Artist: JEFF BLACK
Album: CHRISTMAS SUNSHINE
Release Date: 2009
Label: Lotos Nile Music
UPC: 786851614466

Produced recorded and mixed By Jeff Black
Zuzu sang “Jingle Bells”
Emerson sang “Silent Night”
Zuzu and Emerson sang
“We Wish You A Merry Christmas”
Nick Nguyen played the fiddle
on “I Saw Three Ships”
Jeff sang, and played the guitar, piano,
banjo, bass, buttons and bells
Recorded December 2009 at Alvie’s Old Barn
Mastered at Yes Master Studios
Mastering engineer Alex McCollough
“Santa Claus” music and arrangement
©2009 Lotos Nile Music BMI
“Christmas Toys” music and arrangement
©2009 Lotos Nile Music BMI
“Christmas Sunshine” illustration
Mcloughlin Bros. New York 1907
Art direction/design by Jeff Black

I Saw Three Ships
traditional
Santa Claus
Anonymous poem cir.1880
Music by Jeff Black
We Three Kings
Rev. John Henry Hopkins, Jr. 1857
Christmas Toys
Anonymous poem cir. 1800’s
Music by Jeff Black
Away In A Manger
Anonymous,
Music James Murray 1887
Curoo Curoo (Carol Of The Birds)
Traditional Irish Carol
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
Edmund Sears 1849
Jingle Bells
James Lord Pierpont 1857
Silent Night
Josef Mohr and Franz Zavier Gruber 1818
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
Traditional
Auld Lang Syne
Robert Burns 1788

All arrangements ©2009 Jeff Black / Lotos Nile Music BMI

Jeff Black plays
Epiphone Masterbilt Banjos
Paige capos, Morley Pedals, Impact Picks
Palomino Blackwing and Blackwing 602 pencils

Throughout his career, this Kansas City-born and Nashville-based singer-songwriter has liked to draw from country, folk, soul, blues, gospel and contemporary genres as his influences and that deep well of inspiration is represented nicely on this collection of holiday tunes. The effort here is strictly based on tradition and family with almost all of the songs coming from familiar tunes and poems written during the 1800s (or earlier) and a couple of original songs (“Christmas Toys,” “Santa Claus”) written by Black as well. Jeff also does the lion’s share of the work here with his rich singing as well as playing the guitar, piano, banjo and bass along with other various and sundry instruments. In keeping with the “family” theme of the record, his two children join in on vocals too (Emerson of “Silent Night,” Zuzu on “Jingle Bells,” and both chime in on “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”). A warm and wonderful “homey” collection of songs that will be sure to lighten your heart.

-Sean Hickey Journal Register

I Saw Three Ships
Instrumental


Santa Claus

His sleigh is long, and deep, and wide
It will carry a host of things
While dozens of drums hang over the side
With the sticks sticking under the strings
And yet not the sound of a drum is heard
Not a bugle blast is blown
As he mounts to the chimney-top like a bird
And drops to the hearth like a stone

He cuts through the snow
like a ship through the foam
While the white flakes around him whirl
Who tells him I don't know
but he finds the home
Of every little boy and girl

The little red stockings he silently fills
Till the stockings won't hold no more
The bright little sleds for the great snow hills
Are quickly set down on the floor
Then Santa Claus mounts to the roof like a bird
And glides to his seat in the sleigh
Not the sound of a jingle jangle is heard
As he ups and gallops away

He rides to the East, and he rides to the West
Of his goodies he touches not one
He eats all the crumbs of the Christmas feast
When the dear little folks are done
Old Santa Claus does all that he can
This beautiful mission is his
So, children be good to the little old man
When you find who the little man is



We Three Kings

We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain moor and mountain
Following yonder star

O star of wonder, star of light
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again
King forever ceasing never
Over us all to reign

Frankincense to offer have I
Incense owns a Deity nigh
Prayer and praising, voices raising
Worshipping God on high

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing sighing bleeding dying
Sealed in the stone cold tomb


Glorious now behold Him arise
King and God and sacrifice
Alleluia, Alleluia
Sounds through the earth and skies



