What began as one father's wish to create a Christmas album for his children led to blending the talents of a legion of local musicians with results that are truly spectacular.
"North Central xMass" features 17 tracks compiled by over three dozen musicians from the region who donated their time and talents to record it. Their hope is that musicians and music lovers alike can join together in spreading some holiday cheer while helping to raise money for local families in need with the help of the Gardner Community Action Committee (CAC) -- a win-win.
The festive album including classics such as "Run Rudolph," "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," and "I'll Be Home for Christmas" is the realization of an idea that musician Rich Cook began dreaming up over ten years ago.
"I have always loved Christmas, and I wanted to do something special for my kids," the father of three said. "The older I get, the more I realize my own mortality. I think about what my children will remember me for when I'm no longer here. I wanted to make them something that makes them smile when they talk to their children and grandchildren someday."
The Ashburnham resident said he reached out to his album co-collaborator Jason Cook "as kind of a Hail Mary." Rich had played in a popular cover band "Go Gadget Go!" for 16 years and their last show was in November of last year, a bittersweet moment for him and his bandmates.
"I had a musical void in my life so looking back, I think I was trying to find a way to fill that," Rich said. "Jay and I had become closer, friends, so one day I just asked him if he knew anybody that likes to record music. He's such a genuine, nice person with a big heart that when I told him what I was looking to do, he seemed to be all in."
Jay said that for him, "it was an easy yes, especially when the motivation was so pure."
"Signing on was a promise from one father to another to make that dream come true," he said. "And, with family at the heart of it all, a family-based charity component felt fitting, so it meant the world to me that Rich and all of our musicians were so immediately on board."
Choosing Gardner CAC as the Christmas album beneficiary has a very personal meaning behind it for the longtime Winchendon resident.
"My relationship with the CAC goes back to childhood," Jay said. "While we never 'went without,' our household certainly benefited from a helping hand every now and then, especially around the holidays. From holidays to winter clothing to school supplies to food, the team at the Gardner CAC are incredibly dedicated to providing that helping hand to families and are phenomenal at what they do."
They set up a GoFundMe as a way for people to donate to the CAC and to date nearly $5,000 has been raised towards the $10,000 goal -- the donations keep coming. Gardner CAC Executive Director Julie Meheen conveyed that they are grateful not only for the monetary support but also for helping to get the word out about the organization she has helmed for 17 years.
"This contribution and partnership mean the world to me and everyone at the Gardner CAC. To know that they see the impact we have and that they trust us means everything," she said. "The donated funds will address critical needs within our community, specifically restocking our food pantry as we are experiencing an unprecedented demand for food assistance, providing gifts for children this Christmas, and supporting our heating assistance programs.
"We are deeply grateful to the North Central Mass artists who donated their time and talent to create the album and support the community. This generous contribution is incredibly valuable to me, the Gardner CAC, and the people we serve!"
Rich expressed that it means "so much" to him to have everyone come together, not only for this special musical endeavor but for a good cause.
"I'll never be able to repay these musicians for the time and love they've given to this project," he said.
Those musicians include Fitchburg residents Melissa Gates and Franco O'Malley, who were more than happy to jump on board when asked. Gates performed the vocals on the "Fairytale of New York track and her "Our So-Called Live Music" bandmate Sarah Clark is also part of "North Central xMass" along with Rich's "Go Gadget Go!" bandmates.
Gates, who has sung, played guitar, and been a musician for as long as she can remember, was "so excited" to be a part of this unique project.
"I love Christmas and everything about it, but I most especially love the music. I am one of those people that starts playing carols in October," she said with a laugh. "When Rich and Jason told me they had chosen the song 'Fairytale of New York' for me to sing along with Rich, I was thrilled because I am a big Pogues fan and have always loved that song. We had a great time recording it and everyone was just filled to the brim with Christmas spirit."
