“Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness” - Chinese Proverb. 

In this life there is much suffering and moments of true and sustained joy can be all too rare these days which is the biggest reason why I decided to make this Christmas album.   

When I look back upon my life, some of the most joyful moments that i recall have involved the season of Christmas.  Of the dozen boxes of family pictures passed down from four generations of French and Italian American family members, it’s the photos around a tree of light and tinsel that always resonate with me the most.  I am fortunate the holiday season in my family has generally always been a happy time. 

For me, the joy of the holidays has always been accompanied by the sound of music - whether it’s Bing Crosby singing White Christmas on the turntable or my parents and I joining in a chorus of Silent Night in a candle lit sanctuary.  For my family and friends, Christmas time and Christmas music are inseparable, working hand and hand to create a magical and mystical experience.  

It is with this in mind that I set out to make my own contribution to the music of the season of Christmas with both new additions to the songbook that I’ve written and a few fresh arrangements of some of my favorite classics.    

The purpose here is to quite literally light it up - to add some brightness and joy to your day and mine.  It is an invitation for childlike wonder and to believe in magic.  It is a reminder to take good care of each other, to cherish and be grateful for the time we have together because you never know when the flame of life will go out.   

Light It Up is also a bit of musical medicine for the soul; an antidote for troubled times; a momentary escape from a world that too often appears to be getting darker and increasingly more selfish and unkind.  

I do hope that a few of these songs brighten up your day, make you smile, dance, play in the snow - or better yet - encourage you to show someone you care about how important they are to you while you still can.  

May you have a most joyful Christmas time and may your new year be happy, healthy and hopeful.  

-Jay