On his seventh self-produced album, entitled Holly Tunes, Colorado-based guitarist Wayne Wilkinson strikes Yuletide gold with his 11-track, 49-minute album. Inspired by the now historic Joe Pass X-mas album Six String Santa, Wayne Wilkinson picks up on the holiday cheer and the results are pleasantly surprising. For Holly Tunes, the artist enlists his fabled Benedetto archtop guitar. The warm guitar sound is omnipresent throughout the album.

On the all instrumental Holly Tunes, Wilkinson is joined by his expert trio rhythm section of Andy Burtschi (bass) and Scott Barbier (drums) with special guest Thomas J. Dawson Jr. adding in piano, strings and organ on most tracks. In addition to his keyboards, Dawson also produced and mixed the album. A good example of the chemistry between Wilkinson and Thomas J Dawson Jr. can be heard on the version here of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” which is played fairly straight ahead with the crisp drumming of Scott Barbier.

Musically, Holly Tunes features eleven holiday classics most listeners know since their childhood days. In the album packaging Wilkinson adds in the writers of these holiday classics. Besides the obvious favorites like “White Christmas”, “Silent Night”, “Deck The Halls” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”, there are some rarities here including covers of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”, written by J. Fred Coots circa 1934, done in a truly swing style and “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?”, written by Frank Loesser in 1947.

Wilkinson is such a fretboard master that with his chops he is able to incorporate his knowledge of jazz traditions like improv and endless chord inversions and substitutions that he all but owns the song melodies draping them in impressionist arrangements. Every song is given a thoughtful reexamination under Wilkinson’s vast guitar knowledge.

One look at Wilkinson’s website shows how busy and tuned into the contemporary guitar scene he really is. With his trio he is always playing live shows throughout Colorado and into other states too. On Holly Tunes, jazz guitarist Wayne Wilkinson keeps the Christmas classics alive and well.

 

RMR SPEAKS WITH WAYNE WILKINSON

RMR: What gave you the idea to release a Christmas album in 2025? Were you inspired by the Joe Pass album Six-String Santa? What other Christmas guitar albums inspired you? Seems like many artists have done Christmas albums. How many albums solo or group have you released?

Wayne Wilkinson: Holly Tunes is my seventh album as the leader. For years, fans have asked for a Christmas album. And, it feels like an artist’s catalog isn’t complete without a holiday recording. Christmas songs are timeless and the arrangements are accessible to a larger audience.

Six String Santa really resonated with me when it was released and has been a favorite recording during the holiday season. I drew inspiration on arranging other songs from my time in The Airmen of Note, the Washington DC based Air Force Premier Big Band. 

 

RMR: On Holly Tunes you picked some obvious tracks while some tracks are lesser known like the Frank Loesser, Sammy Cahn and also the Dr. Seuss cover of “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch”. How did you find those lesser known Christmas songs by these composers?

Wayne Wilkinson: I grew up watching The Grinch and always enjoyed the voice of the singer, Thurl Ravenscroft (who was also the voice of Tony the Tiger for decades) on “You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch”. It is naturally a great tune to feature the upright bass, and the  changes in the song are fun to play over.

I always introduce the song as “Now we are going to play that heartwarming song that really represents the Christmas spirit.” “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” was included because I enjoyed the Ella Fitzgerald version and you don’t hear it very often. 

 

RMR: Tell us about your trio with Andy Burtschi (bass) and Scott Barbier (drums). What’s the chemistry like in the trio and also tell us how you met keyboardist Thomas J. Dawson Jr. and what was it like having him produce and mix the Holly Tunes album?

Wayne Wilkinson: With Scott, we’ve played together for decades, beginning in the Air Force Premier Band The Falconaires. In addition to the trio, we perform regularly together in the rhythm section at First Presbyterian Church. Andy has performed with the trio since its inception 13 years ago. Both Scott and Andy are dear friends which complements our music.

I met Thomas while we were both mentors at the Colorado Springs Conservatory. This is the fourth recording he has produced including It’s A Lark, Yours, Yours, Yours, and Proceed To Route. He is also a dear friend, excellent musician, and musical director of the Commodores. Thomas takes the recording to another level with the mix down and addition of strings, piano, and organ. 

 

RMR: What is it like touring around Colorado? Where did you grow up and how would you compare Colorado with the bigger city jazz scenes of New York and Los Angeles? Is Colorado underrated as a music mecca? What other states do you like to play in?

Wayne Wilkinson: I grew up in San Antonio, Texas and have been fortunate to tour across the country and world throughout my career. I am based in Colorado Springs now but lived and performed for many years in the Washington DC area, known for its thriving music community. Colorado has a robust music environment with a number of opportunities for jazz artists.

I enjoy performing throughout the country and internationally. In addition to Colorado, I play regularly in California, Washington DC, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Texas and New Mexico. We enjoy touring and meeting people from all over the country and the world. 

 

RMR: What songs on Holly Tunes were the most fun to record and any fun stories while making the album? What were some challenges while making the album?

Wayne Wilkinson: My favorite songs on the recording are “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”, “Deck The Halls”, and “Silent Night”, with “O Christmas Tree” in the top also. We did the recording in January following a busy Christmas playing season.  The recording was completed in two evenings with the bulk of the songs the second night.

We recorded at the church studio and on the day of the first session, a new pipe organ was delivered in two semi-trucks. It was a busy day of unloading for part of our team. Also, we had to plan ahead as we played each song to leave room for Thomas to add piano, strings, and organ at a later date.  

 

RMR: Tell us about the guitars and your mic setup on the album. You have an endorsement with Benedetto arch top guitars. Tell us about your guitar(s) and why you like them. What are some of the important aspects of your guitar? What amp, picks and pedals, effects do you use and what other guitars do you like and/or own?

Wayne Wilkinson: I am fortunate to be a Benedetto Guitar artist and consider them the finest jazz guitars made. I have three Benedetto models, including the Bambino Deluxe (used on the recording), the BenBino, and the 16B, all handmade jazz archtop guitars. Bob Benedetto, founder of Benedetto Guitars, literally wrote the book on how to make a jazz guitar. I love the craftsmanship, the sound, the quality, the sustain, and the versatility between the three models.

The sound is balanced up and down the neck of every instrument. The wood used is very stable allowing the guitar to easily adjust to different climates and the neck stays super straight. The finishes are beautiful. The Bambino Deluxe is Carpathian Elm Burl, with opulent brown pecan on the BenBino, and brown sunburst on the 16 B hand carved spruce top. 

I didn’t use pedals or effects on this recording. For picks, I use Jim Dunlop nylon Jazz 1 and strings are GHS 1500 pure nickel half wound. I use Henricksen amps exclusively and recorded with their 10” speaker cabinet and the Henricksen Bud Head. 

 

RMR: What plans do you have for 2025 and the coming year as far as writing, recordings and live performances are you planning? What kind of album would you like to do next?

Wayne Wilkinson: The next recording, planned for Spring 2026, will be a jazz guitar trio with a guest pianist on at least one song. I enjoy writing jazz arrangements of recognizable tunes with the purpose of making jazz more accessible to the listener. Part of the lineup for the next recording will include “Country Roads”, “End Of A Love Affair”, and Shenandoah (with piano).

For 2026, we are planning to be in South Carolina in January, California in March and June, and Texas in April, along with local and regional performances booked through 2026. I am also arranging and performing guitar led hymns throughout the year at church.