Sons of Old Town Collective: Xmas Extravaganza Vol. I

This time of year sites such as Bandcamp and Noisetrade are treasure troves of Christmas music by new, emerging artists, putting their art and talent out there for all to sample and (hopefully) buy.

Sons of Old Town Collective is such a band.  From their Bandcap site description "Sons of Old Town Collective is a group of friends-bands that enjoy making music and spreading cheer."  How about that?  Is there really anything better than a group of friends getting together and making music, especially Christmas music?

John Davey, Wilderness Alive, and Cory Taylor Cox, member musicians in the collective, have produced a 4-song collection titled "Xmas Extravaganza Vol 1".  I always like Volume I's, as that usually implies more is to come.

The first three songs are original compositions by the musicians, and the closer is a great, harmonious rendition of "Here We Come A'Caroling" performed by all of this talented group of friends.

"Home in a Midwest Minute" by John Davey has a nostalgic feel, a song of a young man returning home to his Midwest family in the "wider spaces" after time spent away in the city.

"Holiday Optimism" by Cory Taylor Cox takes a quirky look at making the best of the holiday season.  We all know that, while it it a season of joy and celebration, there can be a dark side to the holidays - the pressures of relationships, finances, family.  "Holiday Optimism" shows that there is always brightness, whether it's"a stocking hanging next to mine with your name on it" or wearing your Christmas sweaters, or even simply red and green construction paper.  Cory's song is a message to those who may be a little Grinchy during the Christmas season - there is reason for a bright outlook and optimism everywhere you look.

Go check out "Xmas Extravaganza", and if you like what you hear, support the musicians of the Collective with a purchase.

Video promo to learn more about their record!  link

"Xmas Extravaganza Vol. I" at Bandcamp

Learn more about Sons of Old Town Collective at their website.

Greg Page: "Here Comes Christmas!"

Axolotl:  The axolotl, also known as a Mexican salamander (Ambystoma mexicanum) or a Mexican walking fish, is aneotenic salamander, closely related to the tiger salamander.

Don't worry - you'll need this.

If you have children of a certain age, born in the years 1998 - 2008ish, you'll know The Wiggles.  You probably still have their songs running about in your head, and can't help saying "yummy yummy" whenever you hear someone say  "fruit salad".  With the two youngest Bingles being children of 1998 and 2001, we were fully entrenched in Wigglemania for several years.

For the rest of you who may not be as informed, The Wiggles were four gentlemen from Australia - Greg, Anthony, Murray, and Jeff - who produced extraordinarily successful children's television programming.  Their videos (first on VHS, then DVD) took America by storm, as did The Wiggles live performance tours.  The great thing about The Wiggles was that parents could, and we certainly did, enjoy their programs as much as our children.  The Wiggles had an absolutely perfect touch with their music and dancing, and the messages about safety, history, and just plain fun.  The Wiggles were great!

Which brings us to a new Christmas album, due for release on November 24th, "Here Comes Christmas!" by Greg Page.  Greg was the original Yellow Wiggle (each Wiggle wore a distinctive color, to make it easy for the kids to identify them) and their main vocalist.  After being away from performing for a few years due to health issues, Greg has returned to the entertainment biz with "Here Comes Christmas!", an album of 22(!) Christmas songs, plus four bonus songs from Greg's new children's program "Butterscotch's Playground".

When I listen to a new Christmas album for the first time, I may have several reactions.  Usually, I like it, I may like it a lot.  Sometimes, there is a song or two that makes me smile and just gives me a good, happy feeling.  Although I like almost every Christmas record that comes my way, at least in some aspect, the special ones have a couple tracks that bring about a smile.

Greg Page's album makes me smile, beginning to end, and makes me feel good through my heart and soul.  I love it.

"Here Comes Christmas!" bursts with all of the unmitigated happiness of childhood Christmas memories.  It's the upbeat, jingly soundtrack of all your best Christmas mornings when you were but a wee child, so excited about what lay in wait under the tree.

