NEW WEEKLY FEATURE ALERT!

Hey guys! Welcome to our weekly Lineout feature, called “What’s on Megan’s desk?” Megan Seling’s desk is a well known exhibition for all sorts of things, including stacks and stacks of new releases that she opens from the labels and the office candy bowl, which too often stands empty. Every week we will close our eyes, feel around tentatively, and grab something off Megan’s desk to review. Sometimes it may be a CD, sometimes a whole press kit, sometimes it may be a fresh baked cookie. Fun!

Here’s a photo of Megan’s desk:

It is not the messiest desk in the office, nor the cleanest. Here is a photo of my desk, which competes for emptiest:

And Charles Mudede’s death cove, which is by far the scariest in the office:

Anyhow, I performed the ritual just a few moments ago and whatever should pop up but Christmas in the Northwest Volume 9!
Here’s the cover:

Hooray?!

It seems strange to me that a CD that is being sold to benefit a charity (Children’s Hospital) would waste precious money sending out review copies, but in this case it’s obviously because they want to share their smooth jazz Christmas Favorites with the world! I of course skipped straight to the biggest name on the CD, Kenny G. His sax sounds great massaging the basic tune of “Winter Wonderland” into existence. Very joyful and inoffensive. “Caroling, Caroling” by the Northwest Boychoir has a beginning that hints at the inner drama of the Christ Birth, with a deep bass line. “Deck the Halls” by the Coats is soulful and has a beat written on a drum machine, springing the compilation into the future of music made on machines.

In any case, this would be great to buy for your Grandma, except if she is the kind of Grandma that hates diversity, because this is a very diverse mix of Christmas tunes.

Thanks for tuning in for the first installment of “What’s on Megan’s desk!” Stay tuned for next week when I will take the treacherous dive once again.