Jazz Articles

Otis Read: Deck the Halls

by Dave Hughes
December 1, 2001

Acoustic guitarist Otis Read offers up an enjoyable acoustic straight-ahead jazz program of holiday favorites. The program swings along in a laid-back, cool, comfortable groove from start to finish. I wouldn’t call this “groundbreaking,” but it’s good. On some tunes, the band plays it fairly close to the melody, while others feature more adventurous improvization. Interestingly, the primary lead voice on the CD is that of saxophonist Bruce Abbott; the leader assumes a supporting role and rarely solos. Pianist Willie ...