Calling John Zorn a musical chameleon is like saying wikipedia has a couple errors. John Zorn has produced some brilliant pieces of music, e.g. "Spillane". He's produced some eminently listenable jazz. He's produced some "music" that would peel the siding off your house if the siding were made from melted vinyl copies of Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music". Zorn is like Zappa - he knows exactly the sound he's looking for and can guide his musicians through the construction and execution of his vision. And now he's applied his considerable talents to a Christmas album.
"A Dreamer's Christmas" is a beautifully rendered album of Christmas music. The standards, "Winter Wonderland", "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!", and others, come alive in new interpretations without losing the reverence of the classic tunes. Zorn's new pieces, including "Santa's Workshop" and "Magical Sleigh Ride", capture the sound and feeling of Christmas, a tall order for new instrumental compositions.
This is one of my favorite Christmas releases of 2011. If you're a fan of Christmas jazz, I think you'll like it too.
This CD was purchased by the blogger. No promotional considerations were received.
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