Review by Richard Banks, Christmasreviews.com:Waking up early on an October morning, months before regular people begin listening to holiday music but at least a month beyond when I should be, I am pleased to listen to John Garvey's A Christmas Motley, an engaging and unusual set of Christmas tunes, layered throughout with strange and wonderful extra-musical sound effects. Although this is a pretty high-brow set, Garvey carries off the project with good-natured finesse and down-to-earth humor. His ability to imbue each selection with an emotional patina is what sets this record apart from so many completely electronic efforts. The comical special effects aren't overused; rather, they occur with just the right frequency, giving the listener that"what did I just hear?" feeling, and engaging the ear and mind with what might otherwise seem to be just background music.(http://www.christmasreviews.com/wjohngarvey.shtml)Editor's Pick: listed in Recommended Classical: Renaissance (http://cdbaby.com/picks/346?skip=40)Description:Combine three bright, infectious Renaissance dances that will have you improvising your own galliard and branle. Stir in some wassails, one a less-familiar traditional followed by two old favorites in a merry medley inspired by Beautiful Downtown Burbank. Divide an unfamiliar Elizabethan Christmas song into three equal parts and flavor the first part with sugarplum fairies, the second with a sprinkling from a foppish powdered wig, and the third part with a pinch of Tudor melancholy. Add to mixture and set aside. Combine chanting monks and angel choirs and mix until voluminous. Fold into mixture and top with sacbut, cornamuse, piccolo, sleighbells, saxophone, strings, toy robots and cell phones. Serve immediately and enjoy.Track notes:Jouissance Vous DonneraiMusic: Thoinot Arbeau, 16th centuryA courtly basse dance arranged for guitar, recorders, cello and snow flurries.King of Denmark's GalliardMusic: John Dowland, 16th centuryA spritely court dance arranged for recorders, violin, guitar and cello.Mixed BranlesMusic: Claude Gervaise, 16th centuryA suite of short line or circle dances arranged for guitar, recorder and cello.Somerset WassailMusic: English traditionalAn arrangement for pipe and tabor, voices, harp, and English horn.Ringtone Wassail / Burbank WassailMusic: Californian traditionalDUI while wassailing among the palms so green...Christmas Is My NameMusic: English, early 17th centuryThe music travels back in time from the Victorian to the Baroque to the Elizabethan.Da Pacem DomineMusic: Gregorian chantArranged for monastic voices.Angelus Ad VirginemMusic: English, 13th centuryPerformed by a clerestory choir of angels.Hark! The Herald Angels SingMusic: Felix Mendelssohn, 1840A quiet guitar solo.Angels We Have Heard on HighMusic: French carolAn oboe solo accompanied by warm vocal harmony.Ode to JoyMusic: Ludwig van Beethoven, 1824Monks and angels perform excerpts from the 9th Symphony, Fourth Movement.Blyssid Be That Mayde MaryMusic: English traditionalArranged for guitar, sacbut, harpsichord, cornamuse and piccolo.Bring a Torch, Jennifer, AshleyMusic: French, 14th centuryThe simple message of Christmas is sometimes lost in all the holiday activity.Am I Under the Right Tree?Music: John Garvey, 2007An old-fashioned toy piano surrounded by electronic toys and gadgets.