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Friday, December 06, 2002

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Generally, the artists start working on Christmas records during the summer, when it's 80 degrees and the Christmas spirit is a long way off. The trick is whether they can capture it. This year, most of them did.

Steve Tyrell, "This Time Of The Year"
(Columbia)

This disc kicks off in grand swing style with the title song from the hit movie "Santa Clause 2," "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," and keeps rolling out the holiday cheer until the last note of "Here Comes Santa Claus." Tyrell's background as a producer, arranger, writer and musician on 57-odd projects serves him well as he dishes up fun with "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (featuring Clark Terry) and "Merry Christmas Baby." Folks who want to revel in some holiday heartbreak blues can do so guilt-free with "The Christmas Blues" and "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" They sound so great that they just might give you a reason to want to be sad. Backed with big band swing, jazz and blues, the swanky, sophisticated voice of Tyrell is the perfect music for that holiday cocktail party, or the entire holiday season for that matter. This is one to add to the permanent Christmas repertoire. (Rosa Colucci)

Barry Manilow, "A Christmas Gift Of Love"
(Columbia)

A surprising holiday disc that begins simply and beautifully with joyful sleigh bells and Manilow singing the opening lines of "Winter Wonderland," holding the promise that you want to perk up your ears to this winning Christmas disc. the album is a mix of classics and soon-to-be classics, including his newly penned "The Gift of Love," which has all the qualities that make a Manilow signature tune: beautiful, swelling string arrangements, great vocal arrangements and a lovely piano. Other selections include the "My Favorite Things," "The Christmas Waltz," and "I'll Be Home for Christmas." Not to be forgotten is the melancholy "River" by Joni Mitchell. Manilow's exquisite handling of tunes, some that have been around a lot longer than many of us, shows why he continues to be around a lot longer than most pop stars. (Colucci)

Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. "Christmas with the Rat Pack"
(Capitol)

Don't expect a lot of snappy, hip banter here; rather, since most of the music was culled from recordings, you'll hear simply three of the best pop singers and dynamic personalities of a certain era. Sinatra sounds exceptional, since he recorded most of the songs heard here in the 1950s and early '60s when his voice was at its best. Martin always was underrated as a singer, and Sammy, of course, could do it all, including belt a song like few others. Folks unfamiliar with Sinatra's Christmas music will be surprised by the conviction and considerable power with which he sings the carols. Martin's laid-back baritone drawl is a delight, and Sammy is his usual bravura self, especially when backed by a swinging big band on "Jingle Bells." (Bob Protzman)

The Brian Setzer Orchestra: "Boogie Woogie Christmas"
(Surfdog)

One of the pioneers of the retro-swing movement, talented guitarist-singer Brian Setzer leads a 16-piece big band more likely to appeal to rock 'n' rollers than jazz or swing aficionados. There's lots of back-beat boogie ("Jingle Bells"), rockabilly (Winter Wonderland"), Louis Prima-like "jump, jive and wail" ("Boogie Woogie Santa Claus"), touches of R&B and country (a terrific "Blue Christmas," with Setzer sounding very much like Elvis). Ah, but there's some swing, too, especially on "Sleigh Ride" and the album's tour de force, a seven-minute-plus version of "The Nutcracker Suite," played in tribute to Les Brown and his Band of Renown. (Protzman)

Carly Simon, "Christmas Is Almost Here"
(Rhino)

Carly Simon, a singer with taste and some talented friends, can be applauded for sidestepping the schmaltz on her first Christmas record. As she writes in the liner notes, most of it was recorded in a hotel room, some of it in the bathroom! And Don Was leaves her voice almost naked, with simple touches of instrumentation, on songs like "O Come, All Ye Faithful," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and the lovely title track, written by her former brother-in-law, Livingston Taylor. Except for the nearly cringe-inducing vocal on "The Land of Christmas (Mary)," Simon's husky voice is in excellent form, particularly on "I'll be Home for Christmas." She changes the pace with a funky gospel romp with Billy Preston on "Twelve Gates to the City" and "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" done as a reggae song! Two other standouts: "Pretty Paper," a slow, pretty duet with Willie Nelson, and "Heaven," a song by her sister, Lucy Simon, that's reminiscent of Joni Mitchell's "River." (Scott Mervis)

