Accordions for Christmas? Seriously? Put aside any prejudices
you might have about the accordion, and lend your lucky ears to Cafe
Christmas. This is an outstanding holiday release; even the
accordion-phobic will stand up and cheer!
First things first. Although an accordion is definitely involved, the
Cafe Accordion Orchestra is oh-so much more! The Cafe Accordion Orchestra
(CAO) consists of five talented guys playing, yes, the accordion (Dan
Newton), and a whole host of (largely) string instruments and percussion.
Newton and Brian Barnes contribute the occasional vocal (on perhaps 1/3
of the tracks), and their singing is inspired and inspiring. The CAO's
self-described style is Bal-Musette, a style of French music
particularly popular in the 1940s. Think of it as gypsy music, culturally
rich and enthusiastically diverse. As a result, CAO's Cafe Christmas exudes
international pizzazz; the traditional holiday pieces are creatively
reconfigured as waltzes, polkas, and cha-chas, to name a few. This may
sound crazy, but the formula works exceedingly well.
The opening Christmas Waltz put me at a Paris sidewalk cafe
along the Seine, all moonlight and stars, wine glass in hand, a huge
smile on my mug. The "Paso Doble" Jingle Bells takes
the traditional number to an entirely fresh dimension, with minor chord
changes and castanets. Too cool! A Holly Jolly Christmas is
a brilliant Burl Ives imitation in the "Greek Style." The
intensely beautiful instrumental Christmas Time Is Here reveals
CAO's softer side. And I could go on and on--every track is a gem!
Now I have lived in Minnesota since the mid-80s, and CAO is based in
Minneapolis. As a result, some jaded readers might say that I have a
chauvinistic bias towards these boys. Absolutely not! CAO's eclectic Cafe
Christmas is indisputably the real deal. Charged with exquisite
creativity and world-wide flair, it's my favorite CD so far this holiday
reviewing season. Hip, Hip, HURRAY!
--Carol Swanson, 2008, christmasreviews.com