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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
(Reviewed in 2008)

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From the liner notes:

Cafe Accordion Orchestra:
Daniel Newton: accordion, keyboards, percussion & vocals
Brian Barnes: guitars, lap steel & vocals
Eric Mohring: mandolin & fiddle
Erik Lillestol: bass
Joe Steinger: drums & percussion

Recorded, engineered and mixed by Rob Genadek @ Brewhouse, Mpls., MN
Mastered by Rob Genadek
All arrangements by Cafe Accordion Orchestra
Produced by Dan Newton, Brian Barnes and Rob Genadek


From the Website:

Café Accordion Orchestra (CAO) performs an eclectic mix of vintage Swing, Latin, American, and French Café Music. Their music evokes the repertoire of the Bal Musette orchestras, the bands that were popular in Parisian cafés and bistros in the 1920's through 1950's. The heart of this repertoire is the romantic, gypsy-influenced valse-musette or swing waltz. CAO complements the musettes with swing, ballads, tangos, paso dobles, boleros, rumbas, and cumbias to create a wonderfully varied show. While they inject their music with good humor and expressive abandon, their high level of musicianship and passion for performance makes them an entertaining concert act as well as a great dance band.

Café Accordion Orchestra wishes you and yours a holiday season filled with joy and cheer. To help you celebrate, we've wrapped a package full of holiday sounds from around the world. Here's enough tango, cha cha, cumbia, waltz and swing to keep you warm into the new year! Happy Holidays!

Cafe Accordion Orchestra

Cafe Christmas

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Track List