Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Chris Walden: Missa Iubileum Aureum: Golden Jubilee Jazz Mass

35

Chris Walden: Missa Iubileum Aureum: Golden Jubilee Jazz Mass

By

Sign in to view read count
Chris Walden: Missa Iubileum Aureum: Golden Jubilee Jazz Mass
First things first: there is no doubt that Chris Walden's reverential Missa Iubileum Aureum ("Golden Jubilee Jazz Mass") is beautifully written and wonderfully performed by the LMR Jazz Orchestra, St. Dominick's Schola Cantorum and cantors Kurt Elling and Tierney Sutton. Is it jazz? That is another question, one not so easily answered. While there are elements of jazz, they are incidental and generally overshadowed by the more doctrinal aspects of what is essentially an homage to devotion and piety. And as its lyrics bear out, this is an explicitly Christian ceremonial.

What jazz components there are surface for the most part on the instrumental finale, "Thanks Be to God," the rhythmic "Communion" and, to a lesser extent, "Gloria," "Credo," "Sanctus" and "Agnus Dei." Several splendid solos from within the orchestra are uncredited (but the pianist is Shelly Berg, the guitarist Brian Nova). Elsewhere, the orchestra and chorus are dedicated to the service of holiness, as are Elling and Sutton, whose Latin phrasings are thoroughly convincing—at least to someone who doesn't speak the language.

Walden, a busy Hollywood composer and arranger who has scored more than forty feature and TV films and written more than 1,500 orchestral and big-band arrangements for a who's who of jazz and pop artists, was commissioned to write the Missa Iubileum Aureum to commemorate the fiftieth wedding anniversary of Ted Hall, a Napa Valley entrepreneur, trombonist and member of the LMR Jazz Orchestra. The eleven-part liturgical mass is basically orthodox in arrangement: kyrie, gloria, alleluia, credo, offertory, sanctus, acclamation, agnus dei, communion—with jazz slipped in to lend a stalwart and contemporary perspective.

The result is a canonical ceremony with a slight yet perceptible difference, namely the infusion of jazz. While jazz is by no means a focal point of the mass, there is enough to single it out from other works of its kind, and if the Grammies have a category that embraces such hybrids, it is almost certain to earn one. The high marks awarded here are not so much for the jazz content as for the over-all excellence of the composition and performance.

Track Listing

Kyrie; Gloria; Alleluia; Credo; Offertory - The Passionate Shepherd to His Love; Sanctus; Memorial Acclamation; Great Amen; Agnus Dei; Communion; Thanks Be to God.

Personnel

Chris Walden
arranger
Kurt Elling
vocals
Mary Fettig
woodwinds
Ben Torres
woodwinds
Tom Scott
saxophone, tenor
Steve Steinberg
woodwinds
Aaron Lington
saxophone, baritone
Michael Davis
trombone
Jon Brummel
trombone
Dan Gordon
trombone
Brian Nova
guitar
Carlitos del Puerto
bass, electric
Additional Instrumentation

Curt Moore: vibraphone; Simon Berry: organist & choir director; St. Dominic’s Schola Cantorum: choir.

Album information

Title: Missa Iubileum Aureum: Golden Jubilee Jazz Mass | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Origin Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.