The Statesmen Seasons Greetings from Capitol Hill

Eleven (count 'em!) great, fun holiday songs! A few classics and a few you've never heard before, but will find yourself singing in the shower! The Statesmen are: Dave Drynan - electric and acoustic guitars, vocals Craig Hauenstein - acoustic guitars (right), electric guitar, vocals Rick Jaramillo - acoustic guitars (left), vocals Drew Garrett - acoustic and electric basses, guitars, keyboards, vocals Honorary Statesmen: Stacey Turpenoff - duet vocal on "Baby It's Cold Outside" and background vocals on "Do You Hear What I Hear" Gee Rabe - accordion on "A Holly Jolly Christmas" Guido Valeri - synthesizer on "Baby It's Cold Outside" Some words about the tunes: 1. Dig That Crazy Santa Claus (Leon Rene') - A great song Craig brought to the band, and we're diggin' his vocal. Slap bass by Drew, guitar solo by Dave, and background vocals by Dave, Drew and Rick. 2. Blue Christmas (Bill Hayes/Jay Johnson) - Ain't no way to be blue after hearing Dave channel Elvis (Presley) on this number. The Dryrnanaires on background vocals: Dave Drynan-baritone, Dave Drynan-tenor, Dave Drynan-lead 3. Please Come Home For Christmas (Charles Brown/Gene Redd) - The great Charles Brown song made famous by the Eagles. Features an awesome vocal by Craig, and a killer guitar solo from Dave. That's a Leslie speaker, and it was the first and only take! 4. Here Comes Santa Claus (Gene Autry/Oakley Haldeman) - Another Elvis classic done right by Dave. This one follows Colorado Statute 17-302 (x) VII that states: "At least one song on every Statesmen CD shall include a wah-wah solo". 5. Feliz Navidad (Jose Feliciano) - Another fantastic vocal by Craig on this classic. Penny Drynan appears on cowbell, and Drew plays the solo on a little-bitty Spanish guitar. Feliz Craig! 6. Baby It's Cold Outside (Frank Loesser) - A suggestion from Dave. I'm thinking it's because he got to sing with Stacey Turpenoff, and show off some of those fancy jazz chords he knows. Julie Garrett brushes the snare drum, and Guido Valeri provided just the right strings part. And then there's the lyrics; am I the only one thinking "Restraining Order"? 7. A Holly Jolly Christmas (Johnny Marks) - So what's it gonna be: holly? Or jolly? Why not both? This performance by Craig really puts one in the spirit! That's Dave on 12 string, and Gee Rabe on accordion. 8. Do You Hear What I Hear (Noel Regney) - One of my all-time favorite holiday classics! Dave on vocal and lead guitar. Stacey joins Drew, Rick, and Craig on the background vocals. Is there an echo in here? 9. Merry Christmas Baby (Lou Baxter/Charles Brown/Johnny Moore) - Another one Craig brought to us, and we love the way he does it! That's him on electric rhythm and a mean solo. He lights it up! 10. Christmas In Jail (Joyner Burton Lee Sr. - Old Ninety Seven Publishing-BMI) - The Statesmen deliver a PSA (Public Service Announcement): DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE. Dave plays the perfect slide solo, and Craig sings it, and he means it! 11. White Christmas (Irving Berlin) - Get out your lighters. The eighties are coming back: they'll be here in 67 years! This is Dave's nod to hair-metal which features an ending solo, played with his tongue firmly in cheek, in which he tried to include every cliche guitar lick he could think of...and it is FUN! When Irv wrote this in 1940, I'm pretty sure this is EXACTLY the way he heard it. The electric bass is played by Drew, everything else is Dave.