Album Notes

Happy Holidays comes from pianist Charles Suniga's aptly-named "Moments of Peace" series. This instrumental CD is designed to give the listener peace of mind and a tranquil heart; this is new age music that will pull you out of your hectic holiday schedule and transport you to a calm oasis of comfort. The dozen tracks are all well known, and the instrumentation consists of Suniga's piano and synthesizer. No overdubbing is involved; Suniga plays his piano and synthesized "strings" at the same time, creating a synergy that charges the soothing ambiance surrounding these holiday numbers. There is a nice mix of modern and ancient carols. My personal bias generally favors pure piano over the synthesizer, so I especially enjoyed tracks like "O Christmas Tree" and "O Little Town of Bethlehem." Still, my favorite cut is probably "What Child Is This," which is also the longest (over 7 minutes) and reflects an excellent marriage of piano and synthesizer. The "Canon in D/Jolly Old St. Nicholas" combo also works very well. Need some soothing moments in these desperate times? The very talented Charles Suniga is prepared to lift those cares from your shoulders with his Happy Holidays. Relax! --Carol Swanson