TESLA’s FRANK HANNON Reimagines A 445-Year Old Classic For Christmas With Greensleeves (The Timeless Melody) EP; Two Performance Videos Streaming
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Frank Hannon – co-founder and lead guitarist of multi-platinum rock band Tesla – has just released Greensleeves (The Timeless Melody), a new four-song holiday EP built around the centuries-old English folk melody “Greensleeves.” Arriving today with two performance videos, the project showcases Hannon’s gift for melodic storytelling on guitar, offering a warm, seasonal counterpoint to the Western-inflected introspection of his recent solo album Reflections. The EP is available now on all major streaming platforms and as a physical CD via frankhannon.com.
Recorded and arranged entirely for acoustic and electric guitar, Greensleeves (The Timeless Melody) finds Hannon interpreting the traditional 1580 composition through a uniquely cinematic lens. The EP was sparked by the sound of an original 1978 Ovation Adamas 12-string, the first of its kind ever built and originally made for Heart guitarist Roger Fisher. Its chime-like tone reminded Hannon of a hammer dulcimer – a texture that became the centerpiece of the project’s earliest sketches.
“It was my desire to arrange Greensleeves for guitar and create different versions to showcase its strength and versatility as a melody,” Hannon says. “The concept of the EP arrangement is inspired by the classical approach of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons as I take the Greensleeves melody through the four stages of a day. Starting with the Morning Star, the birth of Jesus on a winter’s night, and into the next day with Before the Dawn.”
Each variation on the EP offers its own interpretation of the timeless “Greensleeves” melody, shaped by tone, texture, and the shifting light of a single day. “Morning Star” (official video) opens the cycle with a layered, symphonic guitar arrangement built around the shimmering Adamas 12-string, its arpeggios gradually joined by six-string acoustic and harmonized electric lines in A minor.
From there, “Our Savior Is Born” moves into something more spare and intimate – a solitude-tinged acoustic performance on a Gibson J-45, played in a gentle fingerpicking style that leans into the quiet stillness of the melody.
The mood deepens on “A Winter’s Night,” where two guitars weave together in a slow 6/8 pulse, accented by harmony-based chordal variations before shifting into a Spanish-influenced flamenco passage that nods to the tune’s debated European origins.
The cycle closes with “Before The Dawn” (official video) performed on the original 12-string Adamas that inspired the project, using harmonics and open strings in E minor to create a dulcimer-like chime – a sound captured in one of the EP’s new performance videos released today.
“To me, melody is one of the most important elements of music, and Greensleeves has outlived many centuries and remained timeless in how it makes a listener feel,” Hannon adds. “To celebrate the holiday season, this EP was created using this timeless and gorgeous melody arranged for guitar. I feel it sounds very heartwarming played on the guitar and these are my four variations. Enjoy and happy holidays!”
Greensleeves (The Timeless Melody) follows closely on the heels of Hannon’s acclaimed solo album Reflections, a Western-tinged, all-guitar project recorded as raw first takes on his cell phone during a period of personal upheaval and renewal. The holiday EP continues the exploration of melody, tone, and emotional expression that defined that record – this time applied to a landmark piece of traditional music rather than original compositions.
Where Reflections looked toward the Sierra Mountains, ranch life, and the American West, Greensleeves turns to centuries-old folk tradition, reimagining a widely recognizable tune with a guitarist’s sensitivity and a composer’s cinematic approach. Both releases highlight Hannon’s renewed commitment to instrumental storytelling and his ability to communicate through touch, harmony, and tone alone.
Tracklisting:
“Morning Star”
“Our Savior Is Born”
“A Winter’s Night”
“Before The Dawn”
(Source: www.bravewords.com)
