Merry Christmas from Alaska: an Alaskan-made CD: available locally, it features Alaskan artists and sales have been hot since early November.

• Author: Bohi, Heidi

Christmas and Alaska. It's like St. Patrick's Day and Ireland. Easter and the Holy Land. Thanksgiving and Plymouth Rock.

Kurt Riemann knew his instincts were right on when he decided to package the two together when he produced "Merry Christmas From Alaska," a Christmas CD compilation of 20 songs, performed and produced by Alaskans. The fifth volume reached statewide retailers in early November, and if the past is any indication, will meet the same success as the first four volumes. The 20-song collection includes Alaska's most well-known acts, like jazz pianist Melissa Fischer, The Polka Chips and legendary songwriter Hobo Jim. Also on this CD is Kelsey Gere, a local fourth grader, and John Carpenter, a lifelong Alaskan and local sports personality know for his childlike charm and ornery humor, appropriately singing "I'm Getting Nuttin for Christmas."

The CD is available at Carrs/ Safeway, Wal-Mart Stores, Barnes & Noble, Fred Meyer, Cook Inlet Book Co., the Alaska Commercial Co., and online at www.nightworks.com.

As the owner of Nightworks and Surreal Studios, a national recording label and the state's largest recording studio, Kurt Riemann had everything he needed to produce the CD. He's friends with almost every musician in the state and he is an award-winning sound engineer with 25 years of experience.

As Riemann is quick to point out, though, "Merry Christmas From Alaska" is not an Alaska album. It is a Christmas album. "When you put this CD on, you don't think for a minute that it's local. You just think, wow-this is good."

The success hasn't been by accident. Each Christmas CD is the product of about 300 hours of recording and production time at Surreal Studios. The 2004 edition includes 40 musicians, 20 songs, 30 instruments...