A Star’s Light Does Fall: contemplative and comforting Holiday Jazz

Margaret Slovak & Chris Maresh – A Star’s Light Does Fall (Slovak Music, 2024)

Guitarist Margaret Slovak and bassist Chris Maresh deliver an elegant holiday experience with A Star’s Light Does Fall, an album that reimagines the boundaries of seasonal music. Rooted in jazz yet infused with reflective intimacy, the album evokes images of starlit nights, serene solitude, and winter’s quiet beauty. Slovak and Maresh’s collaboration transforms traditional carols like “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” and “Away in a Manger” into meditative masterpieces, while seamlessly incorporating unexpected influences, including works by Wayne Shorter and Leonard Cohen.

The album’s spirit calls to mind the emotional depth of Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden’s Beyond the Missouri Sky.

Margaret Slovak’s liner notes shed light on the album’s intent: to bring solace during the holidays, especially to those enduring life’s hardships or grief. This mission is deeply personal for Slovak and Maresh, whose shared Czech heritage and upbringing immersed in music shaped their creative synergy.

The duo’s connection runs deeper than notes and rhythms. Both grew up surrounded by Eastern European folk melodies, western classical compositions, and the twang of Johnny Cash and Hank Williams.

Interestingly, their ancestors hailed from villages just 90 miles (ca. 145 km) apart in what is now the Czech Republic.

Margaret Slovak shared: “There is a saying: ‘Every Czech a musician!’ We dedicate this album to our late fathers, Henry Slovak and Lee Maresh, who instilled in us the beauty and joy of playing music. Veselé Vánoce! Merry Christmas and peace to you all.”

Musicians: Margaret Slovak on nylon-string guitar; Chris Maresh on acoustic bass.
Arrangements by Margaret Slovak & Chris Maresh.
Produced by Margaret Slovak & Chris Maresh.

Recorded April 2024 at Cedar Creek Studio, Austin, Texas
Recording & Mixing Engineer: Andre Moran.
Mastering Engineer: Bob Katz, Digital Domain.
Artwork (Acrylic Painting): Margaret Slovak.
Photographs of musicians: Laura Skelding.
Graphic Design: Donny Phillips, KIHL Studio.

Buy A Star’s Light Does Fall.