John Fahey - Christmas Soli (2013)

Guitarist John Fahey s concept of Christmas music was a little different from the norm.

The New Possibility: John Fahey s Guitar Soli Christmas Album, the acoustic guitarist s visionary 1968 set, was a scintillating collection of solo steel-string adaptations of beloved traditional Yuletide melodies ( Joy to the World, We Three Kings of Orient Are, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen ). It reportedly sold more than 100,000 copies on Fahey s own Takoma label, tabbing it as his best-selling album, and inspired several more memorable holiday sets from the guitarist: Christmas With John Fahey Vol. II (1975, also on Takoma), Christmas Guitar Volume One (1982, on the Varrick label), and Popular Songs of Christmas & New Year s, a duet collection with fellow guitarist Terry Robb (1983, on Varrick).

All four of those brilliant albums are generously represented on Fantasy s newly compiled Christmas Guitar Soli With John Fahey, a 14-song compilation of highlights from Fahey s Yuletide catalog. Scheduled for October 29 CD release, the collection provides a lovely soundtrack for the upcoming holiday season and boasts newly created cover art by Tom Weller, who designed the artwork for many of Fahey s original Takoma albums, that s done in the style of those classic sets.