Joshua Bell - Musical Gifts: Joshua Bell and Friends (2013)

With Musical Gifts, world-renowned violinist Joshua Bell imagines friends coming to his home during the holiday and joining in on songs that celebrate the warmth, beauty and magic of the season.

Following the concept of his critically acclaimed 2009 album, At Home with Friends, Bell is paired with a variety of special guests including Gloria Estefan, Alison Krauss, Kristin Chenoweth, saxophonist Chris Botti, jazz greats Chick Corea and Branford Marsalis, opera stars Plácido Domingo and Renée Fleming, Michael Feinstein and a cappella group Straight No Chaser.

Included on the album are such seasonal classics as “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” with Alison Krauss, “White Christmas” with Chris Botti, “Nutcracker Medley” with a cappella group Straight No Chaser who use their voices to simulate an orchestra and a fun holiday mash-up called “Christmas Confusion” that combines “Silent Night” with the likes of “Jingle Bells,” “Hava Nagila” and even “The Dreidel Song”.

“I wanted to capture the feeling and celebration of the holidays and that spirit of December,” says Bell. “I love the idea of celebrating music in ways different from how it was originally written, bringing in new arrangements and creating new repertoire.”