A Dave Brubeck Christmas (Craft Recordings)
Dave Brubeck
Re-released November 17, 2023
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lOW3tjc2kyQAikBbHGxkQGEr7uBx9Aba0
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/intl-pt/album/13Xwxp8icIpeRQhwdN7crn?si=ll_2aeVrSyyIKvgc4w-jmg
About:
One of the most important and innovative figures in the post-war cool jazz movement, Dave Brubeck (1920–2012) captured the ears of a generation, rising to become one of music’s biggest stars. Despite his global popularity and crossover appeal, however, Brubeck did not release an album of Christmas music until the latter quarter of his six-decade-long career. The resulting record was a welcome—and utterly refreshing—addition to the modern-day holiday cannon.
Featuring Brubeck on the piano, without accompaniment, the stripped-down set was recorded in a single day at Stamford, CT’s Ambient Recording Studio, with nearly every track captured in just one take. Russell Gloyd, who served as Brubeck’s longtime producer, manager and conductor, spoke to Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich about the album in 2018. “Listen to any track and it is Dave playing directly to you,” he noted. “Listen to Dave’s ‘Joy to the World’…You hear the church bells. It’s not Dave improvising, it’s Dave painting a picture.” Brubeck didn’t deliver a cookie-cutter holiday album. Like everything he did, A Dave Brubeck Christmas defies expectations, offering listeners a reflective performance that mirrors the entire range of moods that the holiday season often evokes.
The pianist puts his own thoughtful touch on well-loved holiday fare, including “Away in a Manger,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “What Child Is This? (Greensleeves),” delivering a performance that feels wistful, even melancholic at times. The joy of the season, meanwhile, is also portrayed in such swinging selections as “Winter Wonderland,” “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” and Brubeck’s wholly original “‘Homecoming’ Jingle Bells,” which opens the album.
The penultimate track is Brubeck’s second take of the yuletide favorite, titled “‘Farewell’ Jingle Bells.” This version, which takes on a more muted tone, brings to mind the end of a holiday party, as the chatter winds down and weary guests gather their coats. Brubeck also recorded two original compositions: the hopeful “Run, Run, Run to Bethlehem” and the contemplative “To Us Is Given.” Upon its release on Telarc in September 1996, the album was a commercial and critical success. The Chicago Tribune declared, “In a world cursed with treacly, bombastic Christmas music, this album stands out for its heart and clarity,” while AllMusic hailed it as “a Christmas (album) worth repeated hearings.” An instant bestseller, A Dave Brubeck Christmas landed in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Jazz Album chart and later ranked among the best-selling jazz titles of the following year. Today, the album remains a favorite in Brubeck’s prolific catalog.
Track Listing:
1. “Homecoming” Jingle Bells 03:22
2. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 03:42
3. Joy To The World 02:55
4. Away In A Manger 05:06
5. Winter Wonderland 04:22
6. O Little Town Of Bethlehem 05:37
7. What Child Is This? (Greensleeves) 03:30
8. To Us Is Given 03:36
9. O Tannenbaum 03:38
10. Silent Night 04:56
11. Cantos Para Pedir Las Posadas 04:01
12. Run, Run, Run To Bethlehem 03:51
13. “Farewell” Jingle Bells 03:02
14. The Christmas Song 04:28
Personnel:
Dave Brubeck: piano
Recorded June 6 and 8, 1996, at Ambient Recording Studio, Stamford, Connecticut
Recording Producer: John Snyder, Russell Gloyd
Recording Engineer: Jack Renner
Digital Recording Engineer: Gary Gomes, Kenneth Hamann
Edited by Tom MacCluskey
Executive-Producer: Robert Woods
Production Supervised by Elaine Martone
Piano Preparation: Barbara Pease Renner
Technical Assistance: Tom Bender
Cover Illustration: Greg Couch
Cover Design: Anilda Carrasquillo
Review:
Dave Brubeck finally made a Christmas record in 1996, when he was 75. This solo piano showcase, a treasure standing with the likes of Geri Allen’s A Child Is Born and Dave McKenna’s Christmas Ivory, returns as a twoLP package. Brubeck’s religious faith almost certainly deepens meticulous probes of liturgical fare “O Tannenbaum” and “Away In A Manger.” His “Run, Run, Run To Bethlehem” and the familiar “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” sparkle like sunlight on freshly fallen snow.
Frank-John Hadley (DownBeat)