Hilary Duff, "Santa Claus Lane"
(Buena Vista)

Don't be surprised if you find yourself sneaking into your daughter's room to borrow "Santa Claus Lane," a surprisingly fresh Christmas record by the star of Lizzie McGuire (if you keep up with the Disney Channel, you know very well who that is). This isn't the slick, overproduced product that can usually be expected from teen-pop stars. Instead, the mood is infectiously bright and just right for Duff's youthful exuberance to bubble up on a mix of sugary old favorites and tasty new additions like "Santa Claus Lane" and "I Heard Santa on the Radio." The '50s-style "Jingle Bell Rock" is worth the price of admission. (Mervis)

America "Holiday Harmony"
(Rhino)

Get this: The "la la las" on "Winter Wonderland" are just like the ones on "A Horse With No Name"; the guitar opening on "White Christmas" comes from "Tin Man"; and there's a guitar riff from "Ventura Highway" on "Christmas in California." How else would anyone but the America fanatic -- does that exist, by the way? -- know that this was an America Christmas record? "Harmony Holiday" is a typically pleasant collection from the masters of pleasant. They cover the standards and add three fairly bland originals, while giving "It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas" a quirky Beatles treatment. Nice, but on some of the songs you'd swear they were trying to cop Johnny Carson's Amazing Carnak voice. (Mervis)

Plus One, "Christmas"
(Atlantic)

The five member vocal group's entry into the holiday fray can be summed up in one word "over." Over the top, over-produced and overly annoying. A mix of classical and pop selections that found their way into the effects processor and found no escape route. Selections like "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "Silent Night" and "What Child is This," find the melodies lost in a gaggle of ooh's and aah's. The David Foster-produced "A Prayer for Every Year" (co-written with Linda Thompson) is the stuff that pop dreams are made of, a nice pop tune with the obligatory vocal gymnastics. "O Holy Night," is an over-dramatized, version of a majestic holiday song that really needs nothing but to be sung well. The reverberating synthesized sound effects make you want to scream "Can't you just sing the song already?" "It's the Most Wonderful Time Year" is a fun tune that jingles with the best of them and stands out because you can actually distinguish real voices, horns and a honky-tonk piano. Too bad they didn't take the simpler route with some of the other selections. (Colucci)

Brooks & Dunn, "It Won't Be Christmas Without You"
(Arista)

Mark Wright, the same producer who put the cosmopolitan bow on Lee Ann Womack's uptown holiday offering, rocks around Brooks & Dunn's Christmas tree. "It Won't Be Christmas Without You" is a rock 'n' roll showcase for the voices of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn. Several originals are wrapped up like gifts to their fans. Dunn collaborates on the slow, bluesy title cut. Brooks gets in his honky-tonk licks on "Santa's Coming Over to Your House," and goes lazy, New Orleans jazz on "Who Says There Ain't No Santa?" Standards like "White Christmas," "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and "The Christmas Song" seem a little sticky, but fans will eat it up. (John Hayes)

Alan Jackson, "Let it be Christmas"
(Arista)

In every group of carolers, every church choir, every school Christmas pageant, there's one clear, pure voice that stands out above the rest. That's what "Let it be Christmas" feels like. Jackson puts his vocal imprint on 10 of his Christmas favorites. His longtime producer, Keith Stegall, gives the mix a cathedral air by goosing the vocal track with just enough reverb. The title track, not Jackson's best original, celebrates the season with an inspirational message and a catchy hook. (Hayes)

Lee Ann Womack, "The Season for Romance"
(MCA)

Lee Ann Womack has never hidden her latent poppiness, despite marketing herself on the country side of the tracks. But on her first Christmas album, she trashes all country pretenses with a lush and jazzy collection of contemporary and traditional chestnuts. The words "nostalgic" and "predictable" are interchangeable this time of year, so it's no insult to say the instrumentation is predictable -- swelling strings on "What are You Doing New Year's Eve," acoustic guitar on "Silent Night," and the kind of conversational duet with Harry Connick Jr. that worked so well on those Sinatra duet discs. Womack coos sexy little heartwarmers and wails like a torch-song jazz diva on the rest. Womack has the chops, but because she's in the "country" bin, she probably won't attract the middle-of-the-road jazz fans who might like this album. Her hard-core fans will quickly realize that the only thing "country" about "The Season for Romance" is that Womack lives in one. (Hayes)

