Search - Cesar Marquez :: Cesar & Strings / At the Heart of Christmas

Trudging against the commercial tide, Cesar Marquez parts ways with a sea of artists who use the holiday as an excuse to cut loose and experiment with Christmas classics. Here, humbly and respectfully, Marquez sets aside this tempting opportunity to record a smooth and heartwarming compilation of timeless masterpieces. It is not just the velvet timbre of Marquez? voice that is mature beyond his years. His assured phrasing and precise timing are most often found in older singers as well. Although slightly resembling a mix between Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley and Perry Como, Marquez manages to steer clear of sounding like anyone but himself. His re-workings of Christmas classics, such as his Jobinesque "Joy to the World", the classically reverent "O Holy Night", and the playful vinyl to digital take on "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" alone are worth the price of the CD. And Marquez? own, "A Child is Born" manages to keep pace alongside masterpieces such as these. Clearly possessing all the tools, Marquez however, chooses to keep some stars in his pocket and take the smooth, unbeaten path on this one. Perhaps in a world of overproduced music, less really is more. And for those wishing to put aside the tinsel and contemplate the meaning of the season, Marquez? selection of non-commercial tunes is sure to be an added bonus.