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Ah, the Internet puts all sorts of fascinating world talents at your doorstep. David Gomes & Junji Delfino are a well-loved fixture on the Malaysian jazz scene; this long-married couple indeed makes beautiful music together. Delfino is the sultry singer, hubby Gomes tickles the ivories and provides a few vocals himself, and the two do some impressive songwriting. Although you may not normally think Hong Kong or Kuala Lumpur when you think jazz standards for Christmas, Gomes & Delfino's It's Christmas Time Again may make you broaden your horizons.

Gomes & Delfino operate in a classic jazz combo (adding an acoustic bass and percussion to Gomes' piano), and the sound is completely fun and familiar. These artists are totally fluent in jazz, and they toss off the holiday standards like the seasoned veterans that they are. Even more impressively, some of their creative originals, particularly the title track, sound like "old favorites" the first time through. I loved It's Christmas Time Again, a snappy and memorable holiday ditty that opens the album. Burt Delfino's Make My Christmas White Again is a melancholy tale of lost love, and Junji Delfino handles the angst with the perfect emotional pitch. Her powerful and elastic pipes are well suited to the jazz genre, and Gomes himself is no slacker. His vocals project a Sinatra-esque "rat pack" vibe and shine brightest on the explosively jazzy Jingle Bells. Singing together on tunes like Hark the Herald, the couple's chemistry makes the harmonies hum.

The fold-out liner notes helpfully provide all the lyrics. Unfortunately, this means that aging eyes like mine are squinting through a magnifying glass to catch every word.

Christmas in Malaysia? Why not! Connecting with fine international artists like David Gomes and Junji Delfino is just one reason why I love writing for ChristmasReviews.com. It's a wonderful life!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2007)

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From the liner notes:

Junji Delfino: Vocals
David Gomes: Vocals, Piano,
Ruslan Imam: Acoustic Bass
Joe Pruessner: Acoustic Bass
Charles Wong: Drums
Alonzo Gonzales Camarra: Congas & Percussion
Choir: Junji Delfino, David Gomes, Joelle Gomes, Ryan Gomes, Gerry Delfino

Executive Producers: David Gomes & Junji Delfino
All tracks produced by: David Gomes & Junji Delfino
All tracks arranged by: David Gomes



From the Website:

David Gomes and Junji Delfino are names deeply ensconced in the Kuala Lumpur jazz scene. He, together with the different bands that bear his name, draw crowds wherever he performs with his signature hot & swinging brand of entertainment. She is a highly respected vocalist both in her native Philippines & her adoptive homebase, Malaysia.

...Highly regarded in his field, David is renowned, not just as a performer, but as a composer, arranger & producer. He is easily one of the few, if not the only one in Malaysia, who is constantly writing original jazz music in the mold of legendary jazz doyens in the international arena. His compositions are well and truly able to stand alongside standard jazz pieces in terms of substance & quality.

With a flourishing career that is standing on solid ground, Junji Delfino is at her prime nearly three decades on into her jazz profession.

Born into a family whose names are synonymous with music in the Philippines, Junji developed a passion for jazz at a very young age. Being the youngest daughter of Bert Delfino, one of Manila's well-known jazz drummers in the last millennium, has certainly served her in good stead as she now has evolved into a jazz vocalist of commendable stature...


Together, David & Junji have a carved a niche for themselves in the hugely challenging jazz industry, choosing to remain true to the essence of the music rather than to accede to the demands of a pop-desensitized world.

David & Junji Delfino Gomes

It's Christmas Time Again

Artist site

Track List