: “Someday soon we all will be together/If the fates allow/Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow.” We must hope for the best. And this music will help us get there. This rendition features some excellent guitar work. That playing carries with it a warm optimism. This album concludes with Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” a song that I love, but which of course has nothing whatsoever to do with Christmas. It comes from Various Positions, one of my two favorite albums (the other is American Beauty, if you’re curious). It’s interesting to do an instrumental rendition of a Leonard Cohen song because he was such a skilled creator of lyrics. But this rendition provides a chance to appreciate the beauty of the song apart from the lyrics. It’s a pretty short rendition, approximately three and a half minutes, but of course an instrumental version doesn’t have to pick and choose among the many verses that Leonard Cohen sang over the years. It fades out at the end, leaving the impression that the song continues beyond what we can hear.

CD Track List

1. O Come, O Come Emmanuel
2. I Wonder As I Wander
3. What Child Is This?
4. Christmas Time Is Here
5. Infant Eyes
6. Away In A Manger
7. Christmas Dinner
8. Some Children See Him
9. The Star Carol
10. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
11. Hallelujah

A Star’s Light Does Fall was released on November 1, 2024.