After launching his career with three vineyard-inspired albums in his first decade of recording, Spanish-style, acoustic guitarist/composer Bryan Lubeck won great acclaim – including a Holiday Critics’ Choice pick from Billboard – for WE THREE KINGS, his holiday album with fellow string master Johannes Linstead. Lubeck’s vibrant, mostly easy rolling new collection WELCOME WINTER is a sequel of sorts, a warm-hearted, rhythmically diverse showcase for his own romantic string stylings textured with the fresh sonic colorings of violins, cellos, dulcimer, melodica, percussion and vibraphones – plus a tender duet with clarinetist Eric Salazar on a favorite (literal!) chestnut. The guitarist fashions the album as a nod to his childhood inspirations from popular Windham Hill artists including George Winston, to whom the project is lovingly dedicated.
