Jill Jack "Celebrates the Holidays” marks Jack’s 9th release on her own label, UpHill Productions. “For years we have had requests from fans to release a holiday CD, we just always seem to think about it in December, which was too late to start thinking about it!” So last year Jack and owner of Callahan’s Music Hall, Mike Moss, discussed the possibility of recording a live performance at the Hall with master engineer Peter Jay behind the sound board. Jill selected 17 of her favorite holiday songs and rehearsed them with the band. “The main objective here was to make them our own. These songs have been instilled in everyone’s childhood memories; I didn’t want to compete with the original arrangements.” Jack and the band succeeded. Performing in front of a full house, the audience members expressed their excitement over the unique musical approach. Jack also challenged herself to write a Christmas song for the album, entitled Christmas Morning. “It was definitely intimidating to write a Christmas song, considering what I was up against, but during that time so many people had lost loved ones or were being separated from them for one reason or another, so I wrote a song for those people, the ones who may be lonely, sad or just longing for the past”. After working with award winning engineers Peter Jay and Jim Kissling through the summer on the mixing of the songs, Jill chose the best 12 out of the 18 songs of the night for the release of the CD. “That was a difficult job, you felt like you were leaving a friend out, but the CD would have been too long, so it had to be done”. Jack continues to blaze the trail of the independent artist, always creating and challenging herself. With 35 Detroit Music Award wins under her belt she doesn’t plan on slowing down. “Life is short, so I want to live it to the fullest.” Keep up, if you can …