A Whim and a Prayer is a jazz recording of Christmas classics.  

Hear it on Spotify:  

1.  “Let It Snow” (Sammy Kahn, Jule Styne) – 4:19

2.  “Angels Have You Heard On High” featuring Carlos Chong (Traditional) – 5:22

3. "Mary Did You Know” featuring Yaritza Lopez, Irma Treminio (Mark Lowry, Buddy Green) – 5:43

4. “Peace On Earth” featuring Derick Hughes, Carl Wheeler (Norbert Stachel) – 7:06

5. “O Come O Come Emanuel” (Traditional) – 4:36

6. “The Christmas Waltz” (Traditional) – 5:58

7. “A Child Is Born” featuring Meredith Joseph Augustin (Thaddeus Jones) – 5:17

8. “I Wonder as I Wander” featuring Norbert Stachel (John Jacob Niles) – 4:08

9. “In The Bleak Midwinter” featuring Meredith Joseph Augustin (Traditional) – 7:08

10. “This Christmas” (Donny Hathaway, Nadine McKinnor) – 4:43

Personnel

Karen Stachel – flutes, lead vocals (8), percussion effects (9), arrangement (6) co-arrangement (8)

Norbert Stachel – tenor saxophone (1, 4, 7, 10) soprano saxophone (2, 3, 5) bass clarinet (8, 9), shakers (2, 3, 9) sleighbells (6) dumbek (8), percussion effects (2, 9), arrangements (4, 5, 9), co-arrangements (2, 8, 10)

Manuel Valera – acoustic piano (1-3, 5-10), arrangements (1, 7) 

Carl “The Rev” Wheeler – synthesizer (3), organ (4) electric piano (3, 4, 10) synth strings (10)

Carlos Chong – acoustic and electric guitar (2, 5) electric guitar (1, 6)

Marc Malsegna – acoustic guitar (3) electric (4, 10)

John Benitez – acoustic bass (1, 2, 5-9), electric bass (3, 10), arrangements (3) co-arrangement (2, 10)

Eric Smith – electric bass (4)

Francis Benitez – drums (1-3, 6-10), congas, shekera, compana bell (10)

Danté “Taz” Roberson – drums (4)

Chris Velazquez – congas (4)

Benny Kooneyevsky – middle eastern percussion (5)

Rob Holland – bongos (2, 3), congas, woodblocks (3) percussion effects (9)

Derick Hughes– lead and background vocals (4)

Yaritza Lopez – lead vocals (3)

Irma Treminio – lead vocals (3)

Meredith Joseph Augustin – lead vocals (7, 9) 

Production

John Benitez, Norbert Stachel, Karen Stachel – Producers (1–3, 5-10)

Carl “The Rev” Wheeler, Norbert Stachel, Karen Stachel – Producers (4)

Carl “The Rev” Wheeler, FM Studio, Emeryville, CA, recording, editing (4)

Kostadin Kamcev, Mozart Studio, Little Falls, NJ - engineering, recording (1-3, 5-10)

Norbert Stachel, Karen Stachel, Purple Room Studio, NYC, NY - engineering, recording, mixing (1-10)

Pfil Bright, Electric Chai, Grass Valley, CA – percussion recording (2, 3, 6, 9), engineering, mixing (1-10)

Donnie Johnston, Electric Chai, Grass Valley, CA – assistant engineer (2, 3, 6, 9)

Steve Jarvis, Emeryville, CA - mic & pre-amp rental (4)

Benny Lopez, Tropical Recordings, Davenport, FL - mixed and mastered “Mary Did You Know”

Carlos Velazquez, Playbach Recording Studio, San Juan, PR - mastering