What the critics are saying about
"A Christmas Homecoming"...

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December 10, 2003
Jeff Wisser from the Chicago Sun Times wrote in his article, WHAT'S ROCKIN AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE THIS YEAR?, "Dr. B., A Christmas Homecoming (The Essence Of Christmas, Volume I), Windmaster One Records is another do-it-yourself effort but a very unlikely surprise. Dr. Adrian Mark Bianconi wrote, sang, and produced all of the songs and delivers them in a Roger Whitaker by-the-way-of Gordon Lightfoot style that is quite soothing. Songs such as Red, Green, and Gold and Santa Had A Wish To Be A Cowboy, have a certain MOR Christmas charm to them that will put you in the holiday mood. The album is available through Windmaster One Records, 1136 Scott Street, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 18705."

RATED - 2.5 STARS

The Chicago Sun Times ranked the following newly released Christmas CDs for 2003 as follows with 4 stars being the highest:

No 4 Star albums released in 2003

3.5 STARS - Jethro Tull

3.0 STARS - Curtis Chapman (Hallmark), Jim Brickman (Windham Hill)

2.5 STARS - Dr. B., Harry Connick, Jr., Be Be Winona, Von Trapp Family Children, Everitt Bradly

2.0 STARS - Whitney Houston, Michael Buble'

1.5 STARS - The Moody Blues

1.0 STARS - American Idol (Akin), Ashanti, Patti Page

   

November 17, 2004
Dr. B releases holiday Christmas album
by Christine Goldbeck, Editor, The Anthracite History Journal
WILKES BARRE - Dr. B, the song writer and musician behind A Pennsylvania Homecoming, featuring songs about the anthracite region, has released A Christmas Homecoming, (the Essence of Christmas).

For each of his albums, Dr. B writes the songs and sings the lead vocals while playing the acoustic guitar. These talents have won him favorable reviews in publications around the nation. Consider what writer Donald Serfass said about A Pennsylvania Homecoming in an article for the Lehighton Times News: “Bianconi is to Pennsylvania what John Denver was to Colorado. In fact, one moving tune, Pennsylvania, might be considered a legitimate contender as the official state song. It presents a classic, non-ethnic approach to singing the praises of the Commonwealth.”

Recording A Christmas Homecoming, which is also achieving reviewer acclaim, involved working with 54 different instrumental sounds and 29 backup singers, Dr. B. said in an online interview. It was 25 months in the making.

"It was a lot of hard work, but it is now paying off," he noted. "We recently started a guestbook on my website and I have enjoyed reading the e-mails I have recieved from people all over the country. It is quite humbling when someone you have never met goes out of their way to contact you for the purpose of saying something nice. I believe their words help me carry on because they are the ones who listened to my songs. If I can keep locating those kind of people, then I will be able to keep doing what I am trying to do."

Dr. B is Adrian Mark Bianconi, Ph. D. A mental health and educational counselor, he has worked as a senior high school guidance counselor and Administrator-Director of Guidance Services in the Tamaqua Area School District. and the Pocono Mountain School District in Swiftwater. He also served as an adjunct instructor for Pennsylvania State University-Schuylkill Campus, and Administrator-Coordinator of off-campus counseling services for Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke.

His background attests to his belief in the importance of education. He is a graduate of Coughlin High School, (Class of 1969), Luzerne County Community College (A.S. Degree in Education, 1971), East-Stroudsburg State College (Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology, 1973) University of Scranton (M.S. Degree in Counselor Education,1975) Marywood College (M.A. in Psychology, 1979), and the University of Pennsylvania (Ph.D. Educational Leadership, 1990.)

Currently at work on an album of contemporary songs, Dr. B dreams of accomplishing a goal he and a deceased friend discussed some time ago. He wants to do a musical about breaker boys and coal miners.

"I have about half the songs and scenes done. My friend was Jason Miller, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his writing on That Championship Season and an Academy Award nomination for his roll as the young priest in the Exorcist," Dr. B explained. "We became friends and had dinner one night. I ran my ideas of the play by him, we talked for several hours, and he heard some of the songs. He was very excited and he wholeheartedly agreed to help me write the play. Two weeks after our initial meeting, Jason died of a heart attack. I still would like to complete that project but time will tell."

Readers are encouraged to make a virtual visit to Windmaster One Records, where they can listen to several of the songs featured on each of his three albums. Also visit The Stories Behind the Songs CDs are $15.99, plus shipping and handling. Cassette tapes are $12.99, plus shipping and handling. The albums may be ordered by calling 1-570-826-1564, faxing 1-570-826-0291 or through Windstar’s online store.

"Sometimes it gets lonely trying to keep it all together and stay focused, but it is the path for any person who tries to be creative and leave something behind that will make a positive difference in this world," Dr.B reflected."That is my true intent, but convincing the world to learn how to listen verses, to hear, is an awesome task for one individual. So, I think evolution not revolution and pray for the best each day and accept the results."

(Goldbeck, author, photographer, web designer, is a graduate student studying to earn a Master of Fine Arts-Interdisciplinary Arts degree. Her collection of short fiction, “A Tribute to O’Hara and Other Stories,” in its second printing, is available in our store).
 

December 4, 2003
Joe Plasko from the Lehighton Times Newspaper wrote, "The Christmas CD is an impressive, full-blown production, including adult backup vocals and a children's chorus. The recording took 25 months and 1,040 studio hours to complete, plus a considerable personal financial investment on Bianconi's part." Plasko went on to state, "A Christmas Homecoming has a warm, holiday glow through it that will last throughout the entire year. While there's a contemporary Christian atmosphere prevalent, a variety of styles of music are showcased that will transport the listener on a 72 minute, 18 song magical yuletide journey."
   

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December 7, 2003
Alan Stout from the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader Newspaper wrote, "Bianconi's latest musical endeavor, A Christmas Homecoming (The Essence Of Christmas), Volume One, is an inspired 18 track collection of Bianconi's own holiday numbers. Songs include, Hear The Bells Ring On Christmas Eve, The Messiah, A Little Bit Of Snow, Gabriel's Song, and others. All of the material on the CD was written by Bianconi." Stout went on to report, "A Christmas Homecoming is the followup to 1999's A Pennsylvania Homecoming and 2001's An American Homecoming which celebrate Bianconi's love for his home, state, and country." Finally, Stout went on to state, "Though some of the songs on A Christmas Homecoming are lighthearted holiday carols, most are Christian numbers written in the true spirit of the holiday season."
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