No-L: A 2020 Christmas, by Ben Schmidt-Swartz

No-L: A 2020 Christmas

by Ben Schmidt-Swartz

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1.	12 Days of Xmas (Spirits of a 2020 Christmas) 06:00	info	buy track
2.	Break Forth O Beauteous Heavenly Light 01:43	lyrics	buy track
Break forth oh beauteous Heavenly Light To usher in the morning Ye Shepherds, quake not with affright But hear the angels warning This Child now weak in infancy Our confidence and joy shall be The power of Satan breaking Our Peace Eternal making Break forth oh beauteous Heavenly Light To herald in our salvation He stoops to Earth, the God of Might Our hope and expectation, He comes in human flesh to dwell Our God, with us, Immanuel The night of darkness ending Our fallen race befriending.
3.	Greensleeves (for Coleman Hawkins) 05:12	info	buy track
4.	Stars Gleaming (1) 00:43	lyrics	buy track
Stars gleaming around If you think You must like stars Stars are wonderful Stars are in the night sky!
5.	Fantasy and Improvisation on "The Holly and the Ivy" 02:23	info	buy track
6.	Stars Gleaming (2) 00:40	info	buy track
7.	Improvisation on "The Holly and the Ivy" 04:31	info	buy track
8.	Stars Gleaming (3) 00:37	info	buy track
9.	Barbara Allen 01:21	info	buy track
10.	Bring a Torch, Jaenette, Isabella 04:29	info	buy track
11.	The Birds 01:06	info	buy track
12.	It Came Upon a Midnight Clear 06:43	info	buy track
13.	Als der gütige Gott vollenden wollt sein Wort 04:55	info	buy track
14.	Santa Claus is Coming to Town 01:02	info	buy track

about

No-L was inspired by an anxious holiday season fraught with a hightened sense of desperation and melancholy due to the Covid-19 pandemic crisis. For many creative musicians 2020 has meant the loss of economic means, the dissolution of venues and institutions that housed creative music, and most importantly in person collaborative opportunities have been wiped out by quarantine and strict social distancing guidelines.

For some other (many the same) creative musicians, 2020 has also been a time to decompress, reflect, and leave the hustle and struggle of being a working musicians behind for a while. It's been a time to shed, write, and discover new things in our playing and writing. To deepen and relax a bit into ourselves.

On a personal note the the arrangements of "Stars Gleaming" are a special artistic (musical) debut for a little person who has made my 2020 not just bearable, but highly enriching and joyful. The words and melody were written by my 7 year old niece Ana. I love this wonderful little melody, and am grateful to my dear friend Allie Robson for singing this song!

No-L: A 2020 Christmas is dedicated to my musician friends who have continued to exist in a world of no work, and no play.

credits

released December 19, 2020

Ben Schmidt-Swartz- Tenor, Alto, and Sopranino Saxophones; Clarinet, Flute, Toy Piano and Voice. Amateur recording and mixing. Cover design.

Allie Robson- Voice

Ana Cotton-Schmidt- Composer/Lyricist

Jane Kozhevnikova- Photograph

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about

Ben Schmidt-Swartz Chicago, Illinois

A born and bred Chicago tenor player, Ben is happy to be on the scene in Chicago. Ben has had a prolific carreer as a saxophonist, woodwindist, composer and educator. Whether the style is avant-garde or bebop he feels at home in any musical situation, and strives to find new ways of creating alchemy within different genres and disciplines, Thanks for checking out Ben's music! ... more

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