Yo-Yo Ma & Friends: Songs of Joy & Peace

by Yo-Yo Ma

Overview

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma has long been a giant in the classical world, though he has also made a number of recordings with musicians who play other styles. This holiday disc doesn't exclusively stick to traditional Christmas songs, but covers a wide scope of material in a very ambitious manner. Ma opens with a lovely take of the traditional favorite "Dona Noblis Pacem (Give Us Peace)," playing both the melody and counterpoint via overdubbing. Jazz pianist/vocalist Diana Krall is superb in a swinging rendition of Jerome Kern's unjustly obscure "You Couldn't Be Cuter," adding bassist John Clayton. An arrangement of "Joy to the World" features pianist Dave Brubeck, cellist Matt Brubeck (his son), and clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera in a playful setting that works in "The Christmas Song" and "On the Trail." The senior Brubeck's "Concordia" is filled with spirit in a lively performance with the two cellists. Chris Botti has never sounded better in the warm arrangement of "My Favorite Things," playing both open and muted trumpet, with pianist Billy Childs, bassist Robert Hurst, drummer Billy Kilson, and guitarist Romero Lubambo. Ma has previously collaborated with bassist Edgar Meyer (who is equally at home in jazz and classical music), though this is the cellist's first meeting with mandolinist Chris Thile. Together they make an impressive trio, especially in the enticing medley of "The Wassail Song" and "All Through the Night." Soprano Renee Fleming's rich voice is beautifully complemented by Ma, Meyer, and Thile. Having worked with onetime bluegrass fiddler Mark O'Connor, Ma is very much at home with Celtic fiddler Natalie MacMaster in the lively medley of "A Christmas Jig" and "Mouth of the Tobique Reel." Among the other friends featured on this disc are the Assad Family, Wu Tong & the Silk Road Ensemble, tenor saxophonist Joshua Redman, plus Alison Krauss with piper Christina Pato. One track doesn't fit in all that well with the rest of this CD. The Beatles' bland "Here Comes the Sun" has a warm vocal by James Taylor but it is hampered by its weak lyrics. ~ Ken Dryden

Product Details

Release Date:	10/14/2008
Label:	Sony Classical Essential Classics / Sony Music Distribution
UPC:	0886972441429

Tracks

1. Dona nobis pacem
2. You Couldn't Be Cuter, song (from the film "The Joy of Living")
3. Joy to the World (theme by Handel)
4. Here Comes the Sun
5. Improvisation on "Dona nobis pacem", for acoustic bass & mandolin
6. The Wassail Song / All Through the Night, medley for cello, acoustic bass & mandolin
7. A Christmas Jig / Mouth of the Tobique Reel, medley for fiddle, cello, Celtic harp, piano & drums
8. The Wexford Carol ("Good People All, This Christmastime") (Enniscorthy Carol) (Irish)
9. Panxoli¿¿a, Galician carol
10. Improvisation on "Dona nobis pacem", for 2 guitars
11. Vassourinhas, for guitar (arrangement after Matias da Rocha)
12. Improvisation on "Dona nobis pacem", for clarinet & piano
13. Invitaci¿¿n al Danz¿¿n, for cello, clarinet & piano
14. My One and Only Love, song
15. Familia, song
16. Concordia, for ensemble
17. My Favorite Things, song (from "The Sound of Music")
18. Touch the Hand of Love, song
19. Kuai Le, for ensemble
20. This Little Light of Mine, spiritual
21. Happy Christmas (War Is Over)
22. Dona nobis pacem / Auld Lang Syne, medley for trumpet & cello