The Charlie Daniels Band, "A Merry Christmas to All"
(Blue Hat)

With his white beard, specs and bowl full of jelly, Charlie Daniels hardly needs to dress up to look like Santa. But there he is on the cover of his new Christmas album, making a list and checking it twice. Hard-core CDB fans and holiday disc collectors might discover the true meaning of "A Merry Christmas to All," but too often the arrangements and Daniels' phrasing seem like an afterthought, even for the original Uneasy Rider. The tastiest treats are an instrumental "What Child is This" and a fun, bluesy original, but the main course can be delivered to your door. Two pages of the insert are dedicated to a Hillshire Farms advertisement for a 9-pound holiday ham that comes packaged in a box with this disc. Keep the meat. (Hayes)

Ann Hampton Callaway: "This Christmas"
(N-Coded Music)

This is arguably the finest Christmas CD ever released by a vocalist. Originally done in 1997, the CD will, let us hope, get wider distribution in its re-release on a larger label. Callaway, whose singing is an exceptional mix of adult pop, cabaret and jazz, doesn't seem to be that well-known outside New York City, where it's reputed that she can work anywhere, anytime and for what she wants. Whatever, she deserves it. On this truly satisfying, sometimes scintillating set, Callaway's singing is often stunning, whether on her very hip, cool and scatted "Jingle Bells," or her interpolation of "Silent Night" and Thad Jones' "A Child Is Born," on which the beauty of her voice and the passion of her singing are on display. On top of that, she adds some of her own lyrics to "I'll Be Home for Christmas," and contributes several of her own songs, including "This Christmas" which could and should become part of the popular Christmas songbook. There's a neglected gem, too, Johnny Mandel and Alan & Marilyn Bergman's truly romantic "A Christmas Love Song." (Protzman)

Various Artists: "Swingin' Christmas Party"
(Bluebird)

Here's a somewhat odd, but highly enjoyable new compilation featuring some of the biggest names from the Swing Era. There's Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and some of the so-called sweet or "Mickey Mouse" bands like Sammy Kaye and Guy Lombardo. The surprise -- an extremely pleasant one, too -- is the inclusion of two numbers by the irrepressible, great pianist/vocalist Fats Waller. Fats, in all his "stride" glory, delivers one of the liveliest versions of "Jingle Bells" you'll ever hear (he appropriately calls it "Swingin' Them Jingle Bells") and a marvelous "Winter Wonderland." A pair of Christmas big-band classics are here, too--Claude Thornhill's lovely "Snowfall," which sounds as modern as the day it was written, and of course, Lombardo's enduring rendition of "Auld Lang Syne." The Xmas brew is spiked by Spike Jones and His City Slickers' silly "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth," sung with all those exaggerated esses by George Rock. (Protzman)

Tony Bennett, with the London Symphony Orchestra: "Christmas With Tony Bennett"
(Hallmark)

Well, isn't Mr. Bennett in some classy company? T.B. and the symphony split duties equally on this 12-song program. Bennett's best efforts come on "O Little Town of Bethlehem" on which his voice is almost as strong and clear as it was 50 years ago, and an emotional interpretation of "Silent Night." At other spots, his voice is less than its best, and occasionally he's overwhelmed by the orchestra, which could be the mixer's rather than Bennett's fault. The orchestra is finely polished, but pretty unimaginative, except for a spirited, powerful version (with mixed choir) of "Coventry Carol." (Protzman)

The Tom Kubis Big Band: "A Jazz Musician's Christmas"
(SeaBreeze)

A new compilation of two previous Tom Kubis big-band Christmas CDs, this is an entertaining mix of 17 secular and sacred songs, with a couple of novelty numbers thrown in. The latter include the title tune and "The Twelve Days of Christmas," both talking about the sorry state of affairs for jazz musicians over the holidays, and both performed by the delightful vocalist/trumpeter Jack Sheldon. Kubis did the lyrics for both pieces, substituting "my agent gave to me" for "my true love" on "Twelve Days." There are two different bands, each with a strong Stan Kenton/Maynard Ferguson sound, emphasizing lots of high-note trumpet work by the section and soloists. Standouts are a bluesy "Deck the Halls" and rousing "We Three Kings" that, with its high-energy tenor sax battle, would make Rahsaan Roland Kirk proud. (Protzman)