The songs are aimed at an audience of children in their arrangements and Greg's vocal performance.  The arrangements, generally, have quick tempos, easy, straight-ahead beats, and crisp, happy-sounding instrumental work.  With a few exceptions, the musicians don't stray from the tunes we all know and love.  Greg Page's voice has a very natural, controlled resonance, and he clearly enunciates the lyrics while never sounding clipped or stilted.  The result is a set of songs easy for children to learn, sing along with, and dance to.  If little Audrey didn't know the all the words to "Let It Snow", Greg Page is here to help.

Although the album may be primarily aimed at the little tots, it is completely enjoyable by Christmas music fans of all ages.  Some records for children, honestly, will make you want to poke pointed sticks in your ears.  There is none of that here.  Greg's vocals are so pleasing, soothing, and happy, they make this record fun for everyone.  Although Greg sticks to the tune in a refreshingly simple way, he does take a few liberties here and there with rhythm, melody, and phrasing, which keeps the songbook continually interesting.  On a few songs, including the Christmas closer "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", Greg is joined by children singing along.

I also found it notable that, in several songs where we are used to hearing a key change, Greg stays in the initial key throughout the song.  I think this is another way to engage young children with the song - it makes it easier for them to learn the melody and sing along.

The album contains three original songs plus 19 classic Christmas songs, and then the four bonus tracks.  There are three songs I want to highlight.  First, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer".  It starts as a fairly straightforward version, but then about halfway through Greg takes us into a 'Reindeer Dance" break!  This, together with some "Yipee!"s and Santa's voice, make this "Rudolph" very refreshing.

Second is "I Saw Three Ships".  Easily the most unique arrangement on the album is kind of an up-tempo surreal doo-wop take.  Yeah, you'll just have to listen.

Last is Greg's updated version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas".  In this completely pleasant arrangement, Greg replaces the old, weary gifts with a menagerie of animals - puppy dogs, cows-a-mooing, horses neighing, and, yes, "four axolatls".  Axolatls.  Hilariously brilliant.

"Here Comes Christmas!" is the happiest Christmas record I've heard this season.  I just love it.  My fourteen year old daughter (yes, a teenager) was doing a small-space version of the reindeer dance in the car.  It's great for children, grown-ups, and all who have never lost the child-like glee of the Christmas season.  Even if that glee is buried by a rough day at work or the unfortunate anxieties and conflicts that can occur during the holidays, Greg Page's new record is a sure way to bring it out and make any day better.

A few words about the extra tracks:  these four songs, especially "Get Down Low and Go Go Go", will demonstrate what Greg and The Wiggles were all about and why they were so good.  "Get Down Low..." is a simple melody with an upbeat tempo and easy lyrics that teach our children a hugely valuable lesson - safety during a fire.  It's an example of the perfect touch Greg has with children's music.   Greg Page was and is a musician, a teacher, and a fine, gentle man who is a friend to the children of the world.

Greg Page on the Web
Yellow Entertainment - Buy the album!

CD provided by Waldmania!

"Here Comes Christmas!" will be released on November 24.

A Merry Axolatl:

Classical Christmas from Naxos

The good people at Naxos of America provided me with four of their new Christmas releases for the 2015 holiday season.  Naxos is a distributor of classical music in the United States and Canada.  Scrolling through their website you'll come across Wagner, Sibelius, Vivaldi, Phillip Glass, Saint-Saens, and many more.  Naxos has 14 new classical holiday releases this year, and it is my pleasure to provide a few thoughts about a sampling of their product.

First up is "Magnificat: Christmas Cantata 63" by J.S. Bach.  According to the 48-page (!!!) CD insert, the recording is a reconstruction of Bach's first Christmas in Leipzig, Vespers in the Nikolaikirch, December 25, 1723.  The recording is by the Dunedin Consort, directed by John Butt, and featuring sopranos Julie Doyle and Joanne Lund, mezzo-soprano Clare Wilkinson, tenor Nicholas Mulroy, and bass-baritone Matthew Brook.

