New music for the holiday season (pt 4) - A Winter Wonderful -WB3

Going a little bit ‘international’ for my fourth installment of the “12 Faves of Christmas” – My annual look at new holiday music that deserves your attention…

This one is A Winter Wonderful from the Irish band We Banjo 3 and, as their name suggests, it’s a wonderful collection of holiday tunes that have been recorded and arranged in a (sort of) bluegrass fashion that makes this album both unique and fun to hear.

Since 2012, We Banjo 3 has toured the U.S. several times a year, building a passionate and loyal following. The Galway, Ireland quartet – comprised of two sets of brothers, Enda & Fergal Scahill + Martin & David Howley – have fine-tuned their knack for seamlessly converging the shared and varied traditions of Americana, Bluegrass, and Celtic music with pop-sensible songcraft to create a truly unique signature sound.

With this eight-song collection, which features traditional holiday tunes from their native country and from the United States – Ireland’s brightest acoustic band delivers a seasonal recording like no other. The tracks were produced by WB3 and special guests include Scott Mulvahill (double bass), Kiana Howley (fiddle) and Ruth Smith (vocals).

Traditional tunes like “We Three Kings,” “Joy to the World,” and “Silver Bell” are presented here – with each song arranged in WB3’s signature sound. Stand-out songs on this collection include a decidedly upbeat version of the Chris Rea classic “Driving Home for Christmas” and a wonderful cover of “Christmas in Prison” by the late-great John Prine. The band also contributes one of their own compositions with “Sunrise at Solstice.”

Here’s a couple of samples of their work for you to check out – Enjoy!