Big Al Posted February 12, 2005 Report Posted February 12, 2005 (edited) Okay so I changed my mind about waiting until December! I’m glad everyone enjoyed this disc, but partial credit must go to a long lost poster who used to go by the handle “Jim S.” In November 2000, when we moved into our new house, we received what I thought was a lovely housewarming gift from Jim: a three-CD set of his favorite jazz Christmas tunes. When I e-mailed him to thank him for the lovely housewarming gift, he replied that he had no idea I’d just moved: he just wanted to share some good music with me! So, any track marked with an asterisk (*) is from that collection, and any help identifying sidemen/recording dates/etc will be greatly appreciated! Track 1: O Christmas Tree – Organissimo Available only thru the Organissimo website (well, and this CD as well!) James Oscar Alfredson – Hammond B3 Joe Gloss – guitar Randy Marsh – drums This is no mere act of brown-nosing, y’unnerstand: this is a COLOSSAL case of brown-nosing! Seriously though, I wouldn’t have included it if I didn’t think it swung, but swing it does and in spades!!! At least one person thought this was the James Smith Trio (as Babs Gonzales calls ‘em). And if there’s a better example of modal Christmas music out there, someone point me to it, cuz I love the tension of the bridge between verses and Randy’s furious drum playing duking it out with Jim’s B3 washes! Then along comes Joe to just wander blissfully through the blizzard! Geez, SOMEONE tell Cuscuna about these guys! Track 2: White Christmas – Booker Ervin Currently available on the Structurally Sound Blue Note Conn Of course, if anyone even remotely likes the big Book, then you already have this CD. If you don’t have this CD, then I’d advise picking it up before it goes OOP. I have a feeling this one will fetch some good bread on eBay one of these days. Funny thing is, this track was the inspiration for the Christmas BFT; before that, I hadn’t really paid this disc much attention. Oh, what I’ve been missing! It’s a pity that Charles Tolliver isn’t on this particular track, cuz he makes a formidable front line with Booker. Then, of course, there’s Booker’s big thick Texas tone; my favorite kind of tenor playing! Some nice swinging and some lovely piano by John Hicks. Honestly, before I looked at the credits, I thought it was Cedar Walton! Track 3: Little Drummer Boy – Scott Hamilton* Available on Christmas Love Song A little schmaltzy, yes; but isn’t Christmas music supposed to be that way? Don’t know much about Hamilton, but I have to admit I enjoy his straight melody playing more so than his improvising. For me, the highlight of this song is the section where the strings take over. It probably helps to explain why I included track 14 of this collection: I dig luscious arrangements, and they don’t get much more lush than this! Track 4: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Joe Pass* Available on Six String Santa A very foreboding track, doesn’t really feel like a holiday chestnut; and yet, for me, it has something of an ominous tone, much like I imagine the Three Wise Men might’ve felt as they were making their way to the Baby Jesus. And blasphemy though it may be to some, the rest of this album did nothing for me. I bought it on the strength of this track; turns out it was the only one I liked. Ah well, ‘taint the first time…... Track 5: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – George Shearing* Available on Christmas with the George Shearing Quintet Jim R nailed this one, and if he has it, I probably oughta get it for myself next Christmas. I didn’t think I’d fool anyone with this; I just like this one! Can someone please tell me where the quote from “Birdland” is? Track 6: O Come All Ye-Faithful-Silent Night – Flip Philips* Available on A Chiaroscuro Christmas (which I don’t own, but need to get for next Christmas, that’s for sure!) Wish I knew who the piano player was on this, he sure makes this sound Christmas-y. Flip Philips is another one of those guys I need to investigate further. He’s all over the Norman Granz Jam box that Verve put out last year, and his caressing of “Silent Night” was what got this track on here. Just beautiful! Track 7: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing – Harold Mabern* (If anyone can tell me where this came from, I’d be obliged; I searched high & low, and couldn’t find the original source for this one) I put this on here because of the lovely playing of Mabern, but also for JSngry, who has expressed his enjoyment of Mabern’s playing! Track 8: Joy to the World – Dave Brubeck From A Dave Brubeck Christmas One of my favorite Christmas CDs produces this lovely little gem. This is a nice CD to have on in the background for holiday get-togethers! Track 9: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing –Milt Hinton, with Buddy Tate and Doc Cheatham* Available on A Chiaroscuro Christmas Great swinging from Hinton, Tate, & Cheatham! I just wish I knew who was playing the guitar! Track 10: White Christmas – Earl Hines* Available on A Chiaroscuro Christmas It’s the Fatha; what else do you need to know? Seriously, Hines makes it feel like a real snowstorm out there! Geez, I need to get that Chiaroscuro disc! Going to their website while compiling these answers was a VERY BAD