I wanted to make a xmas record that was representative of the way I, and many of the people I know feel about it so it has a more melancholy, reflective atmosphere though still retaining some kind of a, as you say, „magic quality“. Also, while there are beautiful melodies in some of these tunes (e.g.) In The Bleak Midwinter. Jingle Bells is a song that I’m not very keen on which has a rather weak and insipid melody so it was a challenge to adapt it in a way that made it palatable; therefore that one was as much of a musical matter. I do like working with well known tunes though, as in the case of the Nursery Rhymes album; since everyone knows the original so well it’s ideal material for highlighting an arranger’s approach to it.
(Bill Wells, aus einer Email von heute nachmittag – die dritte Stunde der Klanghorizonte am 29. 12. ist vor allem Bill Wells und seinem National Jazz Trio of Scotland gewidmet)