Dave Brubeck: A Dave Brubeck Christmas

This was Dave Brubeck's fourth album of unaccompanied solo piano, originally released on Telarc in 1996. As the title implies, Brubeck Plays Brubeck (Columbia, 1956) was devoted to original music and sketches. But all of the others mainly featured the pianist interpreting other people's compositions; in this case, mainly brief treatments of traditional Christmas music and popular standards. Brubeck was after a particular atmosphere: his liner notes describe music as an essential part of Christmas celebrations in his family, with everyone gathered around the piano in the parlor. This parlor music feel animates his approach; think of Brubeck as an especially talented pianist in the family. His goal was to accompany the celebration, not engage in virtuosic display.

That said, the program includes some adventurous musical choices. "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" incorporates an ascending chromatic figure reminiscent of Thelonious Monk's "Blue Monk." "Winter Wonderland" includes several uninhibited improvised choruses, the only bebop playing on the album. And "What Child is This? (Greensleeves)" features adventurous re-harmonization, adding unexpected spice to an otherwise standard arrangement. Brubeck includes two seasonal compositions of his own: "To Us Is Given" based on a Hebrew chant (from his choral composition "Pange Lingua Variations") and "Run, Run, Run to Bethlehem" (from his Christmas cantata "La Fiesta de la Posada"). The album is respectful of Christmas traditions, but without feeling constrained by them.

Telarc has always been an audiophile record label, so the original credits include a list of the microphones, preamplifiers, digital processors, and other equipment that was used for the recording. The LP version of this release honors that tradition by presenting the original LP as two LPs running at 45-RPM for higher fidelity.