Spirit of the Carols

Thom Rotella overdubbed layers of guitars for his solo Christmas CD. Two songs ("O Come, All Ye Faithful" and "Silent Night") feature very straight vocals by Tierney Sutton, and Phil Ayling plays recorders on "We Three Kings"; otherwise, this is entirely Rotella's show. He treats the traditional songs with great respect for the melodies, swings a bit in places, and creates superior background music for Yuletide celebrations. Highlights include "Joy to the World," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Jingle Bells."