Personnel includes: Jim Brickman (piano, keyboards); The Blind Boys Of Alambama, The Malibu Lake Holiday Singers, Ken Stacey, Windy Wagoner, Phoebe Jevtovich, David Grow, Cliff Bemis, Kristy Starling, Collin Raye (vocals); Eric Rigler (penny whistle); Jorgen Carlsson (guitar, bass); Matt Laug (drums, percussion); Chris Rojas, Billy Mann (programming); Anne Cochran (background vocals).
Producers: Jim Brickman, Eddie King, David Grow, Tracy Silverman, Billy Mann.
Recorded at Brickhouse Studios, Studio City, California; Howling Music Studios, Malibu Lake, California.
PEACE was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album.
What sets pianist Jim Brickman apart from much of Windham Hill's roster has been a certain earnest, emotive, evocative style, which unfolds beyond the borders of any genre, somewhere in the woods outside of the jazz, classical, and new age worlds. This music can easily lend itself to the spirit of Christmas, so it's not surprising that Brickman would take to the holidays and record PEACE, his second Christmas album, following 1997's highly-successful THE GIFT.
As with THE GIFT, PEACE is a balance of original Brickman compositions and timeless classics. Also like its predecessor, PEACE is peppered with guest vocalists who pop up to add lyrical cheer. Most satisfying are gospel veterans the Blind Boys of Alabama's haunting yet uplifting throwback take on "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" and gospel up-and-comer Kristy Starling's rendering of Brickman's original composition, the sweetly soulful "Sending You a Little Christmas." Of particular note among the instrumentals is the sober, almost somber take on "Jingle Bells," casting a different light on a much-traveled road. PEACE takes up where THE GIFT left off, a gentle yet inspiring record that could be played late on Christmas Day as the kids experiment with their new toys, the fire still roars with Yuletide fever, and the world seems comfortably aglow.