idea! Track 11: O Holy Night – John Fahey with Richard Ruskin Originally from Christmas with John Fahey, Volume 2, now available on The New Possibility On another thread, I’ve gone on and on about how much I love Fahey’s playing, and have even tried to emulate his playing in my own playing. On this particular track, I can’t tell who plays which guitar, but the interplay is fascinating nonetheless. Fahey has done other recordings with Ruskin, and they all have the same pastoral feel that this track has; but their Christmas recordings on this disc are a little more special to me. Probably because they speak to me spiritually than the rest of their output together, which is saying a lot. Track 12: Snowfall – George Shearing* Available on Christmas with the George Shearing Quintet Another track from the Shearing record. I gotta get this one, no question. Part of the reason I included this track is because I originally wanted to include the version by Arthur Fiedler, but I only have that on an LP and have no way of transferring LPs yet. So this is a very worthy substitute of another one of those songs that, I suppose, has no real connection to Christmas but has a very Christmas-y feel to it. I mean, it really sounds like an audio “snowfall.” Ironically, I was listening to the Fiedler version on a cassette after putting this BFT together, and was glad that I used the Shearing version after all. Track 13: Angels We Have Heard on High – Stefan Scaggiari* Available on Concord Jazz Christmas No real explanation or stories, as I know less than nothing about Scaggiari. I just like the way this track sounds! Track 14: Do You Hear What I Hear – Percy Faith and His Orchestra From Christmas Is Far and away, my favorite Christmas album, and it’s because of moments like these. While I know very little about Faith except that he was the conductor of “A Summer Place,” his arranging on this album is, IMO, nothing short of inspirational. Listen to the audio picture he paints on this track: the swirls of strings that emulate the “night wind;” the way the orchestra comments between lines, so that it’s not just a straight reading of the song. I mean, this isn’t just a song: it’s a composition! Then there’s the buildup of the final verse, where the orchestra takes it a step higher; again, painting a picture of majesty for when the “king (speaks) to the people everywhere!” Cheese in other people’s hands, utter majesty in the hands of Percy Faith. In my ridiculously humble opinion, anyway; then again it could be just the little kid in me with many happy memories of Christmases past, which were scored by music such as this. Track 15: Christmas Time is Here – Rosemary Clooney* Currently available on Rosie’s own White Christmas, as well as the compilation Concord Jazz Christmas Just when you think there can’t be a more definitive version than Vince Guaraldi’s cheerfully evocative version of this chestnut, along comes Rosie to add a touch of longing wistfulness to it, making this song her own in the process. When sings of “joyful memories there,” you can hear the bittersweetness of one who’s waited a long time to be able to enjoy those memories again. The flute solo is a nice touch; I just wish I knew who played it! Track 16: Frosty the Snowman – Ventures From The Ventures Christmas Album Heh heh heh. Uh, yeah. ANYway, this is my favorite rock & roll band, and the band I most enjoy playing bass along with! This Christmas album is tons of fun (for me, anyway!), because of songs like this, where a pop hit of the day is morphed into a Christmas song. Other rollicking examples include “I Feel Fine” morphed into “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and the Ventures signature song “Walk Don’t Run” morphed into “Sleigh Ride.” Must be heard to be believed, and is actually one of the Ventures stronger efforts. Plus, for audiophiles, this particular CD was mastered by Steve Hoffman. How I wish he’d tackle the rest of their catalog! Track 17: Go Where I Send Thee – Kenny Burrell From Kenny’s Have Yourself a Soulful Little Christmas Wanted to throw a little Christmas greeeeeaze on the disc. This is another Christmas disc that is quickly making it’s way to the top of the heap of favorite Christmas albums. Some tracks are greeazy like this little chestnut; then there’s some Faith-like orchestrations which Kenny just soars over; then again, there’s some late-night blues to make it all go down like some rum-spiced eggnog! But this track is on this BFT because Kenny just kicks it on guitar like a man possessed! Track 18: Xmas Rapping – The Waitresses I have no idea where this song is available. I downloaded it back when Napster was still free. I first heard this song on the radio some fifteen Christmases ago, and laughed my ass off! This song has about as much to do with Christmas as “I Know What Boys Like” (their big hit), but it has something of an anti-holiday-spirit that is at once hilarious, yet at the same time there’s something in this song that I think a lot of people (myself included) can identify with: so much to do, so little time, and no time for relationships. Plus dig the brass accompaniment and the wild sax solo leading the fadeout! Merry Christmas indeed; I couldn’t miss this one this year!!! Thanks for playing along, and thanks to those of you who’ve made this disc a part of your holiday music enjoyment! Edited February 12, 2005 by Big Al Quote