Chris Botti: "December"
(Columbia)

A so-called "smooth" jazz stalwart, the trumpeter/occasional vocalist has come up with a pleasing Christmas CD that should have broad appeal. His soft, glowing trumpet (often sounding more like a flugelhorn) is easy on the ears, and though primarily he and his musicians adhere closely to the melody, there are occasional improvised solos that are worth hearing. On some numbers, there is a small string section, and Botti gives an impressive duo performance with guitarist Heitor Pereira on "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing." Highlights include a trumpet, guitar, bass performance of Leonard Cohen's reverent "Hallelujah," a swinging "Winter Wonderland," and a slow, funky version of "Little Drummer Boy," that with Botti on Harmon mute recalls Miles Davis' electric period. (Protzman)

"Romantic Christmas Songs" Rias-Kammerchor, Gronostay.
Harmonia Mundi.

Also listed as "Weihnacht der Romantik," this disc takes the cake this Christmas (It is a birthday celebration, isn't it?). The Rias-Kammerchor explores choral works and full vocal settings of carols from the Romantic period (19th century). Some come from well-known composers such as Max Bruch, others are obscure, showing how pervasive the practice of singing at Christmas was at the time. "Silent Night, Holy Night" and "O Come, All Ye Faithful" are here, but most of the works are Christmas music you've probably never heard before. That makes the disc the perfect addition to your holiday collection if it is already packed with traditional carols. Conducted by Uwe Gronostay, the choir applies lucid and warm technique to each piece, in what is a relaxed but engaging recording. (Andrew Druckenbrod)

"A Classical Kids Christmas"
(Classical Kids)

Classical Kids is the brainchild of producer Susan Hammond. It's her attempt to make classical music compete with the Barneys and Raffis of the world in grabbing the attention of children. Her works, such as "Beethoven Lives Upstairs," combine music with storytelling in an engaging way to bring history alive for kids. This disc does much of the same for the holiday season, with innovative entwining of music and monologue. The disc, which ran into distribution problems last year due to 9/11, has been reissued verbatim for this season. (Druckenbrod)

"Christmas in Bethlehem, Vol. 3." The Bach Choir of Bethlehem
(Funfgeld, Goeman)

Clearing things up right away, realize that this outstanding choir is from Pennsylvania, though it is, we think, singing about the Bethlehem of the Bible. This is the newest installment in what has been a good survey on its vanity label of the traditional Christmas repertory. This is no-nonsense treatment: organ (Thomas Goeman)and big choir (conducted by Greg Funf-geld). The results are heavy at times, but reminiscent of Christmas as much as any tree or lights. Some selections: "The First Noel," "O Holy Night," "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," Mendelssohn's "There Shall be a Star" and Bach's Chorale Fantasia, "In Dulci Jubilo." (Druckenbrod)

"Winterlight II: Gabriel's Message" Small/Torres Guitar Duo
(Shadow Mountain)

I am a sucker for guitar music at Christmas, and this disc more than satisfied that seasonal craving. The disc alternates the two guitarists and the guitarist with other instruments. Owners of thick, round sound, the Small/Torres Guitar Duo gives a warm glow to works from "For Unto Us a Child is Born" to "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." Great background music for the Yuletide get-togethers. (Druckenbrod)

"Sharing the Season, Vol. 4." Lorie Line & Her Pop Chamber Orchestra
(Time Line)

As pop classical acts go, Minnesota-based Lorie Line is a classy affair. Living as she does practically at the North Pole, Christmas is a natural time for her to shine -- this is her fourth holiday disc. It is a big band event that never lets the lush and lively orchestration take the focus from her place at the piano. These are contemporary, non-vocal arrangements of carols from "Joy to the World" to "Holly Jolly Christmas" to "Jingle Bells," with harmonica, saxophone, electric guitar, drums and orchestra keeping pace with Line's tireless piano. It may be too energetic and spunky for some people's holiday tastes, but if you are in the mood for that, it's a good catch. (Druckenbrod)