She said that for her, the thing she loves most about the album "is that everyone involved is so talented and gave their time and efforts freely to come together to create something so special that can be enjoyed for years to come."
"It is now a part of my family's Christmas album rotation and I'm also glad to be a part of the fundraising effort for the Gardner CAC," she said. "I hope we can reach our goal!"
O'Malley, who is a solo artist, music promoter, and open mic host, sang the vocals on "White Christmas."
"There was so much that made it special," he said of being part of the album experience. "The idea for starters but the overwhelming response from the musicians at first, and then the execution by Jason and Rich to wrangle 40 musicians in the short amount of time is no small feat, and of course the final product. Bringing us all together and now the support from the community is beyond any expectation I had."
O'Malley is entrenched in the local music scene. He started playing guitar in the late 1990s, performing in 2005, and for the past several years he has "become more focused on organizing multi-artist events and promoting the unbelievable talent in the local community."
The Winchendon native helped put together the Holiday Celebration show at Thirsty Robot Brewing in Fitchburg on Dec. 21st, with all proceeds going to the Gardner CAC and several of the album musicians performed in it, including Jason and Rich.
"I see so much potential for this being an annual cause," O'Malley said.
Rich said he really enjoyed being immersed in all the talent featured on the album. When asked how he's feeling about the results and what his kids think, he said he "couldn't be happier with what came out of this project."
"We have an amazing album that my family absolutely loves! It has been on heavy rotation in the Cook household since its release," he said. "Another thing that came from this is the camaraderie I share with the local music scene. Some of these people I met in grade school, and others I met walking into my house to record for the first time. The local music scene has amazing talent but even better people. I'm so proud to be a part of it."
When it comes to what he enjoyed most about putting it together with Jason and creating it alongside all the musicians, Rich said "the best part about working with this talented group was the love and respect that came from the community."
"We started talking to people more than a year ago and everyone involved was enthusiastic about being a part of it and very giving with their time and attention. They are an absolutely amazing group of people, and I'm so happy I got to meet them. There were several times throughout this project where I would sit in awe of the talent I was watching happen in front of me."
He went on to praise his co-collaborator Jason, who he said, "is the most kind and humble person I've ever met."
"He will disagree with everything I'm about to say, but this project never would've happened without him," Rich said. "He was the driving force, keeping everything on track, scheduling all of these gigging musicians, making sure the right pieces were brought in, mixing tracks, handling social media post. He is a true rockstar, and I'm so proud to call him my friend."
Jason also enjoyed working with Rich and the other musicians and while he "loved every part" of the album project, for him personally "it was the scale, scope, and challenge" that stood out to him.
"We could have gathered a handful of close friends and cranked out an album of punk rock Christmas songs over the course of a weekend but expanding the idea into eight months of prep time and four months of recording with three dozen gigging musicians uniquely interpreting 17 songs in entirely new ways was a once in a lifetime opportunity," he said. "It was like being handed the best box of crayons in the world and being told to color outside the lines. The talent and passion on display is just staggering."
He said the album fundraiser will run through midnight on New Year's Eve and talked about the 63% increase in families and individuals utilizing the food security programs offered by the Gardner CAC over the last year.
"Maybe we can do a little something to help other families in the lean months following Christmas," he said. "The holidays are a lean time for everyone, but every little bit can make a difference for households that aren't quite as fortunate."
He said that they held a wrap party at the Otter River Pub in Baldwinville once "North Central xMass" was finished and said he "couldn't be more proud" with how it came out.
"The album will live forever, not just for our families, but in tribute to a specific moment of time within our local music family."
His disclosed that his roles when it came to helping to construct the album through their tongue in cheek and aptly named Two Many Cooks production effort could best be described as project manager, sound engineer, co-producer, and marketer - an experience he will cherish.
"It's been a constant collaboration between Rich, myself, and the musicians involved, and every step was fueled by mutual trust, respect, and genuine camaraderie," Jason said. "The world needs more of that."