New CD raises money for Santa Night group

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December 7, 2007

By ROBIN CAUDELL The Press Republican Sat Dec 08, 2007, 01:02 AM EST

PLATTSBURGH -- Chris Martine was driving back from a funeral in New Jersey in September when inspiration struck.

"I was thinking a lot about family stuff and had these melodies in my head and wrote this song, a Christmas lullaby to my kids."

He fleshed out the song by singing it to his children, Isabel and Jackson.

"They knew all of the song before I went in to record it."

"Christmas Time Again" is track 5 on "Santa Night, The Soundtrack," which is on sale now to benefit local charity Santa Night Plattsburgh.

SINGING SANTAS

Santa Night participants raise money to "buy" a seat on a bus that takes them to local "rooftops" (taverns and restaurants), where, wearing Santa hats and elf costumes, they serenade patrons with carols and collect more donations. The pledge drive is ongoing now, with the actual Santa Night set for Friday, Dec. 14.

Proceeds mostly go to the Clinton County Christmas Bureau, buying toys, holiday dinner fixings and other items.

"We go shopping for them," said organizer Chris Huchro. "They give us a list."

Huchro's two oldest children, Gabriel, 5, and Aidan, 7, are beginning to take notice of their father's Christmas fundraising effort.

"Aidan," said the father of three, "thinks it's really cool" to help those in need at Christmas.

"He can't walk past one of those (Salvation Army) red kettles -- he has to put money in."

BIG HIT WITH LITTLE KID

Huchro said "Santa Night: The Soundtrack" "blew me away. It really did.

"I had no idea what quality the end result would be -- with three kids, I don't get out to hear these bands."

Huchro's daughter, Abigail, 3, is particularly smitten with "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," recorded by Chrisa O'Connell, Tim Hartnett and Skip Smithson.

In the car on the way to school, Huchro said, "she just keeps saying, Play it again!' I think seven (times) is our record."

Martine and Hartnett are executive producers of the 11-track disc, which features Zip City, Crossing North, Bruce Patenaude & Greg Fiske, Doug & Alice Knight, The Ralphie Parkers, Dr. Rick Davies & the Plattsburgh State Contemporary Combo, Roy Hurd, Plattsburgh State Gospel Choir under the direction of Dr. Dexter Criss, O'Connell and Hartnett, Keith Pray and Jay Lesage.

The cover art is a Barbara Gallagher photograph of the iconic Plattsburgh Air Force Base "Santa on a Bomber."

LOCAL COLLABORATION

The album concept was Martine's idea. When he and his former Bunt band mates had their Childlike Records label, Martine always wanted to do a Christmas record. It never happened.

"It seemed a great way to connect local music with some kind of charity event," said Martine, who is a biology professor at Plattsburgh State.

He floated the idea to Hartnett, an associate librarian at the college and a well-connected local musician.

"He tapped me for idea of who we may recruit, and that's how I got involved," Hartnett said. "The way it worked, I contacted the artists and asked them to provide me with a recording. The onus was on the artist to record and deliver on a very short time line. And they did it. It was difficult to choose. There are an awful a lot of artists out there. We hope this is the first (album) of many."

Martine's wife, Rachel, did the artwork for the CD, which was mastered at Charles Eller Studios in Charlotte, Vt.

SONGS OLD AND NEW

The first track is "Please Come Home For Christmas" by Zip City -- Jeff Rendinaro (hollow body electric guitar, harmonica and vocal), Smithson (electric guitar), Kevin St. Germain (electric bass guitar) and Brian Osborne (drums).

Crossing North, Jen Carter-Kelly and Bruce Lawson, performed "The Little Road to Bethlehem."

Bruce Patenaude and Greg Fiske did "Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella," a traditional French carol. Doug Knight (as Chaps Calhoun) and his wife, Alice, performed his original, "Waiting So Patiently."

Martine recorded the next track, "Christmas Time Again," with The Ralphie Parkers -- Steve Langdon (acoustic guitar and vocal), Tim Hartnett (electric bass guitar and vocal) and Richard Schaefer (drums).

Track 6 features Dr. Rick Davies and the Plattsburgh State Contemporary Combo performing "Christmas Time is Here." Roy Hurd performs an original, "My Christmas Wish."

The Plattsburgh State Gospel Choir under the direction of Dr. Dexter Criss recorded "Joy to the World."

After "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" comes saxophonist Keith Pray's arrangement of "The Christmas Song." The final track features a Jay Lesage performing "O Holy Night."

THE BEST AUDIENCE

WIRY Radio recently showcased "Santa Night, The Soundtrack." Martine knew when it was going to broadcast and had the radio set in his Bailey Avenue home.

"The kids started jumping around," Martine said. "They said, Daddy's song is on the radio!'"

rcaudell@pressrepublican.com

-- Features Editor Suzanne Moore contributed to this report.