I'm excited to share "Sleighin' It", a project several years in the making. From concept to completion, I set out to honor the timeless beauty of traditional Christmas music while bringing a fresh, heartfelt perspective to these familiar songs and carols.Every arrangement was crafted with care and a genuine sense of joy, and I hope that spirit comes through as you listen. If "Sleighin' It" becomes part of your own holiday tradition, that would be the greatest gift I could receive.

Eight years in the making and it's been a labor of love since day one. This collection of tunes is a mixture of soulful American music influenced by my Irish heritage. I collaborated with some of my all-time favorite musicians and we may have cornered the market on the Irish/Soul/R&B/Rock/Jazz genre. (It's all the rage.). I gave it my best shot. I hope you like it. A special thanks to all the musicians that contributed to the making of the music. You guys are truly world-class in every respect. PERSONNEL Larry McCabe, trombone (tracks 1, 2, 3 and 4) euphonium (track 4) additional keyboards (tracks 1 and 3) Bruce McCabe, piano (tracks 1, 3 and 4) Don Markese, penny whistle; saxes (tracks 3 & 4) Wayne Nelson, bass (track 3) Charlie Bingham, guitar (tracks 1, 3 and 4) Lynn Nicholson, trumpet (track 4) John Ahern, trumpet (track 4) Dean MaGraw, guitar (track 2) John Williams, button accordion (track 2) Merlin 'Bronco' Brunkow, tenor sax solo (track 4) Bobby Vandell, drums (track 1) Bruce 'Pooch' Heine, upright bass (track 2) Mick Massof, bass (track 1) Robert McCabe, guitar (track 4) Marc Anderson, bodhran; additional percussion (track 2) Bill Burton, bass sax (track 1) Mike DuBois, drums (tracks 2 and 4) Mike Breidenbach, bagpipes (track 4) Leon McCormick, bass (track 3) A special thanks to Bruce McCabe and Don Markese for their invaluable advice and encouragement over the years. Their exceptional musical contributions and guidance formed the very bedrock of this project. Thanks to Wayne Nelson for supplying 'Into The Sunset' with the perfect bass part. Thanks to Lynn Nicholson for his super human trumpet playing on 'The Last Chieftain'. Thanks to Dean MaGraw and John Williams for lending their incredible talents and giving this project some authentic Irish cred. Thanks to John Ahern and Todd Matheson. I appreciate their insights, their big ears and most of all their good vibes and patience as we strove for the perfect mix. I would be remiss not to mention all the support I've gotten every step of the way from my wife, Ann McCabe. She's kept the fires burning. Without her steadfast belief in me and the music, I would have never done this. I'm her biggest fan. All tunes recoded at The Terrarium in Minneapolis; Jason Orris, Dustin Miller engineers Mixed at Blue Heron Studio in St. Paul; John Ahern, Todd Matheson engineers Mastered at Rare Form Mastering in Minneapolis; Greg Reierson engineer Photography by Chuck Ryan.