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David Yamasaki Trio’s A Christmas Wish Review: Three Guitars, One Warm Island Christmas
Every autumn brings a flood of Christmas albums, and a lot of them try to stand out by being louder, bigger or flashier. A Christmas Wish goes the other way. David Yamasaki’s new record, recorded in Honolulu, puts three guitars at the centre and lets familiar melodies speak for themselves. It is calm, unhurried and full of careful musicianship, and it is built for a quiet evening at home.
Guitarist David Yamasaki grew up in Seattle, studied at Berklee in Boston and settled in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1979, then moved to Hawai’i in 2003. Along the way he has recorded with Tito Puente, Sheila E., the Pete Escovedo Orchestra and Wayne Wallace, and he has taught at the Stanford Jazz Workshop for more than twenty years. This is his fourth release after From Me to You (2003), Hawaii 5/4 and Almost Home (2024).
He is joined here by two seasoned partners: Robert Shinoda has arranged for television and worked with Eric Marienthal and Sir James Galway. Shoji Ledward, who plays guitar and ukulele, has performed with Don Ho, Bobby Vinton and the Smothers Brothers. The combination of Bay Area jazz training and island ease gives the album its character.
The three guitars complement each other rather than compete. They share melody and accompaniment so naturally that you rarely wonder who is doing what. The mood is soothing and quietly celebratory, with a light jazz sensibility and no showing off. Because the nine tracks run only about half an hour, the album never overstays its welcome.
Track-by-track highlights:
- “A Christmas Wish” is the only original, composed by Aaron Aranita, and a fitting opener. Rachel Gonzales sings it with a reflective, tender touch, and it speaks of absence, longing and hope. Its optimism sets the tone for everything that follows.
- “Frosty the Snowman” is playful and bright, and the ukulele gives it a light island sparkle.
- “Christmas Time Is Here” gives Vince Guaraldi’s classic a gentle, unfussy treatment that lets the melody do the work.
- “My Favorite Things” is the longest of the standards at 4:30 and the only track with a rhythm section: Abe Lagrimas Jr. on drums and Shawn Conley on bass. The extra pulse adds a bit more swing, and it is a nice change of texture in the middle of the album.
- “A Child Is Born” is Thad Jones’s lovely ballad, played with real calm and a sense of peace.
- “O Christmas Tree” is short, at 2:35, and neat, an easy conversation among three players who clearly enjoy each other’s company.
- “Silent Night” is one of the most inventive moments, a familiar carol given a fresh rhythmic and harmonic touch without losing its stillness.
- “We Three Kings” has a slightly more exploratory feel, and the guitarists use the space well.
- “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” closes the record on a warm, nostalgic note, and it is hard to imagine a better last track for an album about comfort and coming home.
After listening to the album 3 times without a break, I tell you why you have to listen to it before and at Xmas:
Restraint: There are no unnecessary arrangements or effects. Every choice seems to serve the song.
Balance: The album moves between playful (Frosty), peaceful (A Child Is Born) and nostalgic (I’ll Be Home) without ever feeling uneven.
Experience: These players know that taste is what makes a simple carol sound this good.
This is a gentle record. Listeners who want big-band swing, bold reinterpretations or a lot of vocals will find it more subdued than they are looking for, and with only one vocal track it is mostly an instrumental album. Those are the same qualities that make it so easy to put on.
A Christmas Wish is a graceful, melodic holiday record that refreshes familiar songs with warmth and care. It belongs in the playlist for wrapping presents, family dinners and quiet nights by the tree. A very good Christmas album, and a rewarding one for guitar fans.
Frankie Pfeiffer
Editor in chief – PARIS-MOVE
PARIS-MOVE, October 31st, 2026
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Musicians:
David Yamasaki Trio:
David Yamasaki, guitar
Robert Shinoda, guitar
Shoji Ledward, guitar, ukulele
Special guests:
Rachel Gonzales, vocals on track 1
Abe Lagrimas Jr., drums on track 4
Shawn Conley, bass on track 4