This tasteful rendering of the John Lennon/Yoko Ono holiday message has a poignant resonance for 2001. Don hurried into Boxwood, a studio in Chicago, to record this for us, and he plays all the instruments. A song he'd written, called "The Other Side," although written before 9/11, is being played by many now because of its healing and reassuring message.

Don brings a fascinating background to his current musical status. At seventeen he hitchhiked, freight hopped, and traveled by whatever means possible to every one of the 48 contiguous states and Hawaii. (How do you flag down a ship?) He went from scooping ice cream at Ben & Jerry's in Vermont to playing the Kerrville and the Kent State Folk Festivals, and being a sought-after producer.

He writes about fallen angels, hunting, character flaws, and the triumphs of everyday life. He typically goes into the studio and hammers out an album in days, playing most of the instruments himself, and getting impressive results.

Learn more about Don Conoscenti at donconoscenti.com.