Bill Binkelman is a long time icon in the music industry.  His reviews are read and respected worldwide by thousands and thousands of people every year.  Obviously I am delighted by what Bill had to say about A Midnight Clear - Christmas in Mitford.

As I transition to reviewing 2011 releases, I start off with my pick for the best seasonal, i.e. not just holiday, recording of the year. A Midnight Clear, featuring the stellar (as usual) work of multi-instrumentalist Bill Leslie and a crew of hugely talented accompanists, is not as centered around traditional carols as many of the other releases this year. Seven of the sixteen tracks are Leslie originals, and even the "traditional" selections include some that are less actively associated with just Christmas. The inspiration for the album came from Leslie's admiration for Jan Karon's series of books about the town of Mitford. The artist and Karon came up with the idea of a holiday music collection of music that would musically convey the imaginary town and the result is this extremely pleasing and enjoyable collection. As on many of Leslie's previous releases, some of the tracks have a distinct Irish flavor, owing to the presence of Celtic whistles (played by Leslie), hammered dulcimer, harp and violin, as well as the very melodies themselves. Other instrumentation on the CD includes guitar, piano, keyboards, cello, percussion, mandolin, oboe, and some vocals. Leslie's originals display his characteristic warm, rich melodies and astute blending of instruments, especially the Irish-flavored Mitford Carol. As I've stated in past reviews, the artist and his accompanists have evolved into the second coming of the ground-breaking Celtic fusion instrumental group Nightnoise. Some of the songs on A Midnight Clear kick up their heels a bit, while others take a low key approach, so the variety of the music makes this ideal accompaniment to all manner of both holiday and seasonal activity. A Midnight Clear is this year's class act and provides a versatile collection of seasonal and wintry music performed by musicians at the height of their talent!

Rating: Excellent