By Jack Bowers |
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A Jazz Musician’s Christmas is a reissue on Sea Breeze of (much
of) two earlier albums by the Tom Kubis Big Band, It’s Not Just for
Christmas Anymore! and You Just Can’t Have Enough
Christmas. Those who may have overlooked one or both of them are
sure to appreciate the reissue, which is guaranteed to put anyone this
side of Ebenezer Scrooge in a festive holiday mood. Not only is the band
world–class (the sidemen are among the West Coast’s best and busiest
musicians), there are delightful turns by trumpeter / vocalist / humorist
Jack Sheldon on the title tune and “The Twelve Days of Christmas (My
Agent Gave to Me)." The other vocals (“Let It Snow,” “Winter
Wonderland”) are ably handled by Carol Jolin (Mrs. K) who co–wrote “A
Jazz Musician’s Christmas” with Tom. The versatile Kubis, who arranged
everything, solos on soprano sax (“Joy to the World,” “Away in a Manger,”
“O Holy Night,” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” “The Twelve Days of
Christmas”), piano (“Oh Christmas Tree,” “Silent Night”) and tenor sax
(“We Three Kings”). Other featured soloists are trumpeter Stan Martin (“It
Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” a medley of “O Come All Ye Faithful” and
“O Little Town of Bethlehem”), guitarist Mike Higgins (“Deck the Halls”),
bass trombonist Rich Bullock (“Jingle Bells”) and trumpeter Wayne
Bergeron (“Auld Lang Syne”). The ’bone section (Andy Martin, Charlie
Morillas, Alex Iles) shine like the moon on new–fallen snow on “God Rest
Ye Merry Trombones“ and there are impressive statements elsewhere by
trumpeters Sheldon, George Graham and Jeff Bunnell, bassist Trey Henry
and guest tenor Pete Christlieb (“We Three Kings”). Easily recommended
to anyone who doesn’t have either of the earlier albums in his / her
big–band library.
Track listing: Joy to the World; A Jazz Musician�s Christmas; Away in a Manger; O Holy
Night; Let It Snow; God Rest Ye Merry Trombones; Hark the Herald Angels
Sing; Oh Christmas Tree; It Came Upon a Midnight Clear; Deck the Halls;
The Twelve Days of Christmas (my agent gave to me); Jingle Bells; O
Come All Ye Faithful / O Little Town of Bethlehem; We Three Kings; Silent
Night; Winter Wonderland; Auld Lang Syne (62:58).
Personnel: Tracks 1, 3, 4, 8�13 � Tom Kubis, leader, soprano sax; Wayne Bergeron, George Graham, Jeff Bunnell, Stan Martin, Gary Halopoff, trumpet; Andy Martin, Alex Iles, Charlie Morillas, Rich Bullock, Chuck Hughes, trombone; Sal Lozano, Mike Whitman, alto sax; Bill Liston, Rusty Higgins, tenor sax; Jay Mason, baritone sax; Jack Reidling, piano; Mike Higgins, guitar; Trey Henry, bass; Steve Araujo (13), electric bass; Ray Brinker, drums; Kurt Rasmussen, percussion; Carol Jolin, Jack Sheldon, vocals. Tracks 2, 5�7, 14�17 � Graham, Bergeron, Martin, Bunnell, trumpet; Martin, Iles, Morillas, Bullock, trombone; Lozano, Mason, alto sax; Whitman, Jeff Driskell, tenor sax; Brian Williams, baritone sax; Reidling, piano; Higgins, guitar; Henry, bass; Brinker, drums; Rasmussen, percussion; Jolin, Sheldon, vocals. Also performing � Halopoff, Darrel Gardner, Christian Beck, trumpet; John Leys, Bob McChesney, trombone; Higgins, alto sax; Dick Weller (2), drums. Special guest � Pete Christlieb (14), tenor sax.
Style: Big Band |
Published: November 01, 2002
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