My first encounter with Claire Lynch was an interview I did with her for Lonesome Highway following my mind-blowing listen to If Wishes Were Horses, the opening track on her 1997 album Silver and Gold. We have kept in touch over the years and there is seldom a programme on my radio show that doesn’t include a track from one her albums to date. But for all the albums that I have this “Holiday” one really is the icing on the Christmas cake.
Ten tracks with a voice as pure as the driven snow all leading straight to “Goose Bump City”. All the Claire Lynch Band are the featured musicians with some additional help from old pal Jim Hurst, Engineer Todd Phillips and daughter Christy Lynch. 8 old familiars and 2 originals make this a tight collection of holiday music that just might not get put away when all the glitter comes down after Jan 6.
The Claire Lynch Band are a total package and all members deserve equal billing when the praise is being dished out. I think that's what makes this CD so special to me. The titles are all familiar but the CLB treatment lifts then all to a level that keeps the repeat button permanently pressed down. While it’s hard to pick out any particular track maybe White Christmas and the instrumental We Three Kings manage to just nose a bit ahead of the bunch.
To my mind Claire Lynch has the finest voice in music today, not just in bluegrass but right across the whole musical spectrum. This album is only available from the band at live performances or from her website and make sure you get yours because as the slogan goes "The Claire Lynch Band Holiday album is not just for Christmas, it’s for life”