Bill Cunliffe: BACHanalia

Metro Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: BACHanalia

This terrific album comes from Bill Cunliffe, one of the finest big band composers and arrangers in the modern jazz world. The music is performed by some of today’s best instrumentalists, and the result is a marvelous demonstration of what the “new” can do with the very “old.”

The core of this release is based on compositions by J.S. Bach, C.P.E. Bach, Sergei Prokofiev and Manuel de Falla. Cunliffe has taken several of their most famous works, rewritten and arranged them into big band charts, and then gathered the most disciplined and swinging jazz orchestra that has come down the pike in years.

Two dozen artists are involved; the basic unit consisted of 18 performers, although the sessions were mixed and matched so that each was used on one or more tracks. Cunliffe conducts and serves as pianist on everything, as does drummer Joe La Barbara. 

The “classic” tracks include J.S. Bach’s “Sleepers Wake” and “Goldberg Contraption”;

Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3, First Movement; C.P.E. Bach’s “Solfeggietto”; and de Falla’s “The Three-Cornered Hat.” 

Cunliffe’s re-writing and arranging is unbelievably excellent, and his keyboard skills are marvelous. The orchestral passages, support and instrumental solo work are mind-boggling. Pay particular attention to La Barbara; he’s a stupendous percussionist. He hits every emphatic phrase perfectly, has beautiful volume control, and drives the band like crazy.   

The other charts are equally great. A Cunliffe original (“Afluencia”) is joined by “Blame It on My Youth,” featuring trumpeter Terell Stafford and guitarist Larry Koonse; and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” starring vocalist Denise Donatelli. She also contributes vocalese passages to several of the other charts; she has a gorgeous voice, hits every note dead-on, and is a true swinger.

This fantastic album is a must.

Bob Mintzer: All L.A. Band

Fuzzy Music
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: All L.A. Band

Some musicians are like fine wine: The longer they exist, the better the quality when the bottle is opened anew. Saxophonist Bob Mintzer and drummer Peter Erskine are two examples. And, as often is the case, primo artists attract other primo artists; the result is a magnificent case of jazz.

The L.A. Jazz Band features some of the finest musicians who make their home on the West Coast: a trumpet section of five masters; a trombone section of four equally adept artists; a three-man reed section; Larry Koonse on guitar; Russ Ferrante on piano; and a bassist and another percussionist to support Erskine, who also produced this album. 

Mintzer composed and arranged all the tracks, and the result is a monster library that covers all jazz bases. The shelves include three Afro-Cuban selections, one of which is the opener, “El Caborojeno,” which grabs you by the throat and swings madly. The Basie-style charts — “Havin’ Some Fun,” “Home Basie” and “Tribute” — are typical of that wonderful style; every part of your body will start moving, as you join into the beat.

“Original People” is in a reggae mood, and a couple of tunes will take you back to the Yellowjackets days. (Mintzer was a member of that group for 20 years.) He also wrote “Slo Funk” for the Buddy Rich band, when he was a sideman with them. Nor can we overlook hard bop, exemplified by “Runferyerlife.”

This is a wonderful trip through all of the avenues of Jazz City. The ensemble melodic lines groove smoothly, and the many solo choruses are first-class. As always is the case, when I hear big band albums such as this one — produced via only one recording session, or special occasion — I’m reminded of the past, when this kind of music was readily available almost everywhere, almost any time.

This is a very welcome blast from the past.

Mark Winkler: Jazz and Other Four Letter Words

Cafe Pacific Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Jazz and Other Four Letter Words

Los Angeles-born singer/songwriter Mark Winkler has performed and recorded since the mid 1980s. He’s another hip vocalist in the style of Dave Frishberg, Mose Allison, Michael Franks and Bobby Troup, although Winkler’s delivery is a bit more smooth. He has written charts for others — such as Liza Minnelli and Randy Crawford — but is best known for performing his own material. He’s also a crossover artist, in that he does a lot of pop music and has even written a Broadway show.

