Annie Moses Band: Bethlehem, House of Bread

Posted by Kevan Breitinger Jul 24, 2006

The band is ten classically trained pieces, ranging from the harp to a full string section, with a few talented guest artists for "Bethlehem, House of Bread." And while the vocals are for the most part classical in style as well, the songs themselves range from flatout bluegrass ("Christmas on Cripple Creek"), to the jazz-flaired ("Jingle Bells/Go Tell it on the Mountain"), to the just plain tear-it-up sizzle ("opener "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"). The ten tracks go from dramatic new songs ("I Dreamed of Christmas") to quiet acoustic renditions of old favorites ("Mary Had a Baby"). I found the "Jingle Bells" track to be the most surprising, with its quiet strings intro swerving suddenly to a joyously staccato violin dance, with several unexpected and dramatic time changes adding to its richness.

The Annie Moses Band brings us a fresh Christmas treasure with "Bethlehem, House of Bread."