I am no expert in classical music, and am not knowledgeable enough to write a detailed critical review of the recording. However, I can tell you that, as a fan of nearly all types, styles, and genres of Christmas music, this is an excellent record.  Celebrations of Christmas through music have a history centuries long, and preserving the spiritually moving compositions from the past is a crucial task.  We, as Christmas music fans, must recognize with much appreciation the music that preceded our list of 'classics'.  "Magnificat" was first performed over 200 years before what we consider classic Christmas songs.  To me, everyone who considers themselves to be a true Christmas music aficionado must return to the earliest compositions as an appreciation of the sounds of the season.  This recording of the Leipzig Vespers is a meditation.  Listen on a quiet night, low light, just you and the music.

Next up is "Christmas in Medieval England" a live performance recording by Blue Heron, featuring Scott Metcalf (harp, director) and an ensemble of ten vocalists.  This album features 17 tracks grouped into four sections: "Advent", "Annunciation", "Christmas Eve", and "Christmas".  "Magnificat" was music from 1723.  "Christmas in Medieval England" is comprised of music from England in the 1440s.  1440s!  Talk about getting back to the roots of Christmas music.

With only vocals accompanied by harp on selected songs, "Christmas in Medieval England" is a pleasure of minimal arrangement, relying on the extraordinary talents of the singers to deliver a Christmas musical message from the ages past.  Being overly effusive in my comments seems counter to the sublime, relaxed, simple melodies and the focused performance of these dedicated musicians.  If Christmas music from this era is your thing, you'll love Blue Heron's record.  If you're not familiar with medieval music but are willing to try, this is an excellent place to start.

The third selection is "Rundumadum" by Grassauer Blechblaser.  This record raises the bar for this reviewer, as the liner notes are nearly exclusively in German.  Der Bingle, contrary to the country of origin of the nom de plume, does not speak German.  Ironically, a referenced website on the insert is Trust Your Ears.  So, I must completely trust my ears for this review.

And my ears like what they hear.  "Rundumadum" is primarily a brass ensemble, with accompanying percussion on some tracks, and a few added vocals here and there.  Brass ensemble recordings can become muddy, a blur of sound.  The songs here, though, are crisp and clean, well performed and recorded.  There are a few familiar tunes - "The Christmas Song" jumps out as the 3rd track, "Adeste Fideles" the 5th, and some may recognize "Pastorale".  The remaining selections of the 26 total may not ring familiar, but are high quality, admirable performances.

The last selection is my favorite of the four.  "An English Christmas" by the Westminster Concert Bell Choir, conducted by Kathleen Ebling Shaw, is simply a joy.  There are many vintage vinyl bell choir recordings available, most of which gain an "oh, that's interesting" reaction.  "An English Christmas", though, is an expression of some of the most beautiful Christmas music in my collection.  There are 14 tracks, spanning the ages from the 12th-century "Wexford Carol" to the 20th century, Holst' "In the Bleak Midwinter".  You will recognize many of the songs performed, such as "Greensleeves", "Stille Nacht", Good King Wenceslas", and "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day".  You will also be introduced to lesser or rarely heard songs - "Slumber Song", "On This Day Earth Shall Ring", "Boar's Head Carol" and others.

A highlight of "An English Christmas" is "Wexford Carol", which features Emmanuel Acosta as a tenor soloist.  Listening to the bell choir's performance transports the listener back in time.  Sit back, press play, and imagine no iPhones, no Facebook, no Best Buy or Wal-Mart, no Black Friday Sales, no commercial aspects of the holiday, simply musicians rejoicing in the season.