His recording output was limited for awhile, with only half a dozen albums until the new century. Since then, he has been much busier. 

Winkler always surrounds himself with talent. The backup musicians on this release include pianist Jamieson Trotter, guitarists Larry Koonse and Pat Kelley, bassists John Clayton and Dan Lutz, drummers Jeff Hamilton and Mike Shapiro, and instrumentalists Bob McChesney and Walt Fowler. 

Winkler also does a couple of duets with Cheryl Bentyne, of Manhattan Transfer fame.

The menu includes tunes by Frishberg, the Gershwins, Paul Simon and Richard Rogers, along with some originals. Everything is appealing, and — more importantly — everything swings.

Winkler is an excellent vocalist, and his voice is smooth as silk. Give him a try.

David Friesen Circle 3 Trio: Where the Light Falls

Origin Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Where the Light Falls

In the beginning, the acoustic bass was a key instrument in the rhythm section: one that set, and helped maintain, a steady “beat” in the orchestra or combo in which it was used. It rarely was used to play a melodic line, unless a bow was involved. But that changed as time passed; the instrument evolved, and the artists’ skills improved. Today, you’re just as likely to hear complex melodic lines and solos featuring that “horn,” as on brass or reed instruments. Icons such as Charles Mingus, Ray Brown, Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen and David Friesen — the artist featured here — have led the way. 

Did you ever imagine attending a concert where a solo artist performed on the acoustic bass?  Friesen has done that. This double-CD release, however, features his Circle 3 Trio; he’s supported by pianist Greg Goebel and drummer Charlie Doggett. To make this splendid combo even better, guitarist Larry Koonse appears on nine of the 19. Friesen composed and arranged all of the music, which is another treat.

He was born in 1942 in Tacoma, Washington, to a musical family; his father sang, and his mother played C-melody saxophone. David grew up in the Spokane and Seattle areas, and began his musical career as a guitarist. However, while in the army he became enamored with the upright bass, and taught himself to play it. He was immediately hooked, practicing up to 10 hours a day. 

Although he was exposed to — and often sat in with — many jazz icons who passed through the Seattle area, Friesen didn’t move until 1973, when he opened his own coffee house in Portland, Oregon. Guitarist John Stowell joined Friesen in 1977, and they toured the West Coast together for years.

Goebel is another West Coast artist. His home territory covers Oregon, and that’s where most of his performances are heard. Doggett is another Oregonian who also can be found at the state’s various jazz clubs, particularly around Portland and at the two major colleges: the University of Oregon and Oregon State.

Readers of this blog know that Koonse is one of my favorite guitarists. His instrument of choice on this release is an electric model, and — as always — his contribution is impeccable.

The key words for this release are tasty and beautiful. These two hours of intelligent jazz will keep you riveted to the speakers.

David Roitstein and Larry Koonse: Conversations

Jazz Compass
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Conversations

Larry Koonse started to play guitar at age 7, and was only 15 when he recorded his first jazz album with his father, Dave, also a guitarist (Father and Son Jazz Guitars). I covered one of their more recent collaborations several years back — Dialogue of the Heart — which led to infrequent but always engaging correspondence with Larry. 

He sent along a discography of his other releases — there are dozens — and I’ve made it a point to catch up with as many as possible. He’s a master of his instrument, and one of my favorite artists.

Conversations, a duet with pianist David Roitstein, is one of Koonse’s newest releases. He and Roitstein composed six of the 10 tracks; the others come from Darek Oleszkiewizk (bassist on many of Koonse’s albums), Lea Freire, Antonio Carlos Jobim (“Luiza”) and Thelonious Monk (“Think of One”).

Jazz can swing; it can be joyous; it can be beautiful. Occasionally, it can be all of these things at the same time. On this album, Koonse and Roitstein have achieved that pinnacle.

Jeff Colella and Putter Smith: Lotus Blossom

Capri Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Lotus Blossom

Pianist Jeff Colella and bassist Putter Smith aren't well known to the general public, but they’re considered 'royalty' in the jazz world. Even a full type-written page couldn’t adequately list the musical artists and groups with whom they've played, and the compositions they've written.

