This is a really fun CD for anyone whose Christmas music selection includes tasteful new arrangements of classic tunes. Sometimes, I find an arrangement that is too close to the original except for a subtle addition like a backbeat to be too cheesy and I'm better off with the original tune. But an artistic arrangement can be a fresh breath for a classic song and that is what this CD offers. Gary Chapman, John Mulkey, and others pull off some great arrangements with a New Orleans style "O Come All Ye Faithful," a version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" that will defy anyone not to think "Oye Como Va," a "Great Pretender" channeling of "O Holy Night," and an almost western-style "I Wonder As I Wander" that one might croon while on horseback on the range in December (giddy up). This ain't yer daddy's Christmas music ... but he just might like it, too.
ohbytheway -- An artist named Ardelio Gomez has a couple of songs here, but he sounds incredibly similar to Russ Taff. Anyone know if AG is a pen name for RT?
UPDATE on the Gomez question. I shouldn't link to this guy's review because it is on a site competing with Amazon, but somebody somewhere sez: "'What Child Is This' gives credit to Adrelio Gomez as voaclist but it is actually Russ Taff. When COB was released Russ was under contract and was't allowed to put his name on the project."
