Jason Serinus, Music Critic

This delightful disc (Elves in the Piano), self-produced by Los Angeles-based pianist/composer David Troy Francis, fast moves beyond the classical style of its opening selection, J.S. Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, to offer jazz, blues, and stride-influenced arrangements of classic Christmas tunes. There's a delightful, upbeat quality to Francis' arrangements that cannot fail to bring a smile to the listener. On only one occasion - a particularly grandiose The First Noel that at its climax sounds as though Christ himself has arisen from the keyboard - does Francis go overboard. But he more than redeems himself with the subsequent I Saw Three Ships, in which he becomes so playful as to suggest a melding of Ring around the Rosy and Three Blind Mice.

Recorded by Jennifer Nash, this homegrown effort boasts neither the sonic splendor nor instrumental richness heard on some commercial discs. Yet Francis offers a level of freshness rarely encountered on more widely distributed recordings.