Track Listing

1. Winter Wonderland
2. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
3. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
4. Away in a Manger
5. White Christmas
6. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
7. Silent Night
8. Christmas Song
9. Feliz Navidad
10. Frosty the Snowman
11. Silver Bells
12. What Child Is This?
13. O Come All Ye Faithful
14. Angels We Have Heard on High
15. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
16. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
17. We Wish You a Merry Christmas
18. Auld Lang Syne

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #57242 in Music
• Released on: 2000-08-29
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
Sergio Lara and Joe Reyes specialize in flamenco-style guitar, and fans that know the San Antonio-based players will immediately enjoy these standard hymns and carols, all played with spirited hands and convincing emotion. Lara and Reyes offer 18 tracks of holiday fare perfect for putting you in the mood or for entertaining friends and family. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" hints at a tango, while "Let It Snow," like many of the cuts here, finds the duo improvising and engaging listeners with little side trips and some additional Christmas whimsy and reverence. As for their playing, their fluid figures dip occasionally into what almost sounds like bluegrass, crossed at times with Latin phrasing and accents. Closing with "Auld Lang Syne," Navidad lives up to its billing as a colorful and contemplative holiday album. --Martin Keller

Customer Reviews

Mandolin and flamenco xmas
Beginning with the opening track "Winter Wonderland, " you immediately know that the usual xmas songs will be anything but. These two San Antonio, Texas musicians lend their collective talents to create a memorabe xmas album that stiches Latin rhythms, jazz and a sort of Tex-Mex bluegrass for a nice Americana xmas quilt. The musicians improvise at the right times, only after you have recognized the melody's then taking you to new dimensions and back. Other songs are straight ahead true to the original melodies never straying . The mandolin playing on "Have Yourself a Merry Little Xmas" is right on track with the original melody and sounds perfect. Although the guitar playing is compelling work I found the mandolin to give a different texture that creates a uniquesound. The Irving Berlin penned xmas classic "White Christmas" is pretty much straight ahead jazz and while it is a modern interpretation it could easily pass for one from a deifferent bygone decade. When the arrangements are by Lara & Reyes, like on "God Rest Ye Merrry Gentlemen," the results are nothing less than superb. The integration of mandolin and flamenco guitar is an absolute knockout. The lingering extended notes by the mandolin on "Silent Night" are a thing of beauty that touches you with the spirit of the season; it is very ,very beautiful. There are plenty of songs here for the duo to show their skills ,variety of styles and technique. Many composers and musicians have recored trhese songs so you tend hear these other versions simultaneosly through the accostic versions. One such song is the Mel Torme tune, probably made most famous by Nat King Cole, "The Christmas Song." There are a few "contemporary " xmas songs like Jose Feliciano's bright and cheerful "Feliz Navidad" that keeps true to the original for the most part. If you have a multiple disc player this is good disc to throw in the musical rotation. Put your player on random, catch a few tunes in no particular order and mix it up a bit for a little variety while you enjoy your fireplace and a nip of eggnog. This disc has a little of everything but the most traditional of songs like "O come All Ye Faithful" seem to sound the best. If you want something a little different yet traditonal than this disc may be for you. I cannot overemphasize the beauty of the mandolin blending in harmony with the flamenco guitar for a most unusual yet complimentary sound. This is an album of music that will bring joy to your soul and a smile to your face.

A Perfect Christmas CD
This is everything a Christmas album should be - pure, simple, beautiful music. Lots of great renditions of holiday classics - and they all positively shimmer with great guitar playing. Don't let the Editor's Review fool you - this isn't just for Spanish/Flamenco music lovers.

Very nice
Great record.
Creates the best atmosphere for the holiday season.