Colella toured with Lou Rawls for 16 years, as pianist and conductor. Colella also has supported famed vocalists such as Diane Schurr, Anita O'Day, Morgana King, Dolly Parton and Jack Jones; dancers Gregory Hines, Savion Glover and the Jazz Tap Ensemble; and numerous top instrumentalists (including my favorite guitarist, Larry Koonse). 

Smith's associates include Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Duke Ellington, Billy Eckstine, Alan Broadbent, Bob Brookmeyer and many, many more groups and vocalists.  He composed the scores for several films and even played the role of assassin Mr. Kidd, in the James Bond flick Diamonds Are Forever. Oh, yes; Smith also writes music instruction books.

Lotus Blossom features these two master artists as a duet. The seven tracks include some originals — Smith’s “Desert Passes” and Colella’s “Gone Too Soon” — alongside Bill Evans’ “Time Remembered,” Miles Davis’ “All Blues,” Billy Strayhorn’s “Lotus Blossom,” Michel LeGrand’s “You Must Believe in Spring” and Koonse’s “Candle.”

The resulting album is one of most moving releases I’ve heard in years. You’ve heard this phrase dozens of times: “They sound like they’re able to read each other’s minds." Well, in this case it’s particularly apt, because Colella and Smith have worked together for years. This is smooth, softly swinging and beautiful jazz: music that you’ll listen to over and over.

Carole Robbins: Moraga

Jazzcats Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Moraga

If one were to cite the instruments least likely to be utilized in jazz, the harp would be near the top. Well, fasten your seat belts: Carol Robbins is a harpist, composer and arranger, and Moraga, her newest album to date, is proof that this ethereal “horn‚” is, in her hands, fully capable of producing beautiful, swinging music.

As a child, Robbins began as a pianist; she switched to the harp at age 10. She may not be well known to the general public, but her expertise has made her a staple among individuals famous in their own worlds: She has performed for presidents and celebrities, been featured in films and on television, and has been nominated for Grammy Awards. She maintains a busy concert schedule and is highly regarded in the music world; she has no problem acquiring top level musicians with whom to perform. 

That’s the case with this release. The quintet supporting her features Billy Childs (piano), Gary Meek (sax and clarinet), Larry Koonse (guitar), Darek Oles (bass) and Gary Novak (drums). Regular readers know that I consider Koonse and Oles to be among the top artists in the jazz world, and Robbins’ association with Childs goes back years. 

Robbins composed six of these nine tunes. Childs contributed “Hope in the Face of Despair,” while “Caminhos Cruzados” comes from Antonia Carlos Jobim. Cole Porter’s “Every Time We Say Goodbye” is the lone standard. 

All but one of these tunes are done at balladic tempos, some with a subtle Latin feel; the exception is “Straight Away,” a burner that gives each performer a chance to stretch out with some dazzling solo work.

This album is gorgeous in every respect. That descriptor isn’t often used when referencing jazz, but it’s apt for this release and these artists. 

Hiroe Sekine: After the Rainfall

Sekaimusic
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: After the Rainfall

Once in awhile, we encounter an artist who just has too much talent; Hiroe Sekine falls into that category. This Japanese-born young woman is a pianist, composer, arranger and vocalist — she sings in four languages — and she excels at each skill. 

Her first album a-me (which means “rain”), released in 2009, utilized a sextet featuring piano, sax, trumpet, trombone, bass and drums; half the tunes were her compositions, while the rest were jazz standards ... and everything swung marvelously.   

For this release, she retained Bob Shepard on sax and flute, and Peter Erskine on drums, added guitarist Larry Koonse, and utilized two bassists: Darek Oles on acoustic and Jimmy Johnson on electric. This instrumentation, and Shepard’s use of flute and the higher-register reed instruments, results in a “lighter” sound. In addition, while a-me contained only instrumentals, After the Rainfall includes some vocals; Sekine’s voice, heard on the title song (her own composition), Jobim’s “Inutil Paisagesm” and Toninho Horta’s “Aqui O,” is exceptional. Her duet with Arnold McCuller on the beautiful Beatles ballad “In My Life” is gorgeous.

