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Songs of Joy & Peace is a sweet CD that will undoubtedly appeal to audiences on multiple levels. First, the featured artist is Yo-Yo Ma, an outstanding musician who initially achieved fame in classical music before "crossing over" into the jazz and folk/bluegrass genres. He is magnificent. Second, his instrument of choice is the cello, a warm-throated device that should charm and beguile even the most hard-hearted Scrooges. Third, Yo-Yo Ma brought along an assortment of "Friends" to participate in Songs of Joy & Peace, and his pals include some of my favorite artists--Diana Krall, James Taylor, Edgar Meyer, Alison Krauss, Natalie MacMaster, Joshua Redman, Chris Botti, and on and on. How could such a recording be anything but sensational? It's sensational.

Loaded with music (80 minutes!), the album blends instrumentals with vocals, and classic holiday fare with nontraditional fun. Combining jazz and folk/pop flavors, the offering aspires to achieve universality, reaching across religious boundaries to the foundational attraction of joy and peace common to all humanity, no matter what cultural baggage you bring to the table. The package works.

One of my favorite cuts is James Taylor singing the Beatles' excellent Here Comes the Sun. Taylor has a low-key manner that can sometimes suggest apathy; here, however, he sounds warmly engaged, and the throaty cello accompaniment is superb. Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile go to town on the instrumental Improvisations on Dona Nobis Pacem (Give Us Peace) (track 5), providing staccato plucking and jazzy runs. Too cool! Their more traditional The Wassail Song/All Through the Night medley is equally excellent, with fingers flying at the speed of light. Ah, and when Alison Krauss applies her crystalline voice to The Wexford Carol, artfully backed by bagpipes and cello, the hauntingly beautiful effect is simply surreal. The trumpet/cello dialogue on My Favorite Things is another memorable treat.

I have nothing but admiration for the astoundingly talented Yo-Yo Ma, and his Songs of Joy & Peace only reinforces that happy impression. This is a quality recording through and through. Interestingly, the "peace" theme pervades the album, with Dona Nobis Pacem (Give Us Peace) appearing in diverse, creative forms on five occasions (in other words, 5 of the 12 cuts!). Magnificent! Grab this outstanding release, and you will find yourself basking in joy & peace this holiday season and for many years to come!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2008)

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From the liner notes:

Imagine a party, a musical party inspired by the holiday season. A party that celebrates the universal hopes, dreams and joy animating seasonal festivals the world over. That is what brought Yo-Yo Ma together with a remarkable group of friends--some old, some new--to create Songs of Joy & Peace. It is Yo-Yo's hope that everyone who listens to this album will hear a song familiar, comfortable and beloved to them as well as discover and fall in love with music that is brand new.

Yo-Yo Ma: cello

Friends (in order of appearance):
Diana Krall
John Clayton
Dave Brubeck
Matt Brubeck
Paquito D'Rivera
James Taylor
Edgar Meyer
Chris Thile
Natalie MacMaster
Alison Krauss
Cristina Pato
Sergio Assad
Odair Assad
Alon Yavnai
Joshua Redman
The Assad Family
Chris Botti
Renee Fleming
Wu Tong
The Silk Road Ensemble
Amelia Zirin-Brown
Jake Shimabukuro

Porducer: Steven Epstein
Executive Producer: Cristin Canterbury Bagnall



From the Website:

For his latest album, Songs of Joy & Peace, the multiple Grammy-winning cellist Yo-Yo Ma invited many of his favorite artists from the worlds of popular and classical music to collaborate on a selection of songs -- some sacred, some secular, some traditionally seasonal, some simply beloved -- connected in their sense of wonder and appreciation of the holiday season. Yo-Yo Ma conceived of Songs of Joy & Peace as a universal holiday house party of music "uniting different forms of joy" with the idea of combining familiar material with songs that would offer the listener the gift of discovery performed by old friends and new. Songs of Joy & Peace celebrates the universal hopes, dreams and good cheer animating seasonal festivals -- Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid, Kwanzaa, Yuletide, Winter Solstice, New Year's, Ramadan -- the world over.

Yo-Yo & Friends Ma

Songs of Joy & Peace

Artist link

Track List