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Yo-Yo Ma   Primary Artist,Cello
Joshua Redman   Primary Artist,Sax (Tenor)
Matt Brubeck   Primary Artist,Cello
Siamak Aghaei   Primary Artist,Santur
The Assad Family   Primary Artist
Amelia Zirin-Brown   Primary Artist,Vocals
Sergio Assad & Odair Assad   Primary Artist
Wu Tong   Primary Artist,Sheng,Vocals
Siamak Jahangiry   Primary Artist,Ney
Carolina Assad   Primary Artist,Vocals
Kayhan Kalhor   Primary Artist,Kamanche
Badi Assad   Primary Artist,Vocals
Cristina Pato   Primary Artist,Vocals,Bagpipes
Arnold McCuller   Primary Artist,Vocals
Alison Krauss   Primary Artist,Vocals
Silkroad Ensemble   Primary Artist,Ensemble
Chris Thile   Primary Artist,Mandolin,Vocals
Edgar Meyer   Primary Artist,Double Bass,Bass (Acoustic)
David Lasley   Primary Artist,Vocals
Alon Yavnai   Primary Artist,Piano
Kate Markowitz   Primary Artist,Vocals
Natalie MacMaster   Primary Artist,Fiddle
Dave Brubeck   Primary Artist,Piano
Paquito D'Rivera   Primary Artist,Clarinet
Andrea Zonn   Primary Artist,Vocals
Odair Assad   Primary Artist,Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic)
Chris Botti   Primary Artist,Trumpet
Jake Shimabukuro   Primary Artist,Ukulele
Renee Fleming   Primary Artist,Soprano (Vocal)
James Taylor   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Diana Krall   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals
Rodrigo Assad   Primary Artist,Vocals
Angelina Assad   Primary Artist,Vocals
Kyle Sanna   Vocals,Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Balla Kouyate   Vocals,Balafon,Vocals (Background)
John Hadfield   Percussion
Marcus Milius   Harmonica,Vocals (Background)
Victor Prieto   Accordion
Caroline Taylor   Vocals
Scott Floyd Lochmus   Director
Martha Cook   Celtic Harp
You-Young Kim   Viola
Mac Morin   Piano
Marcus Rojas   Tuba,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Cyro Baptista   Percussion
Nicholas Cords   Viola
Shane Shanahan   Percussion
Ray Rizzo   Drums,Vocals (Background)
Billy Childs   Piano
Romero Lubambo   Guitar (Acoustic)
Matthew Brubeck   Cello
Nilson Matta   Bass
Wu Man   Pipa
Sergio Assad   Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic)
Billy Childs Trio   Piano
Billy Kilson   Drums
Daxun Zhang   Double Bass
Joseph Gramley   Percussion
Johnny Gandelsman   Violin
Sandeep Das   Tabla
Kojiro Umezaki   Shakuhachi
James "J.T." Taylor   Guitar,Vocals
J.D. Blair   Drums
Marika Hughes   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
John Clayton   Double Bass,Bass (Acoustic)
Jamey Haddad   Percussion
Carlo DeRosa   Bass (Acoustic)
Robert Hurst   Bass
Clarice Assad   Vocals

Technical Credits

Matt Brubeck   Arranger
Yo-Yo Ma   Arranger,Composer,Liner Notes,Assistant Engineer,Executive Producer
Jesse Singer   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Alex Miller   General Manager
Roxanne Slimak   Design,Art Direction
Robert Fortunato   Session Photographer
Marcos Leite   Arranger
Linda Albert   Lyricist
Sergio Assad & Odair Assad   Composer
Cristin Bagnall   Executive Producer
Michael O'Neill   Photography
Gregory Davidson   A&R
Eddie Jackson   Engineer
Ellyn Kusmin   Assistant
Gregorian Chant   Composer
Andy Russ   Producer,Associate Producer
Bryan Smith   Assistant Engineer
Brandon Bell   Assistant Engineer
Kyle Sanna   Arranger
Rob Fortunato   Session Photographer
Jimmy Asnes   Session Photographer
Steven Epstein   Producer
John Yakubik   Marketing
Lu Xiaoxing   Recording
Ruth DeSarno   Associate Producer
Eric May   Session Photographer
Stephen Prutsman   Arranger
Laura Kszan   Product Development,Supervising Producer
Scott Floyd Lochmus   Producer
Richard J. Alcock   Supervising Producer
Robert Thurston   Arranger
Cristobal Halffter   Composer
Anonymous   Composer
Beth Canterbury   A&R
Heather Swanson   Session Photographer
Clarice Assad   Composer
Cristina Pato   Arranger
Yoko Ono   Composer
Hyomin Kang   Engineer
Guy Wood   Composer
Blossom Dearie   Composer
Billy Childs   Arranger
Chris Thile   Arranger,Composer
Edgar Meyer   Arranger,Composer
Gary Paczosa   Engineer
Dorothy Fields   Composer
Oscar Hammerstein II   Composer
Richard Rodgers   Composer
Alon Yavnai   Composer
Matthew Brubeck   Arranger
Charles Floyd   Arranger
Natalie MacMaster   Arranger
Dave Brubeck   Arranger,Composer
Paquito D'Rivera   Composer
Traditional   Composer
Richard King   Mixing,Engineer
Jerome Kern   Composer
Lowell Mason   Composer
Odair Assad   Composer
Sergio Assad   Arranger,Composer
Billy Childs Trio   Arranger
Johnny Gandelsman   A&R
Chris Botti   Composer
James "J.T." Taylor   Arranger
Jake Shimabukuro   Arranger
Osvaldo Golijov   Composer
James Taylor   Arranger
George Harrison   Composer
John Clayton   Arranger
Dave O'Donnell   Mixing,Producer,Recording
David Lai   A&R
John Lennon   Composer
Robert Mellin   Composer