A quartet format — consisting of Sekine’s piano, Sheppard’s soprano sax, Ole’s bass and Erskine’s drums — is used for Chick Corea’s “Windows” (one of Sekine’s favorite melodies). The final three tracks ably demonstrate how well this lady swings. For “So But Anyway,” she switches from piano to electric keyboard; Koonse and Sheppard provide great solos, backed by some tasty work by Erskine. “Spoon Key” is a truly swinging, straight-ahead tune that will cause all body parts to move; and Monk’s lesser-known “Evidence” morphs into a rock/fusion mode.

This is an exciting follow-up to Sekine’s debut album: a release that fulfills the promise of that initial offering. Her many significant talents, particularly when combined with the similarly excellent artists in the combo, will ensure great success for her in the future.

The Tom Warrington Trio: Nelson

Jazz Compass Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Nelson

In the world of jazz, the trio format has always been a keystone: Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson and Gene Krupa; Bill Evans, Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian; units headed by Vince Guaraldi, Nat King Cole, Oscar Peterson, Ahmad Jamal, Art Tatum and countless others.

Here’s another top-drawer group, equal to the best of those listed above. This one is headed by bassist, composer and arranger Tom Warrington, and includes guitarist Larry Koonse and drummer Joe La Barbera.

Warrington, who has lived and worked in the Los Angeles area for the past 20 years, began his career with Buddy Rich’s Big Band and has played with many past and present jazz icons. Warrington is a first-call studio musician, a participant at jazz festivals worldwide, a faculty member at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a continuing presence with many of today’s artists.

If I were asked to name the best 10 guitarists working today, Koonse would occupy the top three slots. Taught by his famous guitarist father, Dave, Larry began his recording career at age 15, in a duet release with his dad. Larry was the first recipient of a bachelor of music degree from USC; after graduation, he toured for six years with John Dankworth’s group (which featured Cleo Laine). Koonse’s discography is extensive; since 1977 he has been part of more than 150 recordings. As for talent, his middle name is “tasty.”

La Barbera is the drumming member of his well-known family of musicians. He’s a graduate of the Berklee College of Music, and was a member of the famous Woody Herman Thundering Herd, along with combos fronted by Chuck Mangione, Bill Evans and numerous others.

Warrington, Koonse and La Barbera also are firmly associated with name vocalists. Warrington has worked with Peggy Lee; Koonse with Cleo Laine, Mel Torme, Linda Ronstadt, Natalie Cole and Karin Allyson; and La Barbera Tony Bennett. That’s significant; vocalists select musicians who will augment their performances.

Nelson is dedicated to a tiny cat that showed up one day and, after nine years, just disappeared. The album features original tunes by each member of the trio. Warrington contributed “Nelson,” “Buffalo Chips” and “Not If But When”; Koonse delivered “Shall We,” “Star Jasmine” and “Rachel & Sarah”; and La Barbera wrote “If Not for You” and “Sixth Sense.” The final tune, “Bolivia,” comes from Cedar Walton.

This is the best album I’ve reviewed in months; everything is thoughtful, pensive and, for lack of a better term beautiful. It’s a jazz listener’s delight.

Rob Lockart: Parallel Lives

Origin Arts
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 4.3.08
Buy CD: Parallel Lives

Rob Lockart is Texas born and educated at the University of Texas' Eastman School Of Music; he completed studies at the Banf School. He has lived and worked in New Orleans, New York and Los Angeles, where he now resides and teaches. 

His musical experience includes jobs with the Woody Herman Orchestra, Doc Severinson's Big Band and performances with numerous smaller groups headed by well-known artists such as Clark Terry, Joe La Barbera and Mel Lewis. Lockart currently is an active member of both the Chris Walden Big Band and the Woody Herman West Coast Band. 