The packaging and inserts for these CDs add to your musical experience, informing and educating the listener about the music, the history, and the performers, completing the musical experience, or as much so as possible short of attending a live performance.  Naxos of America is to be commended for the quality of their product.  To me, these recordings go beyond simply 'pleasurable' and 'enjoyable' and become 'important' so that we understand the influence of music on the Christmas holiday, going back nearly 1000 years.

Naxos of America - visit their website and browse their catalog

Amazon links:
Bach: Magnificat
Christmas in Medieval England
Rundumadum
An English Christmas

Tom Dyer "Xmas - 30 Years in the Making"

Talk about being late with a review...  Last year (2014) I received Tom Dyer's CD "Xmas - 30 Years in the Making".  It did make my 2014 Top 5 list, but I did not get to fully review it.  So, now, here in early 2015, here we go...

Why did this make my Top 5 in 2014?  Creativity bursting from every song on the record.  The thirty years in the album title refers to Tom Dyer's 30 years of recording Christmas songs.  The album presents Tom's Christmas catalog in reverse-chronological order, starting with 2013's "It's Christmas (And I'm Jolly)", "No Lou This Christmas", and "Christmas (It's Around the Corner)" and works back to 1983, where Tom recorded "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Angels We Have Heard On High".  The 1983 entries are the only two traditional Christmas songs, with the other 13 songs being Tom Dyer originals.

There is an energy and passion running through these songs, as well as a slightly slanted take on the holidays.  "No Lou This Christmas" refers to Lou Reed's death in October 2013, hence no Lou around for the holidays that year.  On the album website, Tom says that he uses the exact chord progression from the Velvet Underground's "Rock and Roll" for "No Lou..." as a tribute to the great rocker.  Then he admits that the chord progression is used in thousands of songs.  We at Merry and Bright appreciate musical honesty :-)   "Propane Santa" is pretty danged hilarious, based on, actually pretty much verbatim, an e-mail from friend Howie about a Santa-looking dude buying propane at a convenience store.  "Hot Dog! It's Christmas" is a smile generator, especially the responding "Hot Dog!"s in the back of the mix.  In a song of life inspiring art, 2001's "The Christmas Rosie Came To Town" is about Tom's niece Rosie coming to stay with them while finishing high school. Rosie even sings backup!  And you'll have to read the liner notes for "It's a White Mule Christmas" yourself to get the story on this one...

Through and through, Tom Dyer has written eminently listenable and very creative Christmas songs.  As you can tell, many of the songs are inspired by happenings in Tom's life,  unremarkable as they might be until set to music.  I am reminded a bit of Substance W's brilliant "A Boiling Vat of Adhesive Xmas", not in sound per se, but in the quality of the unexpected.  You never really know what to expect from track to track, except you are pretty sure that it's going to be good.

Best time to listen to "30 Years..."?  In the car, cranked up good, so you can enjoy the zaniness and genre-busting personal Christmas history of Tom Dyer.  Check this one out.  If anti-mainstream Christmas music is your bag, you'll want Tom Dyer's album in your stocking this year.

Album website: link
Green Monkey Records website
Amazon link

Hey!  How about some bonus stuff?  Snooping around on the Green Monkey Records site will uncover more Christmas music, such as "Frothing the Nog: Ye Fourth Green Monkey Christmas" (link)  "Frothing the Nog" includes songs by Tom Dyer, Kat Dyer (who also sings on several songs on '30 Years..'), and many more.  You'll also fine collections like "Merry Krampus" and "It Crawled Down the Chimney".  I think I'll get them all :-)  Enjoy!

Russ Lorenson "In the Holiday Spirit"

"In the Holiday Spirit", San Francisco crooner Russ Lorenson's 2015 Christmas album, is aptly named, as listening to the 15 tracks will certainly get you in the spirit of the season. From the opening notes of the rousing "Shake Hands with Santa Claus" through the closer "It's Christmas Time All Over The World" (with the San Francisco Boys Chorus), Mr. Lorenson's 2nd Christmas album, following the 2006 release "What I Want For Christmas", will alternately get your toes tapping with up-tempo numbers and then let you relax and enjoy the more adagio arrangements.

