{"id":20773,"date":"2022-05-07T18:34:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-08T01:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/?p=20773"},"modified":"2023-02-07T03:17:25","modified_gmt":"2023-02-07T10:17:25","slug":"simple-gifts-album-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/2022\/05\/simple-gifts-album-review\/","title":{"rendered":"BILLY CROCKETT & DIRJE CHILDS “SIMPLE GIFTS” album review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mother’s Day Gift<\/strong><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

BILLY CROCKETT & DIRJE CHILDS<\/h1>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n

SIMPLE GIFTS <\/em><\/strong>Album Review<\/strong><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Like a gentle spring rain after a long, hard winter, comes a sweet and unexpected surprise. Simple Gifts<\/em> is a timely treasure of favorite hymns lovingly offered by master singer-songwriter, guitarist Billy Crockett and seasoned cellist Dirje Childs.<\/h3>\n

These two well-respected musicians recently met and started recording for \u201cthe sheer joy of recording music\u201d for Billy\u2019s mother, who had been isolated during the pandemic. The end result is Simple Gifts<\/em><\/strong>, for all<\/em> to enjoy.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Billy Crockett<\/p><\/div>\n

Whether you believe in a higher power or God or the simple fact that there is so much good that we have\u2014if we only open our minds and hearts\u2014you will <\/em>find inspiration from this recording. Clear as a mountain stream, gentle and sweet, pure and nostalgic, this album delivers songs of comfort, hope and healing. It\u2019s a fresh reminder of the gifts of each new day\u2014the universe continues to give, God is good, and we are loved.<\/p>\n

Like heirlooms re-discovered in a grandparents\u2019 attic, and dusted off, these old favorites shine like gold. Timeless standards re-imagined, including classics like \u201cWe Gather Together,\u201d \u201cFor the Beauty of the Earth,\u201d \u201cNearer My God to Thee,\u201d \u201cO Love That Will Not Let Me Go\u201d and \u201cBe Still My Soul\u201d\u2014offer calm and resolute strength for these times of chaos and confusion. It\u2019s a respite from the noise.<\/p>\n

The album\u2019s highlight is \u201cSimple Gifts,\u201d a traditional Shaker song that Crockett makes his own, delivering each note with grace and elegance. Childs\u2019 cello enters and fills the empty heart with soulful reverence. The interplay is breathtaking, stunning\u2014healing.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Dirje Childs<\/p><\/div>\n

Maybe you will be reminded of your childhood, or maybe you will remember a simpler time when black and white movies moved at a slower pace. Either way, thank you\u2014Billy and Dirje, for responding to the desperate cry of the soul, while reminding us of a fountain of hope that is here, now\u2014if we only choose to open our eyes.<\/p>\n

With guitar, cello and voice, the album title says it all in just two words. Simple. Gifts.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2014 Brett Wilson \/ M Music & Musicians<\/em> magazine<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mother’s Day Gift   BILLY CROCKETT & DIRJE CHILDS \u00a0 SIMPLE GIFTS Album Review   Like a gentle spring rain after a long, hard winter, comes a sweet and unexpected surprise. Simple Gifts is a timely treasure of favorite hymns lovingly offered by master singer-songwriter, guitarist Billy Crockett and seasoned cellist Dirje Childs. These two […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":20757,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17],"tags":[13230,13231,13849,8271,8368,11615,11616,9481,11385,13850,13851,13852,11622,11800,13853,13854,13855,7566,7978,13856,13857,13858,13234,13235],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20773"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20773"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20773\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20958,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20773\/revisions\/20958"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}