Lockart has recorded several albums with the Walden group, but this is the first release under his own name. 

He's an excellent tenor sax artist, composer and arranger, having written all but two of the tunes here. The basic quartet consists of Lockart on tenor sax, Bill Cunliffe on piano, Jeff DiAngelo on bass, and Joe La Barbera on drums. Bob Sheppard plays tenor sax on one track, while guitarist Larry Koonse guests on another. 

All the musicians are well known and highly regarded, and their contributions are key to making Lockart's debut release a success. The group is quiet, thoughtful and swings wonderfully. 

Lockart has been a sideman with many great bands but, as a result, hasn't received the recognition he deserves. Whether he decided to take the step himself, or was talked into it, this debut is outstanding. 

Another reviewer mentioned that Lockart's cover of the old standard "All or Nothing at All" is so moving that it's hard to move forward through the rest of the tracks. I agree, and I wish I'd said it first. 

But do listen to everything; it's all prime.

Larry Koonse: What's in the Box?

Jazz Compass
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 3.6.08
Buy CD: What's in the Box?

Guitarist Larry Koonse has played jazz for years, but I only recently found and reviewed an album with him as leader. That release, Dialogues of the Heart, featured Koonse and his father, Dave, playing duets of some familiar old standards. 

I called it "one of the tastiest jazz guitar records I've ever heard." 

Not long afterwards, Larry Koonse and bassist Darek "Oles" Oleszkiewicz recorded another beautiful album, Storybook; it was even better than the first. 

Well, Koonse, his father and Oleszkiewicz have done it again, only this time they're playing the music of guitarist Jimmy Wyble. To spice things up, they've added Gary Foster on clarinet, and Joe La Barbera on drums; Oleszkiewicz and another bassist, Putter Smith, split the tracks. 

The result is magnificent. 

Wyble, born in 1922, has a long musical history, having played every style that exists. He started out with country/western, cruised through Dixieland and New Orleans, and finally arrived in the straight-ahead jazz genre, playing with luminaries such as Red Norvo. Wyble also composed and arranged much of what he played and, for three years, was Larry Koonse's teacher. 

Wyble was so impressed with his student that he was willing to "hear his music expressed in a different format." He turned over his manuscripts to Koonse with only two requests: that Dave Koonse and Oleszkiewicz be involved in the project. 

As Larry Koonse put it, "no constraints on manner, tempo, style or arrangement" were placed on the project. 

To paraphrase: No greater admiration hath one musician for another, than when he grants that kind of freedom. 

This album is the result. 

You'll likely recognize only two tracks: "Stella by Starlight" and "Variations on a Theme," based on the old standard "All Of Me." All the rest are Wyble originals. Many of the latter are dedicated to Wyble's favorite musical artists; one, "Chorale for Lily," was written for his wife. 

They're all wonderful; the units, which range from duos to quintets, really bring them to life. This album is an absolute must.

Liam Sillery and the David Sills Quartet: On the Fly

OA2 Records
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 4.5.07
Buy CD: On the Fly

Trumpeter Liam Sillery is another of today's musicians who has developed his skills during an extensive college educational program. Born in New Jersey, he attended the University of South Florida and graduated in 1992. 

He returned to New Jersey and, during the next 10 years, played with a number of jazz groups in the New York area. In 2002, he entered the Manhattan School of Music, graduating in 2004. During that period he met David Sills, a gifted tenor sax player with his own quartet. 

Sillery joined the group — which consisted of Sills, Joe Bagg (organ), Larry Koonse (guitar) and Tim Pleasant (drums) — for this release. Sillery plays both trumpet and flugelhorn. 

All but one of the tracks are originals written and arranged by either Sillery or Sills; the result is a pleasant, moderately swinging session. The musicians are excellent, the ensemble work is clean, and the solos are more than adequate. 

But the use of an organ has a significant effect on the group's jazz "feel." Bagg is as good as any organist playing today, but because it's not possible to play that instrument "crisply" (compared to a piano), all the arrangements are a little too laid-back for my taste. Koonse does his best to raise the excitement level, but even he isn't capable of making this group really swing. 