"Shake Hands with Santa Claus" is a terrific start to the album - upbeat, energetic, and a perfect introduction to Mr. Lorenson's style and his band, the Kelly Park Big Band.  "Holiday for Two" continues the jazzy, finger-snappin' beat and features outstanding work on sax and trumpet.  "Let's Share Christmas", the first of two songs by jazz great John Pizzarelli, slows down the tempo for a touching love song for the holiday season.  "You're All I Want For Christmas" brings the groovin' swing back.

One of my favorites on the album is "Mrs. Claus", an ode to ol' Santa's better half, featuring Marcel Marchetti on flugelhorn.  It's slow and bluesy, loving and tender, and beautifully done,  Extra eggnog for the songwriters Nancy Schimmel and Candace Forrest.

For me, one of the best features of "In the Holiday Spirit" is the selection of songs.  Too-often recorded standards like "Silver Bells" and "Winter Wonderland" are nowhere to be found.  The closest to the top tier Christmas canon are "The Christmas Blues", "Kissin' by the Mistletoe", and Mr. Lorenson's fine interpretation of "Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth".  Russ's rendition of "Kissin' by the Mistletoe" is one that just makes you smile :-)  The broad selection of songs makes this a tremendously enjoyable Christmas album.

The 15 songs on "In the Holiday Spirit" are a rapid-fire mix of up-beat swinging Christmas tunes and slower crooner ballads that will keep you hopping from beginning to end.  It would be a perfect soundtrack to trimming your tree on a cold December night, accompanied by a nice clove and cinnamon spiced hot toddy :-)

I have to give a Merry and Bright shout-out to the Kelly Park Big Band:  Kelly Park, Daniel Fabricant, Kent Bryson, Terrence Brewer, Tony Malfatti, Rich Armstrong, Marcel Marchetti, and Rene Jenkins.  The band, plus a long roster of backup vocalists, really make this a special album to kick off the holiday season.

"In the Holiday Spirit" will be on sale November 6th.

Russ Lorenson website
Amazon link
iTunes link

Jillaine Returns with Jazzy Duets for Christmas

Our favorite Christmas jazz singer, Jillaine, has released a new album of Christmas songs for 2015.  This time around, Jillaine is joined by vocalist and pianist Jacob for "Jazzy Duets for Christmas", a collection of seven seasonal tunes sure to kick-start your holiday spirit!

Jillaine has a strong, beautiful voice. which she has used to full potential in her three previous Christmas albums, especially in the up-tempo original arrangements of well-known Christmas songs.  On "Jazzy Duets", her vocals are as awesome as ever, with strengths in dynamics and phrasing and her love of Christmas music shining through.  Duet partner Jacob, in addition to his excellent piano work, joins Jillaine with complementary vocals that blend and smooth.  He's the cream in the coffee, the ala mode with the cherry pie, making already great songs even better.

The album kicks off with a nice, upbeat "Marshmallow World", followed by "Winter Wonderland", which for me is the highlight of the record.  "Winter Wonderland" highlights a creative arrangement, features some of Jacob's best vocal accompaniment, and wows when Jillaine kicks up the final refrain.  Standards "Silver Bells" and "Winter Weather", following the trio of "Give Me Your Heart for Christmas", "Warm December" and "Christmas Dreaming", round out the album.

I need to give a shout-out to Jillaine's brother Erik, who has been a major contributor on all of Jillaine's Christmas albums, including "Jazzy Duets", either as a musician or engineer/general studio dude. Erik's talents have helped produce Jillaine's four exceptional Christmas records.

