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And Larry-Douglas' Newest Release:
Mighty Mo and "All that Jazz"

"Christmas at the Fox"
Starring Larry, Carols and "MO"
Performing on "MO"
The Möller Concert Organ

It suddenly occurred to me that after all these years, Atlanta’s Fox Theatre has never had a Christmas Album recorded on "Mighty Mo” (the glorious instrument I play almost nightly) a Möller pipe organ, built in Hagerstown Maryland, 1929. Just in time for the Christmas Season we are releasing "Christmas at the Fox" starring Larry, Carols and “Mo.”

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19 beloved Christmas Carols for only $14.99 US

Click on one of the names below to hear samples
of the music on this CD:

"Christmas at the Fox" Song List:

1) I’ll be Home for Christmas
No one on planet earth loved Christmas more than my beloved mother. In October she baked her fruit cake. I hear people laugh and make fun of fruit cake, but oh how I miss it – so much so that I bake one each year. Point being, because I miss my dear “Mimi” so much, I am home now in Atlanta for Christmas.

2) Silver Bells
Okay, okay, I’m guilty as charged. I overused the percussion on Mighty Mo, (all the bells and such) this is Silver Bells for Heavens sake!

3) Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Here I used a series of chromatic runs which came naturally to me and made it “merry!” I wish you and yours a wonderful Christmas season filled with good cheer, laughter, family and friends.

4) These three, O Little Town of Bethlehem, O Come all Ye Faithful and Joy to the World, were recorded for Congregational sing-a-longs. The first verse of O Come all Ye Faithful, I played a trill with my right foot on high D and E pedal(s) throughout the phrase while keeping tempo with the left foot. Tho’t you guys would like to know that bit of trivia. Joy to the World; for the three verses, I keep modulating up half steps.

5) The Christmas Song
To think that Mel Tormé wrote this on a hot 4th of July in Los Angeles – I recorded the piano first, then accompanied myself on the organ – much like O Holy Night.

6) We Three Kings
Can you feel the hot desert sand under foot and the plodding of the camels as the Three Wise Men bring their gifts to the Christ Child? With all due respect to the crèche you have which include the Three Kings at the manger, historians and scripture indicates that, “. . . when they saw the star,” they had to travel a great distance to bring their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. It also mentions that when they came to “the house” where the young child was - - - they worshiped him. Right after their visit, Herod had all the male children two years and under slain.

7) Good King Wenceslas
This, (and you purists will howl) took on a Bach Partita (ish) or (esque) effect. The gold piano played from “Mo” is under 15”’s of wind so you do not have the articulation you have on a regular piano. Because the hammers are literally slamming down on the strings, I went for a 20’s bar room piano playing Bach. The effect is totally theatre which “Mo” is!

8) Away in a Manger
I tied the two versions on this beloved carol together with the organ harp and Chrysoglott.

9) I’m Dreaming of a While Christmas
My season starts when I hear Bing Crosby croon this carol. When Irving Berlin wrote this, he knew all the right buttons to push cascading us into the Christmas season.

10) Oh Come All Ye Faithful See above for description

11) Carol of the Bells
All the bells and whistles including the Locomotive bell introduces this gem. Taking the arrangement into another jazz mode, I employed a dotted eight, sixteenth pattern with snarly, raspy reeds wailing away.

12) Silent Night
For a few years in the 70’s, I played Jesse Crawford’s studio WurliTzer. Needless to say, I had to employ his open harmony technique that he was famous for using.

13) Little Drummer Boy
All the drums on Mighty Mo are Ludwig Drums, the finest made. Even the huge bass drum has its original skin. A little known trivia – the large crash cymbal, was made by the Zilljan family before they immigrated to the United States. It has, Constantinople stamped on it when Turkey was still under the Ottoman Empire. Today it is of course Istanbul. Interesting?

14) O Holy Night
One of the thrills I have is playing the 6’ gold leaf grand piano that rises center stage on its own lift. This is played from the organ. For this selection, I recorded the organ first, then with head phones on, I went over to the piano and played a duet with myself. It’s an awesome experience.

15) My Favorite Things
Not a Christmas Carol you say? This delightful piece mentions everything that you love about the holiday season. I recorded this for Tammy who is head of the security at the Fox. It’s her favorite as well as mine.

16) Sleigh Ride
The time was in the late 60’s and I was just 22 or 23 years old. I had the pleasure of giving Arthur Fiedler a ride from the Musicians Hall in Los Angeles to his hotel in Beverly Hills in my brand new red Chevrolet Impala convertible with white leather seats. He invited me up to his lavish suite and fixed me a drink. Like Sinatra, the maestro loved Jack Daniels. Well enough history. The Boston Pops under his baton recorded this piece and it’s been a favorite of mine ever since. Bill Allgood the engineer on this project recorded the slap stick on “Mo,” and after a little (ahem) doctoring, put the slap into the slapstick for this song – Enjoy!!

17) Winter Wonderland
I employed the talents of Drew Elliott, the Assistant engineer on the production of this CD, who is also a drummer. He added just the touch this piece needed. Thanks Drew!

18) There’s no Place like Home for the Holidays
Like its cousin, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, this piece conjures up the memories, scents, smells and aromas that the holiday season brings. A cute note; right up until my parents passed away at 92 and 98, mom and I would always put out a treat for Santa. After I went to bed she would wake him (Poppa) up for his favorite treat and he would eat it while she stuffed my stocking and put out gifts so I knew he’d been there when I got up in the morning. Cute? I never forgave my sister for telling me that Santa didn’t exist when I was six years old. He did exist and still does to this very day! My sister opens her gifts with her family on Christmas Eve; I always wait until Christmas morning.