SAN FRANCISCO, Calif: On the heels of Christmas staple No Obvious Angels, internationally renowned songwriter Dan Damon will release I Saw Three Ships on November 15.

A quintessential jazz holiday record filled with seasonal favourites, I Saw Three Ships is guaranteed to become a go-to soundtrack as families flock to the table on Christmas Day.

“For 25 years we packed Richmond First United Methodist Church in Point Richmond, CA. USA on Christmas Eve for the jazz service,” says Damon. “The congregation sang carols with my jazz quartet. This recording includes the best of those arrangements plus some newer carols.”

Opening with a stunning rendition of “Away in a Manager,” sung by award-winning vocalist Sheilani Alix, other highlights include the saxophone-rich “O Little Town of Bethlehem” with instrumentation by the Dan Damon Quartet.

“I grew up playing 19^th century gospel songs in church,” says Damon. “My sound now includes the rich harmonies of jazz, but you can still hear the simple country gospel in my playing. In the studio it felt electric as we recorded thirteen songs in five hours, usually needing just one take.”

Listening to I Saw Three Ships is akin to sitting by a crackling fire—it will transport you to the heart of the holiday season.

Damon’s former works have been featured on Art & Theology’s November 2024 Playlist and UTR’s Christmas Songs of Faith 2023, ramping up the expectations for this new Christmas classic.

Capturing the sacred nature of Christ’s birth and the fun of the season, I Saw Three Ships is released on November 15. Hymn arrangements of the carols and lead sheets are available at hopepublishing.com. It is going for pre-saves on all streaming platforms.

Tracklisting:

1. Away in a Manger
2. I Saw Three Ships
3. Hunger Carol
4. Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming
5. Like a Child
6. O Little Town of Bethlehem
7. The Gift Carol
8. Over My Head
9. Winter’s Child
10. On This Day Earth Shall Ring
11. Good King Wenceslas
12. Peace Child
13. Silent Night

About Dan Damon:
Hailing from Rapid City, South Dakota, Dan received degrees from Greenville College (BME) and Pacific School of Religion (MDiv), becoming a United Methodist pastor and jazz musician. With works sung in churches across the globe, he has released 12 records and multiple hymnal anthologies. In 2016, Dan was named a Fellow of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, its highest honor. Dan retired from ministry in 2020 after serving 33 years in Northern California. He has taught church music at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and plays jazz regularly in the San Francisco Bay Area. For further information visit DanDamonMusic.com.

 

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