Christmas Treasures

Mark Baldwin; Dave Cleveland; Bruce Gaitsch; Tom Hemby; Michael Hodge; Phil Keaggy; Matt McPherson; Michael Ripoll (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 18, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Autumn Records LLC
• ASIN: B000KHX90G
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #260,350 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Autumn Records brings together eight of today's top guitarists for "Christmas Treasures: A McPherson Guitars Instrumental Collection." The world-class guitarists featured on this collection of Christmas classics include Grammy nominee and Dove Award winner Phil Keaggy, Mark Baldwin, Dave Cleveland, Bruce Gaitsch, Tom Hemby, Michael Hodge, Matt McPherson (founder and designer of McPherson Guitars) and Michael Ripoll. Christmas Treasures is an instrumental look at some of world's most beloved Christmas carols, each performed on an acclaimed McPherson acoustic guitar. These fresh interpretations of classic Christmas songs will surprise you with their depth and beauty. The remarkable sonic beauty of the McPherson guitars is faithfully captured with the finest vintage and modern microphones, and the stellar production adds piano, Irish whistle, harmonica, drums, bass, electric guitars, percussion, organ and live strings. There is some stellar pickin (Mark Baldwin s O Come, O Come Emmanuel and Michael Hodges up-tempo dance with the drums on We Three Kings ), but the project is highly polished, offering lush arrangements and quiet choruses. But there is still the occasional sizzle. Michael Ripoll enriches the project greatly with his samba take on The Christmas Song and African-influenced Little Drummer Boy. Tom Hemby burns with a rich George Benson jazz groove on I ll Be Home For Christmas and I loved his rendition of Christmas Time is Here with the muted harmonica. Dave Cleveland goes all Eric Clapton on We Wish You a Merry Christmas and Mark Baldwin ties things up nicely on the sparkling closer Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Christmas Treasures does actually highlight the beauty of the McPherson guitar. But beyond that it offers a mellow instrumental Christmas album of exquisite sensitivity. Sounds hoity-toity, I know, but it s not. Any picker in your life will be thrilled to see Christmas Treasures in his stocking on Christmas morning. --http://christianmusic.suite101.com/article.cfm/christmas_treasures

Product Description

Listen! The wonder and joy of Christmas shine through un this collection of cheerful instrumentals, as eight leading guitarists offer fresh arrangements of favorite songs and carols. The remarkable sonic beauty of the McPherson acoustic guitars is faithfully captured with the finest vintage and modern microphones, for more than a full hour of delightful Christmas music!

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice jazz Christmas classics, December 25, 2009

By 

A Reader "snailgate" (Newark, DE United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Christmas Treasures (Audio CD)

Firs, a strange physical problem with this disc. I am familiar with some disks that get jammed in "slot" type cd players, like the ones in most cars or a laptop computer. This one is the opposite. It plays just fine in my car and in my computer, but my top-loading cd player says 'no disc' or just skips around playing for a fraction of a second, then nothing. But that is probably just a individual fluke for this one particular disc.

The music is great. Lots of different styles and it is all pretty good jazz. If you know the individual performers, you will not be disappointed. It is a welcome change from the kind of holiday season music that hits you continously in stores and ends up just making you angry.