I'm a big fan of Jillaine, not only her Christmas music but her entire body of work, most notably her collection of patriotic songs "As American as Jazz".  She is a hard-working, talented musician who is also in law school studying for her law degree.  In her spare time she guest DJs at her hometown radio station in Dubuque, IA , KLYV Y105, and she writes a food blog!  (Jazzy Morsels - yum). Foremost, though, she is an amazing musician who has chosen to gift us with now four albums of wonderful Christmas music. I hope there is still more to come.

"Jazzy Duets for Christmas" is available for digital download at Jillaine's website, www.jillaine.com, or at the usual outlets (see below).

• iTunes
• Apple Music
• Spotify
• Rhapsody
• Amazon
• Groove
• SoundCloud
• ReverbNation

Thisbe Vos: A Jazzy Christmas

In late 2014 jazz singer Thisbe Vos recorded her first Christmas album, "A Jazzy Christmas", through crowd-funding, and made the CD available to those who contributed to the album.  Being a big supporter of worthy crowd-funded projects, I signed up as a backer and received her CD fairly late in the holiday season, too late to give it much attention here, although it did make my Top 5 list, posted after Christmas.  As "A Jazzy Christmas" is such a magnificent record, I decided to kick off this year's Christmas posts with a full review.

Thisbe Vos is a Netherlands-born jazz singer now residing in the Los Angeles area, appearing frequently with her band in and around LA.  Prior to recording her Christmas record last year, she had released two jazz albums, "Sophistication" and "Under Your Spell", both excellent collections of standards and self-penned songs.

"A Jazzy Christmas" continues in this vein, featuring seven classic Christmas tunes, reinterpreted by Thisbe and her outstanding band, and three new songs written by Thisbe plus one, "Christmas is Everywhere", co-written by Thisbe and collaborator Gary Matsumoto.

The album kicks off with a rollicking rendition of "Let Snow", a superb, upbeat beginning to a great album.  Thisbe's vocals immediately grab your attention and don't let go.  (For any fans of NBC's "The Voice", it's just like those moments when a coach hits their button after about 3 seconds into the performance).

Traditionals "The Christmas Song", "Baby It's Cold Outside", and the inestimable "Jingle Bells" become gold standards of jazz Christmas vocal performances.  Even "Santa Baby", usually not one of my personal faves, is a great listen.  The album closer, a slowed-down, sultry, waltzy version of the usually lively "Deck the Halls" is a simply wonderful interpretation of the Christmas classic, with Thisbe's vocals offset and complemented by an outstanding tenor sax.

The true highlights of "A Jazzy Christmas" are Thisbe's original compositions.  "It Must Be Christmas Time", "It's Beginning to Snow", "When Moonlight Has Hit the Town", and "Christmas is Everywhere" hit the mark by not only being exceptional vocal and instrumental jazz performances, but they sound like Christmas standards.  You know, sometimes an artist's original compositions just don't hit the "Christmas" mark and don't blend so well with the traditionals, well, that's not the case here.  Thisbe's four originals flow and fit alongside the standards and help flesh out a truly notable and refreshing Christmas jazz record.  They sound like you've been hearing them for years.

Thisbe's vocal performance on this record is just wonderful.  Her phrasing will make you melt, her pitch is amazingly natural and effortless.  It's just aural honey flowing over and through you as you listen.  There's a bit of Jane Monheit here in terms of jazz style, but mostly it's completely original.  When I got this CD last year, I just kept playing and playing it.  High praise, since it was competing with a Santa's sack-full of competition for playtime :-)

"A Jazzy Christmas" is due for release this year on November 6th on Amazon, CD Baby, and iTunes.  If  you can wait until November 20th you can get a signed copy directly from Thisbe's website.

This was one of the best new records I heard last year.  Especially if you're a jazz lover, "A Jazzy Christmas" gets my highest recommendation.

By the way, "Sophistication" and "Under Your Spell" are excellent as well for, you know, those few times when you're not listening to Christmas Music :-)

Thisbe Vos website
Thisbe Vos Facebook page