Bley And Swallow Carols

Recorded partially in Berlin, the other half in the South of France, this is not background Christmas music, unless it's solely for the purpose of sitting fireside and sipping a fine hot toddie and gourmet cream cheese cookies, of which I just so happen to have a connection. Carla Bey and Steve Swallow got this just right. Not too jazzy to alienate, but not corny enough to not take seriously.


Expert composition takes the forefront as this mostly horn and piano journey through traditional Christmas carols takes on all the heavy hitters like 'Jingle Bells', 'O' Tannenbaum', a lengthy 'Oh' Holy Night' And 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' in two parts will almost certainly dazzle even those mightily familiar with their melodies. Other rare treasures like 'Hell's Bells', 'Jesus Maria' and an almost unrecognizably scatterrific 'It Came Upon A Midnight Clear' (a la Bad Plus) hold the whole thing together for one of the baddest laid back Christmas jazz albums out there. Lots of soloing and noodling and it's all a little too dead on to be called free style. One of favorite parts is the trumpet/piano handoffs over bass diddling the upper register like he was powering Santa's sleigh, only to settle in on the halftime and then bring it home big band style. Fun, and I don't even know this song.


This is probably my favorite new Christmas album this year (so far). I must be on some kind of streak. Either that or I get some good advice. I had never heard of this album, and maybe neither have you, but I tell you it's a keeper, so go keep it. A+ with extra credit.

Yay Christmas!