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Our Review

Brad Kepler (AKA "Dakota Brad") is a friendly country/gospel singer who loves entertaining audiences and ice cream, but not necessarily in that order. His A Blessed Christmas is a well-executed holiday card that embraces both the sacred and the secular. The music is easy-going; it's a little pop/country, a little Crosby crooner, and all-around smooth and welcoming. The light accompaniment (provided largely by Andrew Joslin) enriches the presentation; the instrumentation is supportive and never overbearing.

The blessing unfortunately ends relatively quickly, as A Blessed Christmas slides to a close after only 34 minutes. The ten tracks include the ancient and the contemporary; the mix is balanced, tasteful and almost entirely familiar. The mood ranges from the reverent "O Holy Night") to the gently rollicking ("Go Tell It on the Mountain"). The country sentiment is not pervasive; it is most obvious, perhaps, in numbers like "Joy to the World" and "Away in a Manger."

The success or failure of a CD like this rests upon the quality of the artist's voice, and Dakota Brad has winning pipes that are rich and clear, warmed by the slightest country edge. Best of all, he sounds as though his singing is completely effortless and he genuinely enjoys every moment of the album. No kidding--he has a passionate and sincere approach that makes a fine album even better. Dakota Brad is especially impressive in the lower registers; his "Mary Did You Know" is marvelous. "

Nice work, Dakota Brad! A Blessed Christmas is a fine country/gospel offering.

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2005)

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From the liner notes:

All instruments played and mastered by Andrew Joslin except for #4, 6

From the website:

Dakota Brad. . . A Traditional Country Artist

Brad D. Kepler

A Blessed Christmas

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Track List