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Bailey's Bundles
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
C. Michael Bailey
...wants to know if Gene Harris is playing "Summertime" in Heaven...Tracks: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town; Christmas Time Is Here; Oh Christmas Tree; God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen; Silent Night; Jingle Bells; Away In A Manger; Little Drummer Boy; Jolly Old Saint Nicholas; We Three Kings; Blue Christmas; I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day; The First Noel; We Wish You A Merry Christmas.
Jack Wilkins
Christmas Jazz Guitar
(Mel Bay Records)
A super little recital of jazz guitar is Christmas Jazz Guitar. Jack Wilkins has a firm harmonic sense that enables him to make interesting songs previously rendered many, many times. Mr. Wilkins's collection is a low-impact and thoroughly non-invasive—meaning, these performances are predigested, pretty and ready for consumption. My only quibble is that the recording is only a half hour long.
Tracks: Deck the Halls With Boughs of Holly; O Little Town of Bethlehem; Hark! The Herald Angels Sing; Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas; Joy to the World; Barbara Allen {From the 1951 British Film a Christmas Carol}; White Christmas; Adeste Fideles; O Come, All Ye Faithful; Christmas Song; Sleigh Ride; It Came Upon a Midnight Clear; Silent Night.
Royce Campbell / Tom Baldwin / Howard Curtis, Jr.
A Jazz Guitar Christmas
(Moon Cycle Records)
A much better investment in Christmas Jazz Guitar is the one hour-plus A Jazz Guitar Christmas by Royce Campbell and his trio of bassist Tom Baldwin and drummer Howard Curtis. "Let It Snow" clocks in at a briskly played six minutes with plenty of space for guitarist Campbell. "He gets to workout again on "We Three Kings." Campbell is not afraid to venture into the free-avant-garde realm when investigating these carols and seasonal songs. This disc is a bit more challenging that the Wilkins disc, but the payoff is much greater.
Tracks: Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow; White Christmas; Live Every Day Like Christmas; O Chrismas Tree; I'll Be Home For Christmas; Winter Wonderland; Santa Claus is Coming to Town; Toyland; Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas; We Three Kings; The Christmas Song.
Dianne Reeves
Christmas Time is Here
(Blue Note Records)
Certainly, this is the most anticipated release of the holiday season. Miss Reeves has been overdue a holiday offer and she brings Christmas Time is Here with all of the power and invention as one would expect. "Little Drummer Boy" is presented as a trio of percussion, bass and voice and is tour de force. Formats like this are hard to pull off and Miss Reeves makes it look easy. She does the same with "Caroling of the Bells," a song that is hard to translate into the jazz idiom. Joe Locke's vibraphone perfectly accents the piece, providing it a snowbound feeling. Vince Guarladi's "Christmas Time is Here" is given a lazy performance, full of turkey, eggnog, and good cheer. "Christmas Song" is portrayed as the perfect ballad, Peter Martin's piano carefully pacing the piece. This is a great Christmas recording, perhaps the best since Nancy Wilson's Nancy Wilson Christmas.
Tracks: Little Drummer Boy; Carol Of The Bells; Christmastime Is Here; This Time Of The Year; Christmas Waltz; I'll Be Home For Christmas; Christ Child's Lullaby; Child Is Born, A; Christmas Song, The; 10. Let It Snow; Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
