\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hans Gerald H\u00f6dl<\/strong> opens our ears to the blues resounding in our dearest Christmas carols.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cChristmas songs\u201d are songs like \u201cLast Christmas\u201d. Then there are Christmas carols. There are very fine ones among them, although it is not easy to find a decent version of, say, \u201cJingle bells\u201d.<\/p>\n In Austria, we can be proud of sharing a wide variety of very fine songs dealing with the birth of the Lord. For example, \u201cEs wird schu glei dumpa\u201d. These songs are folklore (Volksmusik) as opposed to fake-lore (\u201cVolkst\u00fcmliche Musik\u201d), even if one knows the authors of the song. \u201cSilent Night\u201d, although we know the authors and there is this nice story about why it was written, is \u201cpublic domain\u201d. Legend has it that the parish organ was out of function and therefore Joseph Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber had to play a song at Christmas eve that could be accompanied by a guitar. This song has now become one of the most rendered in the world, I suppose, and like \u201cBlowing in the wind\u201d one of the most badly interpreted ones (especially in families without any member capable of singing).<\/p>\n The song is in 6\/8 time, and as far as I understand it, the chord progression is at least similar to the one that is the backbone of the blues. The blues being in 4\/4, with its tendency to playing the fours as triplets can be interpreted as 6\/8 as well, in my humble opinion as a drummer. Methinks that the two versions done by Austrian musicians rendered here are very bluesy.<\/p>\n The first one is <\/a>done by the blind accordionist Otto Lechner and the guitarist Klaus Trabitsch, together with a bunch of fine musicians. It is from their album \u201cStill\u201d (meaning: \u201cquiet\u201d) featuring Christmas carols in instrumental versions somewhere in between folklore, blues and jazz.<\/p>\n