Christmas Songs (Venus Records)

Eddie Higgins

Released in 2005

JazzTimes Top Ten Christmas Jazz Albums Of All Time

All About Jazz Top Ten Christmas Jazz Albums Of All Time

YouTube:

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=HM3jRCAA61A&list=RDAMVMHM3jRCAA61A

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/album/1qnpNMKpPzIC0eXrzVSh6K?si=dteq2-O4TVStmMIrd89_-Q

About:

Last but certainly not least, pianist Eddie Higgins is joined by Jay Leonhart and Joe Ascione, on bass and drums, respectively, for this versatile 21st century recording. Perfect for family gatherings, played while all the children open their presents, Christmas Songs has the band performing a series of sedate, typical holiday tunes with just enough personality to keep the discerning listener’s ears pricked. Higgins’ decision to emphasize jazz as much as yuletide spirit is extremely welcome, as the trio walks the line between familiar melody and improvisation all throughout. 

Track Listing:

1. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne) 03:41

2. Christmas Song (Mel Tormé) 05:15

3. I’ll Be Home for Christmas (Kim Gannon / Walter Kent) 04:29

4. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Traditional) 04:35

5. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (J. Fred Coots / Haven Gillespie) 03:34

6. O Little Town of Bethlehem (Traditional) 04:49

7. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Ralph Blane) 04:19

8. The Christmas Waltz (Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne) 03:25

9. White Christmas (Irving Berlin) 04:43

10. Winter Wonderland (Felix Bernard) 06:16

11. Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly (Traditional) 03:42

12. Sleight Ride (Leroy Anderson) 03:48

Personnel:

Eddie Higgins: piano

Jay Leonhart: bass

Joe Ascione: drums

Recorded July 7-8, 2004, at Avatar Studio in New York

Produced by Tetsuo Hara and Todd Barkan

Engineer: David Darlington

Mixed and Mastered by Shuji Kitamura and Tetsuo Hara

Cover Art: Meredith d’Ambrosio (an eggshell mosaic, “The Charles”)

Photograph by John Abbott

Designed by Taz

Recorded July 7-8, 2004, at Avatar Studio in New York

Produced by Tetsuo Hara and Todd Barkan

Engineer: David Darlington

Mixed and Mastered by Shuji Kitamura and Tetsuo Hara

Cover Art: Meredith d’Ambrosio (an eggshell mosaic, “The Charles”)

Photograph by John Abbott

Designed by Taz

Review:

Tis the season (again? already?), and along with the usual relentless merchandising we get the new flock of Christmas jazz. So, striking an ecumenical note, here’s the question: why is this Christmas CD different from all other Christmas CDs? After all, it contains a dozen of the most popular holiday songs, done in standard trio format. The answer goes beyond the cover, Meredith d’Ambrosio’s fascinating egg-shell mosaic of a snowy Charles River, although it’s a huge departure from Venus Records’ usual suggestive artwork.

First, this is the kind of music that you can play at family gatherings when your relatives are allergic to jazz (as in, “why do they keep messing up the melody?”). For one thing, Eddie Higgins is the gentlest of sparkling pianists, and the tunes are served straight up with only brief improvised choruses, offering a friendly invitation to any shower singers in the room (mirror dancers will also enjoy “White Christmas”). For another, Higgins’s comrades are also world-class: Jay Leonhart is justly renowned for his pitch, melody and wit, while Joe Ascione is famed for his imagination, versatility and taste. Together they produce consistently swinging and delightful music, with no need to lunge for the “skip” button at any time.

Happily, there are stealth surprises in here for the jazz fan, like the intriguing arrangement of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” where Ascione double-times his brushes over Leonhart’s stately bowing; “Little Town…”, which gets due reverence in the opening piano solo, then glides into a slow bossa; and “Sleigh Ride,” with its tongue-in-cheek quote from Prokofiev and Higgins really stretching out. The longest track, at 6:11, is “Winter Wonderland,” but even Aunt Gertrude will be bobbing her head to Ascione’s tasty solos, especially after a few trips to the punch bowl. These Christmas Songs are warm, beautifully-executed, and, well, merry.

Dr. Judith Schlesinger (All About Jazz)