Songs of Joy and Peace / Yo-Yo Ma & Friends by Alison Krauss, Amelia Zirin-Brown, Chris Botti, Chris Thile, Diana Krall, Jake Shimabukuro, James Taylor, Joshua Redman, Matt Brubeck, Natalie MacMaster, Paquito D'Rivera, Yo-Yo Ma (CD, Jan-2008, Sony Classical)

I bought this CD because I saw a documentary on the making of it on PBS. I love Yo-Yo Ma and am a huge fan of Allison Krauss. Now I am a fan of many other incredible musicians including Diane Krall and Chris Botti. Though this CD was produced as a Christmas album, it can be enjoyed all year because there is very little typical "Christmas" music included...which I'm sure is the point. The arrangements are interesting and engaging, and I love the varied styles of the music. If you purchase this CD without watching the documentary, I encourage you to try to find a way to watch it...it will add so much to your appreciation of the musicality of this CD when you've seen the musicians in action and heard their stories. I am VERY pleased with this CD and plan to increase my collection of not only Yo-Yo's music but many of the other musicians included on this CD as well.