Putumayo Presents: Jazz & Blues Christmas [PA]

Performer: Various Artists
Artist: Luther Kent
Distributor: E1 Distribution (USA)

Notes: Liner Note Author: Roger Hahn. Editors: Drew Young; Sonia Skelton. Illustrator: Nicola Heindl. For hipsters weary of the same old Christmas songs, there is PUTUMAYO PRESENTS A JAZZ & BLUES CHRISTMAS. Some classic old-school cool is here--note the songs by Charles Brown, Ray Charles, and B.B. King--along with traditional jazz (Dukes of Dixieland), soul-jazz (Ramsey Lewis), and a few flourishing talents as well (Mighty Blue Kings, Topsy Chapman). The Christmas spirit is here, but with a sly and funky flavor. Jazz and blues have both had their share of Christmas recordings over the years, and Christmas jazz can easily work well alongside Christmas blues -- which is what happens on Putumayo Presents: Jazz & Blues Christmas. This Christmas-oriented compilation has one foot in jazz and the other foot in the blues; the ten-track CD is fairly diverse, ranging from vocal jazz on Canadian singer Emilie-Claire Barlow's playful performance of "Santa Baby" to electric urban blues on B.B. King's "Christmas Celebration." Many of the tracks combine jazz and blues elements, including the late Charles Brown's "Santa's Blues," Topsy Chapman and Lars Edegran's version of "The Christmas Blues" and the Dukes of Dixieland's arrangement of "Merry Christmas, Baby." Most of the selections are vocal-oriented; the exception is the Ramsey Lewis Trio's 1964 recording of Gene Autry's "Here Comes Santa Claus," which is instrumental soul-jazz. Back in the 1960s, the terms "soul-jazz" and "organ combo" were often used interchangeably, but Lewis -- like Gene Harris, Horace Silver, and Ray Bryant -- demonstrated that soul-jazz could also be piano-driven, and "Here Comes Santa Claus" is a perfect example of the pianistic side of soul-jazz. If there is anything on Jazz & Blues Christmas that essentially falls outside of jazz and blues, it is Ray Charles' version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" -- which is more soul than anything. But even though Charles was primarily an R&B artist, he could easily perform jazz or blues (as well as gospel or country). And he doesn't feel the least bit out of place on this 2008 release (in fact, many blues artists are putting classic soul, including Charles' hits, in their repertoire these days). Lasting only 33 minutes, Jazz & Blues Christmas could have easily been another 30 or 40 minutes longer and given listeners more bang for their buck. But even so, this is an enjoyable compilation that thoughtfully reminds us of the connection between Christmas jazz and Christmas blues. ~ Alex Henderson

Dirty Linen (p.62) - "It's a festive holiday spirit created by this collection of blues, boogie, swing, and New Orleans-style jazz."

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.5