Beloved Musician “Dr. Dave” Releases “Two Christmas Songs”

Once again, ‘tis the season…so, in the spirit of keeping the upcoming holidays merry and bright, don’t forget the perennial joys of Dr. Dave’s Christmas songs!

Thanks to the commercial retail world, the Yuletide seems to be upon us earlier every year, pretty much starting the day after Halloween. The malls start blasting the same old tunes we’ve heard for decades, terrestrial radio stations gear up to switch their formats and listeners with more discerning, hipster tastes are left to flip through the streaming services in search of tracks to create the perfect party playlists to make the season bright – or at least tolerable.

Smooth jazz fans should consider themselves lucky, then, that Dr. Dave, one of its top hit making independent guitarist/composers, is giving them the perfect November musical holiday appetizer – and ultimate instrumental stocking stuffer – with a cool two-track bundle showcasing his prowess as both a brilliant balladeer and jazz/funk rocker who likes to let loose and bring fresh exuberance to the simplest of seasonal refrains.

Collectively released under the title Two Christmas Songs, Dr. Dave’s arrangements of the classics “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” are the perfect mood-setters for both holiday social gatherings with friends and family and more intimate romantic moments.

Dr. Dave’s take on “Have Yourself…” (originally introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis) taps into the contemplative and nostalgic aspects of the season while giving him space to share his soulful improvisational artistry. In contrast, his revved up, blues-rock driven romp through “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” – featuring the fanciful keyboards of Rob Whitlock and Kevin Fluornoy and Whitlock’s lively acoustic piano energy - has a kickin’ party vibe to make and keep those spirits bright.

“I know most artists do full Christmas albums, but I thought it would be more unique to record two songs with distinctive vibes that capture the different emotions people feel this time of year,” says Dr. Dave. “I chose two of the most recognizable holiday songs and decided to create one that’s up-tempo and high energy for younger pop-jazz fans and another that’s more mature and sophisticated that would appeal to those who like more mellow smooth jazz - with touches of improv to put my personal stamp on it.

“These Two Christmas Songs are perfectly balanced for different parts of the evening, capturing the spirit of the season in a little musical nutshell,” he adds. “The first is calm, reminding folks it’s Christmastime and the perfect time to connect or reconnect with friends and loved ones, while the other is more celebratory. The phrase I told the band before we got into ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ was ‘Let’s just rock this thing up a bit!’  I love the fact that we can share these songs every year. Jazzy Christmas music never goes out of style.”

Dr. Dave originally dropped Two Christmas Songs a few years before he rebranded his ensemble of veteran jazz greats as Dr. Dave & The HouseCall Band for the release of one of his most acclaimed albums, Midnight Daydream. The relentlessly funked out, high octane, horn drenched collection spawned four popular radio tracks, starting with the sensual, seductive single “Sexy Cindy,” which became one of Dr. Dave’s biggest hits ever, ranking #1 for Smooth Jazz Guitar songs in the U.S. on Radio Guitar One’s Top 20.

“Sexy Cindy” was inspired by and named for Cindy Sanchez Medina, Miss Santander, Columbia 2018, whom the guitarist met at La Jolla Cove when she was traveling in the U.S. Dr. Dave recently celebrated the re-release of a “Sexy Cindy (Music Video),” a vocal enhanced version that’s been up on YouTube since 2018 but because of strict format policies was never heard by fans listening to the song when it was all over smooth jazz radio. As appreciative as Dr. Dave is for the airplay the instrumental version received, the guitarist has always preferred the one presented in the video, which he included as a bonus audio track on Midnight Daydream. While beautiful, alluring images of Cindy abound in the video, the compelling clip is predominantly a dynamic insider’s look at the recording of the track, which was created live in the studio by Dr. Dave & the HouseCall Band.

Longtime fans of contemporary jazz may remember Dr. Dave from his initial success as a recording artist in the mid to late 90s, when his albums I Like It Like That, Smooth and Cruisin’ made big splashes in the early days of the Smooth Jazz format. Cruisin’ also featured performances by Ronnie and Hubert Laws. In 2013, he released Love Potion, a collection of romantic songs, which he followed with the perfectly titled The Doctor Is In, full of Dr. Dave’s early up-tempo tracks. The smooth jazz format’s embrace of these recordings inspired Dr. Dave to return to the scene full-force with Midnight Daydream.

After many years of being signed to independent labels, Dr. Dave has taken control of his career and vast catalog as the head of Hatherill Records (his given last name). He is currently finishing up a new album of freshly updated versions of previously unreleased material that will include “Reserved for Abbie.”

The songs are available on Spotify and all traditional music outlets Worldwide.   http://drdavehousecallband.com

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