The holiday season started out, for me, with a little surprise. The self-titled release from Petra Haden and Bill Frisell is a gorgeous CD, is a quiet masterpiece with exceptional musicianship and engineering. It should be in stores January 11 from Sovereign Artists.

It's also a surprising mix of songs. Would you expect to find songs from such artists as the late Elliot Smith, Tom Waits, the Foo Fighters mixing in a laid-back release like this one? The music is sweet and sensitive without quite crossing that line into pretentious or self-indulgent. There is a slight urge to call it jazz, which it isn't. Neither does pop or rock do justice to the sound.

Bill Frisell's guitar, both electric and acoustic, as astounding. The music is spacious and lush, especially on the Tuvan traditional, "Bai-la Taigam." In fact, knowing that he has worked with the likes of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois will prepare the listener for the more ambient moments. At times, like during the cover of Coldplay's "Yellow," Frisell even manages to evoke the sound of Lanois in the electric guitar moving from bell-clear notes to artfully distorted moments. Most every song is a tiny curiosity, a gift on first listen.

Vocally, Petra Haden evokes the Breeders, only a bit quieter. Gifted with a beautiful, sure voice, Haden fits perfectly with Frisell's quiet, open sound. Her phrasing is exquisite. The daughter of jazz bassist, Charlie Haden, and coming from her own quirky punk-pop band, that dog, Haden's background is as musically diverse as Frisell's.

From beginning to the end, there are few missteps on the CD. "When You Wish Upon a Star" is, perhaps, just a little too precious, and I've never liked the song, "Moon River." On the other side, Elliot Smith's "Satellite" is an opener that immediately charms and Stevie Wonder's "I Believe" is another surprising gem. A personal favorite is the country-touched "John Hardy was a Desperate Little Man."

This is a CD that seduces the listener with its excellence, and I can't recommend enough for fans of music--although people who have married themselves to one style or sound will likely be disappointed. This isn't a hard-rocking set, and it isn't a big jazz improv, it's just well-considered, gorgeous arrangements and the infusion of everything from country and folk to pop and jazz. It's a mix that is alluring with few disappointments.

Highly recommended.