Dan Zanes Releases, Celebrates Christmas in Concord

Nothing like news of a Dan Zanes Christmas album to make the season bright(er). Word from Brooklyn this week that Zanes will follow up his excellent fall release Little Nut Tree with Christmas in Concord. The 5-song EP will be available on iTunes starting on November 29. [The EP is now available here.]The five tunes (tracklisting below) are traditional Christian Christmas tunes. Zanes notes that those tunes were part of Christmases in his hometown of Concord growing up:

"I moved away from that narrow canon in the years since I left home as a seventeen year old in favor of more varied musical pastures, but this holiday season something pulled me back... I now realize that there were some very moving songs being sung year after year and I’m grateful for the memories of those parties and for the experience of gathering year after year with friends and neighbors to sing, eat, have a few laughs and eat some pickled herring.”

Zanes did indeed travel more broadly, musically (remember his Holiday House Party from 2008?), so this is definitely much more traditional.

In addition to the EP, Zanes is also putting on a Christmas in Concord concert on Saturday afternoon, December 17 at City Winery in New York City. The concert is intended to be a celebration of the Antonsons' annual Christmas party - a seasonal highlight in Concord, NH from 1968 through 1989; sounds like it'll be much different from the House Parties of '08. Zanes promises "special guests! christmas music! songbooks! holiday spirit!," all of which I'd expect from Zanes (including the lowercase spelling). No word on the pickled herring, though.

Sounds like a blast. If we were anywhere near NYC that weekend, we'd be there. EP tracklisting (and possible sneak preview) after the jump.
Christmas In Concord Tracklist
1. Silent Night
2. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
3. Joy to the World
4. Deck the Halls
5. Angels We Have Heard on High

Zanes released a video of him performing "Silent Night" solo in 2010, so we shall see how (or if) he modified it for this release...

Dan Zanes - "Silent Night" [YouTube]

Photo credit: Gala Narezo