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USC alumnus Tom Rule pours 30+ years’ experience into new album
"It should be called CHRISTmas" features jazz, classical, funk, and a personal tribute

MACON, Ga. - Tom Rule, USC class of 1986 with a Masters of Music in Piano Performance, has released his latest Christmas album digitally at tomrule.info and will be available on Amazon, Google Play, CDBaby, and more by Nov. 30.

An online-only concert will broadcast on Youtube and StreetJelly on Dec. 1.

"It should be called CHRISTmas" ranges through jazz, classical, and funk inspirations on some well-known Christmas tunes, such as a jazz club version of “Go Tell It.”

The album features a few originals, including the last song, “It’s Goodnight, Not Goodbye,” which was completed mere weeks before the passing of Tom’s father - and stands as a testament to the experience.
“The title for it came from my sister,” Rule said. “When you think of the connection between Christmas and Easter, it makes the title a reality.”

During Rule’s time in Columbia, he acted as a graduate assistant and arranger for Carolina Alive, a show choir under the direction of Dr. Richard Conant, and performed at Ronald Reagan’s inauguration festivities in 1984. He also worked with Shandon Baptist’s music staff.

The album marks Tom’s fifth album, and second Christmas album. Previous works include a co-production with Joey Stuckey on Stuckey’s MIXTURE album, which debuted at No. 9 on the CMJ jazz charts in 2012 and was the most-added new jazz album upon release.

“There’s an aspect of performing jazz that infuses my playing,” Rule said. “It features an improvisatory looseness you can’t get in many styles.”

Christmas music fans can find more, including entries from previous albums and a look behind the scenes, at tomrule.info.

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UTC alumnus Tom Rule pours 30+ years’ experience into new album
"It should be called CHRISTmas" features jazz, classical, funk, and a personal tribute

MACON, Ga. - Tom Rule, a Chattanooga native and UTC alumnus, has released his latest Christmas album digitally at tomrule.info and will be available on Amazon, Google Play, CDBaby, and more by Nov. 30.
An online-only concert will broadcast on Youtube and StreetJelly Dec. 1.

"It should be called CHRISTmas" ranges through jazz, classical, and funk inspirations on some well-known Christmas tunes, such as a jazz club version of “Go Tell It.” The album features a few originals, including the last song, “It’s Goodnight, Not Goodbye,” which was completed mere weeks before the passing of Tom’s father – a Chattanooga, TN resident for over 50 years - and stands as a testament to the experience.

“The title for it came from my sister,” Rule said. “When you think of the connection between Christmas and Easter, it makes the title a reality.”

Rule’s years growing up in Chattanooga helped shape his music style, from performing in the Chattanooga Boys’ Choir to earning his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from University of Tennessee-Chattanooga in 1982. He taught music at Chattanooga State, worked in the Chattanooga Times/Free-Press composing room, and played at churches such as Brainerd Baptist and Red Bank Baptist before moving to his current city of Macon, Ga.

“My time in Chattanooga introduced me to a slew of new music styles – all of which you can find in CHRISTmas,” Rule said. “Without Chattanooga, there’s no album!”

The album marks Tom’s fifth album, and second Christmas album. Previous works include a co-production with Joey Stuckey on Stuckey’s MIXTURE album, which debuted at No. 9 on the CMJ jazz charts in 2012 and was the most-added new jazz album upon release.

Christmas music fans can find more, including entries from previous albums and a look behind the scenes, at tomrule.info.

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Macon’s Tom Rule pours 30+ years’ of music into new Christmas album
It should be called CHRISTmas features jazz, classical, funk, and a personal tribute

MACON, Ga. - Tom Rule, a mainstay in the Macon music scene, has released his latest Christmas album digitally at tomrule.info and will be available on Amazon, Google Play, CDBaby, and more by Nov. 30.

Online exclusives feature a behind-the-scenes look with stories and pictures. An online-only concert will broadcast on Youtube and StreetJelly on Dec. 1.

"It should be called CHRISTmas" ranges through jazz, classical, and funk inspirations on some well-known Christmas tunes, such as a jazz club version of “Go Tell It.”

The album features a few originals, including the last song, “It’s Goodnight, Not Goodbye,” which was completed mere weeks before the passing of Tom’s father and stands as a testament to the experience.

“The title for it came from my sister,” Rule said. “When you think of the connection between Christmas and Easter, it makes the title a reality.”

The album marks Tom’s fifth album, and second Christmas album. Previous works include a co-production with Joey Stuckey on Stuckey’s MIXTURE album, which debuted at No. 9 on the CMJ jazz charts in 2012 and was the most-added new jazz album upon release.

“There’s an aspect of performing jazz that infuses my playing,” Rule said. “It features an improvisatory looseness you can’t get in many styles.”

Christmas music fans can find more, including entries from previous albums and a look behind the scenes, at tomrule.info.

Read More

New Christmas Album coming soon from Tom Rule
Tom Rule will be releasing a new Christmas album - It Should Be Called CHRISTmas - toward the end of October 2015. Featuring new arrangements of NOT so familiar Christmas tunes - including two originals - it provides a welcome relief from the over-familiar over-done music that saturates the airwaves.

The two original songs - the perky and childlike "It's CHRISTmas!" and the poignant "It's Goodnight, not Goodbye" - are accompanied by original treatments of such familiar tunes as "Away in a Manger" and "Go Tell It", along with new-to-most-people songs like "Let All Mortal Flesh" and "Love Came Down at Christmas".

It is well worth multiple listens - there is a lot of ear candy on this album!

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