Danny Wright might be the best piano player that you've never heard. He has logged 15 years of recording, with over 4 million albums sold in the new age genre, and is only now making his major label debut with the release of An Intimate Christmas, on Atlantic/Atco Records.
Wright has made a heck of a career story without the traditional benefits and helping hands. He had no manager or agent, no airplay or appearances on TV and radio, but has made enough of an impression to gain the support of industry heavy hitters like Best Buy, Borders, and Barnes & Noble. Wright has also toured the U.S. and Canada extensively. Not bad for a guy, doing it on his own, and on his own terms!
An Intimate Christmas is the first Christmas release from Wright in seven years, marking his debut release for Atlantic. The album will be followed by Pure Romance, which is planned for release prior to (surprise!) Valentine's Day. Both albums were recorded in a mere three days, at the legendary Hit Factory in New York City.
The simultaneous recording of the two, makes a good example for Wright's career. Wright has been at times relentless, recording and releasing many albums during the course of his career. It was a cycle that was dependable enough, that I could generally count on having a new release from Wright, to give to my mother on either Christmas, or Mother's Day. Danny Wright has always been good for covering the important holidays with Mom, and on the holidays that weren't covered, I would get a bit worried, like an old friend that perhaps forgot to send a Christmas card.
An Intimate Christmas is signature Wright material. It's hard to believe that it took major labels so long to see the light and audience connected to Wright. Clearly, that oversight is Atlantic's gain, and you can put a notch in their "win" column with An Intimate Christmas. The album features the minimalistic approach from a recording standpoint. The focus here is on Wright and the piano, and while there are very few audio trimmings surrounding his playing, it's not needed. Wright's renderings of Christmas favorites are a quiet soundtrack perfect for any family gathering. In fact, listening to this album, brings back memories of many family dinners, and nights spent around the fireplace telling stories while the snow would fall outside. Also included on the album, along side holiday favorites like "O Come Emmanuel", "Silent Night", and "Joy To The World". are four original Wright compositions that fit well and make for a solid disc of holiday cheer.
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