We have made it through December. The tree has been recycled, the ornaments stashed away in the attic, and chestnuts have been reduced to ashes over the open fire. In many ways it is great to get beyond the hustle of the holiday experience, yet there is something magical about the season and some of the music that is only heard around Christmas time. And if you just want to hold on to that magic for a little longer on these cold frosty mornings one sure way to do so is to listen to Winter's Grace, the wonderful winter solstice recording by Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum.

Normally Laurie and Tom play bluegrass with their Bluegrass Pals, but on this recording they've gathered some interesting non-bluegrass material and got lots of friends to play along. The song selection is exquisite, and fortunately there are no frosty snowmen, no white-bearded geezers in red outfits, and no grandmas getting run over by wayward reindeer.

The first song is The Messenger, a beautiful tale of winter written by songwriter Mark Si