New Floridis Album Offers Christmas Guitar

By Sheri Venema, 12-08-06

Christmas in Missoula: Local musician John Floridis has just released his fifth solo CD, “December’s Quiet Joy,” a soulful and meditative collection of acoustic guitar arrangements of traditional Christmas songs.

Floridis started playing guitar at 10 and focused on acoustic guitar after moving to Missoula in 1993. He is familiar to Missoula audiences as the co-producer of “Musicians’ Spotlight” on Montana Public Radio.

“John’s music dances on the very tip of a needle stuck solidly between subtlety and power, and the beauty is in his ability to lean toward one side or the other at a finger snap,” says singer-songwriter Kelly Joe Phelps.

The new CD, recorded locally at The Recording Center, is available at CD Baby and locally. It includes 11 holiday songs both secular and religious, plus Floridis’ instrumental take on Bruce Cockburn’s "Joy Will Find A Way."

Here’s a sample to get you ready for Christmas -- click here to listen to “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.” [End of article]