mikeweil Posted February 12, 2005 Report Posted February 12, 2005 Okay Al, you just wanted to keep me busy editing the Test Master List ........ Quote
Durium Posted February 18, 2005 Report Posted February 18, 2005 (edited) Okay so I changed my mind about waiting until December! I had hoped you would give me some more months to find the recording dates .... Edited February 18, 2005 by Durium Quote
Durium Posted February 24, 2005 Report Posted February 24, 2005 Okay so I changed my mind about waiting until December! I had hoped you would give me some more months to find the recording dates .... Well I give it up. It seems as if Christmas-styled music isn't interested for serious jazzdiscographers. Maybe someone should make a Jazz Christmas Songs Discography - It would get high sales figures around the end of the year. I only found: track 2 - dec. 1966 track 4 - Feb. 4, 1992 And the Chiaruscuro Christmas CD was released 1995. Please Don, if you have ... forward me the reest of the recording dates. Quote
Man with the Golden Arm Posted November 30, 2005 Report Posted November 30, 2005 Up! cause it's time to crack this one open again! Quote
Durium Posted November 30, 2005 Report Posted November 30, 2005 Up! cause it's time to crack this one open again! Snow is falling, Sinterklaas arrived some days ago in Holland again, so Christmas days are near. I'm ready for it. Quote
mikeweil Posted November 30, 2005 Report Posted November 30, 2005 Thanks for reminding me of moving this to the pile of Xmas discs I keep handy this time of the year ..... Quote
Noj Posted November 30, 2005 Report Posted November 30, 2005 I was just playing this one the other night. I feel like a big dork, but I like Christmas music! Quote
Big Al Posted November 30, 2005 Author Report Posted November 30, 2005 Actually, I dug it out last night too! You guys are alright!!! Quote
Noj Posted December 22, 2006 Report Posted December 22, 2006 Got this one out tonight for a spin. I'm putting together a playlist for tomorrow in the office. Had to edit a few of Al's wild selections out of the mix. George Shearing's version of "Snowfall" is my favorite on the disc. Quote
Jim R Posted December 22, 2006 Report Posted December 22, 2006 Got this one out tonight for a spin. I'm putting together a playlist for tomorrow in the office. Had to edit a few of Al's wild selections out of the mix. George Shearing's version of "Snowfall" is my favorite on the disc. I need to pull that out again too. I was listening to Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz last night, and heard her and Shearing playing a nice rendition of that tune. Quote
Big Al Posted December 22, 2006 Author Report Posted December 22, 2006 Got this one out tonight for a spin. I'm putting together a playlist for tomorrow in the office. Had to edit a few of Al's wild selections out of the mix. George Shearing's version of "Snowfall" is my favorite on the disc. Oh, come on: you like the Waitresses. Admit it! Quote
mikeweil Posted December 25, 2006 Report Posted December 25, 2006 (edited) Maybe he likes the Waitresses, but not their singing ...... This compilation has its rightful place among my Xmas discs! Edited December 25, 2006 by mikeweil Quote
Big Al Posted December 26, 2006 Author Report Posted December 26, 2006 This compilation has its rightful place among my Xmas discs! Thanks! I'm glad I could help contribute to your enjoyment of the season! Quote
Big Al Posted December 3, 2007 Author Report Posted December 3, 2007 Yes, it's that time of the year again when I make my annual offer to make a copy of this BFT for anyone who wants one, whether you participated in the original festivities three years ago or are a newbie. Just PM your address to me and I'll get it out to ya! Quote
Uncle Skid Posted December 4, 2007 Report Posted December 4, 2007 This year's (and last year's as well) Skid family Christmas tree was decorated to the sounds of Big Al's BFT... big , except, of course, for track #3. Highly recommended! Quote
Big Al Posted December 4, 2007 Author Report Posted December 4, 2007 This year's (and last year's as well) Skid family Christmas tree was decorated to the sounds of Big Al's BFT... big , except, of course, for track #3. Highly recommended! Thanks Skid! I had to go back and check the answers, though: for some reason, I thought I might've accidentally put a Night Ranger Xmas song on your copy! Quote
Man with the Golden Arm Posted December 4, 2007 Report Posted December 4, 2007 I just topped the stack that sits by the player at home with a copy from a ways back. Hopefully it will bump Mariah Carey and some folk crap that seems to be on constant rotation. No wonder I work late. Quote
Big Al Posted November 26, 2008 Author Report Posted November 26, 2008 MWTGA's post in the "Christmas Music That Blows" thread reminded me that it's time to make the annual announcement offering of this BFT. This year, the BFT can be downloaded. Plus, since I now have the ability to copy LPs to CD, the original version of "Snowfall" that I wanted to put on this BFT is part of the package, so you can compare/contrast with the George Shearing version. PM me if you would like the link. Happy listening! Quote
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