Soldiers Christmas Album to Benefit Wounded Warriors Project
This entry was posted on December 17, 2009 1:09 PM and is filed under the troops - music.
eXaminer.com National - an article written by Janet Barrett
Looking for a home grown present to cheer up a veteran and their family? How about Christmas music with a special meaning to them, and to us all? The creators of the Soldiers Christmas Project, were already talented people. With every project they support on behalf of U.S. veterans, yet-unrealized were their capabilities as a duo in creating an album of poems, tunes and stories for Christmas, with a military bent. The star poem of the album, "A Soldier's Christmas," tells the story of the lone soldier on watch on Christmas Eve, who is always with us in spirit.
In dreaming up and producing the Soldiers Christmas Project, Paul Brian of WLS Radio, and a U.S. Army veteran; and Joe Cantafio a Gold Star Family member and USO Entertainer with his band, the 101st Rock Division, put their passion for veterans' causes to music in three short weeks.
But not without a little help from their friends.
Joe Cantafio and Paul Brian
Creativity often is spurred by adversity. Brian had been flat on his back with the flu, back in November, when he thought up the idea to create the project on behalf of the Wounded Warriors Project, to which all sales proceeds from the CD are slated. The mission of the Wounded Warrior Project is to honor and empower wounded warriors, severely injured service men and women through projects and services.
Driven by a raised awareness of WWP sparked by his involvement with the late former White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, Brian began by telling Cantafio about a poem that was " ... missing two things; your guitar and my voice." What proceeded to four recordings became in Cantafio's mind too good not to become a full album. The album, in CD or Download, along with sample clips, is available at the www.SoldiersChristmasProject.com
It warrants a visit to the website to read more about everyone involved in the project; a letter from the original poem's author, Michael Marks, to Brian; and a Facebook entry of the history of the magic behind the guitar by Cantafio's friend Dennis Bracco, whose family passed it along to him. Bracco's father had an incident in World War II that perpetrated his desire to help others for the rest of his life. He went on to have 10 children and co-found and coach Oak Park Boys' Baseball. Thus, the strands of a guitar from the 1920's ring true and clear in this Christmas memento album. Next up, watch for a video of the production to emerge.
Cantafio, no stranger to ideas himself, was on board to take it to the top after receiving Brian's phone call at 2:30 a.m. A three-week whirlwind ensued to produce the masterpiece of 11 songs and stories ranging from remixes of family treasures and well known stories; Biblical renditions, all with Brian's voice, molten whimsy over a background of Cantafio's magical Spanish guitar. They wanted to make a sort of "shortest Christmas story," Cantafio said, with "St. Matthew 2_1-3 The Christmas Story." Other Biblical epics emerge with quiet instrumentals of "O Holy Night, and "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "Silent Night," "O Come All Ye Faithful." Dramatic readings include "The Gift of the Magi" and "The Night Before Christmas." A sense of reverence and a good dose of chills also run freely among the album's warmth, as you listen and read the website blog, and links to the stories behind the album.
Everyone asked to help produce the album pitched in at the last minute and all donated their time, from their friend Capt. Michael Saubert Sr., US Army (ret) illustrator of the CD cover art, to the recording and editing by Slang Studios and KI Editing. The author of the signature poem "A Soldier's Christmas," Michael Marks wrote a letter to Brian, also posted on the project blog, granting royalties from his poem for use by the artists, to benefit of WWP, Illinois. He commended its resultant beauty and interesting Middle Eastern musical backdrop. The artistry of people like Cantafio's sister's family comes into play in festive, polka-like "I Want a Kiss," recorded more than 25 years ago, remixed and credited to the original sound of the Trapped Von Revers Family Singers. There is a touch of humor and cleverness, in the mixes, but aside from the addition of Cantafio's shoutout in "Is There Room In The Inn," it is mostly a calming string and verse compilation.
"Amazing Grace" leads into the notes and lyrics of "Taps" to complete the set.
Joe Cantafio's website is laden with anecdotes of Cantafio's involvements in veterans organizations. Cantafio has donated his charitable rock and roll efforts on vets' behalves dating back to Sept. 11, 2001 when he played at Ground Zero and adopted Engine Company 55 in New York, bringing the firefighters and families of fallen FDNY firefighters on tour. He has traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan and many more war torn areas with the his band, "Joe Cantafio & the 101st Rock Division" Brian is not only a veteran broadcaster but a board member of Operation Homefront Illinois and a member of the U.S. Army Chicago Recruiting Battallion Grassroots Advisory Board. He is a booster of the Wounded Warriors Project and the USO. Paul can be heard every Saturday morning at 8:00 AM (CST) on WLS -radio AM- 890 in Chicago.