"Down the Line" gives an indication of what might have been, but it's the only track that kept my full attention. It's frustrating ... I know these guys are capable of better.

Larry Koonse and Darek Oleszkiewicz: Storybook

Jazz Compass
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 2.1.07
Buy CD: Storybook

This column's regular readers know I'm a huge fan of guitarist Larry Koonse. 

Storybook, the newest release by this gifted artist — in collaboration with bassist Darek Oleszkiewicz and percussionist Munyungo Jackson — reinforces my conviction that Koonse is, very simply, the best. 

He wrote six of this album's 10 tracks; the remaining four are by Oleszkiewicz, one of the most lyrical bassists I've ever heard. 

Jackson is a perfect choice on percussion; he quietly supports and never intrudes. 

Storybook presents a beautiful potpourri of low-key jazz stylings. It begins with a short, moving "Vignette," done in a classical Spanish style, then moves into "For Chopin," with the guitar taking the place of the harpsichord. "Between Nowhere and Goodbye" is an extension of the Chopin-like theme, with the bass and guitar exchanging passages. 

The ballad-like "Candle," with its 5/4 feel, features Oleszkiewicz; his slow-tempo solo work is masterful. 

Because of the relatively long length of that instrument's strings, it's difficult to place the finger at the exact position that'll result in the actual note desired. 

As a result, most bassists don't try to hit that position initially; they'll purposely contact the string in a lower (flat) location, then slide the finger up to reach the perfect note. Indeed, that technique — known as "bending" — is standard in jazz. 

Well, when Oleszkiewicz wants to hit a note perfectly, he hits it ... no bending, just square on. This beautifully augments his solos and permits him to play a lyrical melodic line. 

Each track echoes another melodic style: "Island Song" and "Beautiful Eyes" take us to the islands; "Seventh Heaven" and "Harlequin" move us to Spain; "Senegal Trance Dance" is an African sojourn; and we return home with the pensive "Valentine." 

This is a beautiful, wonderfully produced album. The music won't make you want to dance, but you'll never get tired of listening to it. The interplay between bass and guitar is intricate, precise, lyrical and almost hypnotic. 

Storybook is a perfect demonstration of a jazz form that doesn't blow you away, but there's no denying that it's jazz.

The Tom Warrington Trio: Back Nine

Jazz Compass
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 3.16.06
Buy CD: Back Nine

Take guitarist Larry Koonse, add well-known drummer Joe La Barbara, meld them with superb bassist Tom Warrington, and the result is one accomplished trio. 

The customary trio instrumentation consists of piano, bass and drums; replacing the piano with a guitar changes not only the sound, but the type of arrangement being played. 

When a pianist wants to hold a note, the pedal action holds not only that note, but also anything else played at that moment. This often results in a cacophony of sounds, so the piano is better suited to up-tempo melodic lines. 

A guitarist can hold individual notes without affecting other notes, thus providing a more harmonious and flowing melodic line for ballads. A guitar also is superior to a piano for blending lines with the bass. 

It's therefore no surprise that most of this album's tracks are slow- to moderate-tempo arrangements. That makes Back Nine wonderful jazz "mood music," but don't think it doesn't swing! 

Two of the tracks — "Light and Shadow" and "Labyrinth" — were written by Koonse; "Nardis" is a Miles Davis tune; the beautiful "Whisper Not" comes from Benny Golsen; and the remaining tracks were written by Warrington. All are a joy to the ears. 

This group is so laid-back, so innovative, that it's difficult to believe I'm hearing only three musicians. Back Nine is a true gem, and a must-have album.

Dave and Larry Koonse: Dialogues of the Heart

Jazz Compass
By Ric Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 3.16.06
Buy CD: Dialogues of the Heart

This is the first CD I've reviewed from Jazz Compass, another small studio that has appeared on the scene in recent years. As is true of the Sea Breeze label, this company features musicians and groups that are well known in the jazz fraternity but relatively unknown to the public. 