Christmas Toys

What will you find in your stockings
Good little girls and boys
Horses and donkeys and trumpets
Lots of wonderful toys

Dolly in lovely dresses
Tops, and a sword and gun
Rattles, and jacks in boxes
Jolliest things for fun

Play-houses, bows and arrows
Turkeys and ducks that squeak
Candies, and tiny tea sets
Baa-lambs wooly and meek

Old Santa will surely bring us
Some of these wonderful toys
Oh Christmas he always remembers
Good little girls and boys



Away In A Manger

Away in a manger
No crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head

The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay

The cattle are lowing
The poor Baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes

I love Thee, Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay by my side
'Til morning is nigh

Be near me, Lord Jesus
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray

Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And take us to heaven
To live with Thee there



Curoo Curoo (The Carol Of The Birds)

Full many a bird did wake and fly
Curoo, curoo, curoo
Full many a bird did wake and fly
To the manger bed with a wandering cry
On Christmas day in the morning
Curoo, curoo, curoo
Curoo, curoo, curoo

The lark, the dove, the red bird came
Curoo, curoo, curoo
The lark, the dove, the red bird came
And they did sing in sweet Jesus' name
On Christmas day in the morning
Curoo, curoo, curoo
Curoo, curoo, curoo

The owl was there with eyes so wide
Curoo, curoo, curoo
The owl was there with eyes so wide
And he did sit at sweet Mary's side
On Christmas day in the morning
Curoo, curoo, curoo
Curoo, curoo, curoo

The shepherds knelt upon the hay
Curoo, curoo, curoo
The shepherds knelt upon the hay
And angels sang the night away
On Christmas day in the morning
Curoo, curoo, curoo
Curoo, curoo, curoo



It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

It came upon the midnight clear
That glorious song of old
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold

“Peace on the earth, good will to men
From Heaven’s all gracious King
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing

Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled
And still their heavenly music floats
O’er all the weary world

Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing
And ever over its Babel sounds
The blessèd angels sing

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long
Beneath the angel strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong

And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring
O hush the noise, ye men of strife
And hear the angels sing

And ye, beneath life’s crushing load
Whose forms are bending low
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow

Look now! for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing
O rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing

For lo! the days are hastening on
By prophet-bards foretold
When with the ever circling years
Comes round the age of gold

When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing



Jingle Bells

Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh
Over the fields we go, laughing all the way
Bells on bob-tails ring, making spirits bright
What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
O what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
O what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh

A day or two ago, I thought I'd take a ride
And soon Miss Fanny Bright, was seated by my side
The horse was lean and lank, misfortune seemed his lot
He got into a drifted bank and we got upsot

A day or two ago, the story I must tell
I went out on the snow, and on my back I fell
A gent was riding by, in a one-horse open sleigh
He laughed as there I sprawling lie but quickly drove away

Now the ground is white, go it while you're young
Take the girls tonight, and sing this sleighing song
Just get a bob-tailed bay, two-forty as his speed
Hitch him to an open sleigh and crack! you'll take the lead



Silent Night

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child
Holy Infant, so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night
Shepherds quake at the sigh
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia
Christ the Savior is born
Christ the Savior is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

Silent night, holy night
Wondrous star, lend thy light
With the angels let us sing
Alleluia to our King
Christ the Savior is born
Christ the Savior is born



Auld Lang Syne

Should old acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind
Should old acquaintance be forgot
and old lang syne

For auld lang syne my jo
for auld lang syne
we'll take a cup of kindness yet
for auld lang syne

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup
and surely I’ll buy mine
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet
for auld lang syne

We two have run about the slopes
and picked the daisies fine
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot
since auld lang syne
We two have paddled in the stream
from morning sun till dine
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne

now there’s a hand my trusty friend
And give us a hand o’ thine
And we’ll take a right good-willy draught
and sing for auld lang syne

All lyrics, music and adaptations written by Jeff Black
© Jeff Black | Lotos Nile Music BMI
*except where noted
All Rights Reserved