The Carols of Christmas (BMG 01934 11193) - 1996

Though Anne Robinson probably oversaw the beginning of this album's production when she gracefully stepped away from her record label in the summer of 1996, there are many elements that artistically show the record label's intentions once BMG took control. Though Ackerman, Manring, Story, Hedges and Nightnoise are welcome sights as Windham Hill Artists, much of this album features works by artists who were part of Private Music or BMG's other brands and were featured in a "Windham Hill" compilation. This compilation is also the first for Brian Keane, who went on to work on many Windham Hill Group records under BMG's Andrea Franklin and Christine Reed. This record features a myriad of musical directions BMG took with the Windham Hill sound (and its carefully procured audience) once they took control, and the record is, like many Windham Hill records between 1996 and 2000, scattered in scope and musical direction.

Also of note: this is Will Ackerman's first Windham Hill contribution with his longtime co-producer and technician Corin Nelson. Ackerman and Nelson would go on to produce many records for Imaginary Road and later for independent self-releasing artists and musicians (and for Windham Hill as well).

This is the second track from The Carols of Christmas, We Three Kings by saxophone player Marion Meadows.