Ottmar Liebert - Christmas Santa Fe (2000)

Christmas Santa Fe is the second holiday album by acoustic, new age, guitarist Ottmar Liebert. It's better than his first, Poets and Angels, Music 4 the Holidays (1991) because the song selection is superior.

On every track Liebert plays his laid back guitar while blending his own original compositions, all with titles related to the season, into the midsections of traditional holiday tunes. They include "Michelle's Song/The Holly and the Ivy," "Santa Dancing/Deck the Halls," Peace/I Saw Three Ships, "Snow White/Silent Night," and nine others.

Liebert adds bongos and other tastefully played percussion instruments to the arrangements in lieu of a full set of drums. That gives the disc a slightly Southwestern or Latin feel (perhaps that's where the CD's title comes from) and deftly placed muted horns are used as embellishment.

Liebert may not be John Fahey but his Yuletide fare is pleasurable as background dinner music or for roasting those chestnuts over Nat King Cole's open fire. However, if you're looking for excitement you'll need to search elsewhere.

Buy it from Amazon.

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