Dialogues of the Heart features guitar duets by Dave Koonse and his son, Larry, and it's one of the tastiest jazz guitar records I've ever heard. Since Larry was taught by his father, it's almost impossible to tell who is playing a particular solo passage, and the ensemble work is just gorgeous. Their techniques are flawless — it's like listening to two Earl Klughs playing jazz — and the studio work borders on perfection. 

The album features arrangements of lesser-known standards such as "Beautiful Love," "Like Someone in Love," "Summer Nights" and "You Must Believe in Spring." "Isfahan" is an almost unknown Duke Ellington tune, arranged by Billy Strayhorn. 

"Jazz Passacaglia" is a beautiful, almost classical little tune written by Larry Koonse. "Everything I Love" is a relatively unknown ballad by Cole Porter, while "Django" is one of the wonderful jazz lines written by John Lewis, of Modern Jazz Quartet fame. Both the final two selections — "Minority" and "Young and Foolish" — are performed beautifully, as is true of everything else on this album. 

It's all jazz in its purest form, and it even swings. Guitar fans will love this CD. 

Holiday Jazz 2005: Jingle bell swing

By Derrick Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 12.8.05

[Web master’s note: Northern California film critic Derrick Bang — the eldest, youngest and only son of this site’s jazz guru, Ric Bang — has surveyed the holiday jazz scene for roughly a decade, with lengthy columns that just keep growing.]


Time was, this annual column was hard to fill.

That was before the explosion of Christmas albums, a genre that has become one of the few genuine growth industries in the music biz.

Seems like everybody is recording holiday music these days, which is both good and bad ... good because it’s nice to hear more of this music, bad because science-fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon’s Law still holds: 90 percent of everything is garbage.

Which means more garbage.

As a result, canvassing record labels and the Internet for this annual survey of holiday jazz has become a lengthy process, because there’s no reason to waste space on the truly dreadful, with so many better albums at hand. But even though I’ve tried to be selective, this column can only be dubbed The Monster That Ate This Week’s Entertainment Section.

I’m not sure my wife will read all the way to the end. If you hang on that long, my hat’s off to you.

Some of the mainstream albums can be found in your local music shoppe, while many others are on sale only through cdbaby. A few others are even harder to track down, but this is the Internet age, and I have faith in your resourcefulness.

So: Nog some eggs, get the wrapping paper ready for a marathon session, and prepare for some groovy holiday mood music!

Starting with the ne plus ultra of 2005’s holiday releases , the season’s best news is Diana Krall’s modestly titled Christmas Songs (Verve B0004717-02), which best can be described with a single word:

Wow.

Krall disappointed a few longtime fans with the introspective pop angst of her previous album, The Girl in the Other Room, which bewildered folks who prefer her sassy covers of standards and torch songs. Well, if that’s the Diana Krall you love, then you’ll adore this album, because it swings to a degree that hasn’t been true of any Christmas jazz album released for quite awhile.

Krall never has been shy about employing carnal undertones, and that’s equally true here: This holiday album is downright sexy. The recording quality is nothing short of amazing; I’m pretty sure I can hear her smile on more than one occasion.

Krall is backed on seven tracks by the full-blown fury of the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, and the blend is awesome: by turns sassy, swinging and slyly droll. You can’t help grinning when, on “Winter Wonderland,” Krall modifies the lyric by singling, “...frolic and play/ the Canadian way.”

Two other songs — “Christmas Time Is Here” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” — are quieter reprises from Krall’s ultra-rare 1998 EP, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and it’s nice to have those tracks available on a more readily obtainable album.

This CD concludes with Irving Berlin’s poignant “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sleep,” from the 1954 film White Christmas ... perhaps more lullabye than carol, but nonetheless a marvelous way to conclude a magnificent album.

I’ve done these annual surveys for a long time now, and while I continue to be pleased by many new releases each year, I’m less likely to get excited; after all, we’re talking about a finite number of songs, and only so many variations on familiar themes.