Navona Records presents Dashing: Vol. 2, a festive assortment of new classical and jazz arrangements and compositions inspired by staples of the holiday season. Unwrap this gift to find a variety of new works and familiar favourites. Many of the traditional holiday sounds are featured in this album, embellished with distinguished compositional twists that complement seasonal standards. Experience the holidays in a refreshing way with reharmonizations of 'Silent Night', 'Carol Of The Bells' for solo guitar, a jazz arrangement of 'Christmas Time is Here', and more...

Over the years I've gathered more Christmas albums than it's possible to listen to over the festive period. Vol. 2 of the Dashing series was one I was looking forward to listening to, after enjoying the first release. It contains many traditional classics, but I wasn't as struck with it as I was hoping I would be. There are too many tracks that rely on a single instrument and while that is fine, for some reason they've been grouped together. So, the solo cello tracks are in a block, followed by the solo guitar pieces. Personally I feel that it would have been a stronger album if the tracks had been mixed up a little.

I suppose another issue is that people don't much like change and so messing with "traditional" carols might cause some to turn their noses up at this collection... but then again how many "traditional" versions of 'Silent Night' do you need to own before a modern arrangement allows you to reappreciate the magic behind the original? Personally I love a little change and I loved the reworking of 'Christmas Time is Here'. It still manages to retain a lot of the characteristics of the original 1965 Peanut's TV Special A Charlie Brown Christmas, but it's different enough to be of interest.

While the majority of the tracks didn't bring about the Christmas spirit in me, there were still plenty of highlights, the main ones being 'Christmas Wayfarer' and 'Sleigh Ride'.

Track listing:

01 - Christmas Wayfarer - Sarah Wallin Huff
Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra | Stanislav Vavrinek (conductor) (8:46)
02 - Good King Wenceslas - Traditional, arr. Joseph Turrin
Kristina Marinova (piano) (1:24)
03 - Silent Night - Traditional, arr. Joseph Turrin
Kristina Marinova (piano) (2:22)
04 - God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman - Traditional, arr. Joseph Turrin
Kristina Marinova (piano) (2:01)
05 - Christmas Time is Here - Vince Guaraldi, arr. Josh Trentadue
Hope College Orchestra | Christopher H. Fashun (conductor), Jordan VanHemert (saxophone); Lisa Sung (piano); Rodney Whitaker (bass); Jeff Shoup (drums) (6:56)
06 - Sleigh Ride - David W. Solomons
The Budapest Scoring Orchestra | Peter Illenyi (conductor) (2:36)
07 - Winter Scene - David W. Solomons
Orsolya Sapszon (soprano); The Budapest Scoring Orchestra | Peter Illenyi (conductor) (2:21)
08 - Good King Wenceslas - Traditional, arr. Elizabeth J. Start
Elizabeth J. Start (cello) (2:19)
09 - Three Ships and Three Kings - Traditional, John Henry Hopkins Jr., arr. Elizabeth J. Start
Elizabeth J. Start (cello) (3:38)
10 - Lo How a Rose - Traditional, arr. Elizabeth J. Start
Elizabeth J. Start (cello) (2:07)
11 - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane, arr. Elizabeth J. Start
Elizabeth J. Start (cello) (1:58)
12 - Carol of the Bells Mykola Leontovych, arr. Alan Rinehart
Alan Rinehart (guitar) (1:16)
13 - Greensleeves - Traditional, Francis Cutting, arr. Alan Rinehart
Alan Rinehart (guitar) (1:21)
14 - Un jour Dieu se résolut - Michel Corrette, arr. Alan Rinehart
Alan Rinehart (guitar) (2:22)
15 - Villancico De Navidad - Agustin Barrios
Alan Rinehart (guitar) (2:32)
16 - Jauchzet, Frohlocket! (Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 I) - J. S. Bach, arr. Joseph T. Spaniola
Joseph Galema (organ); Steven Kindermann, Tim Allums (trumpet); Gary Stephens (horn); John Gohl (trombone); Gary Poffenbarger (tuba); Michael Woods (timpani) (6:13)

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Nick Smithson