Oscar Peterson: An Oscar Peterson Christmas (1995)

Like a delicious holiday turkey, An Oscar Peterson Christmas is nothing fancy, but easy to digest and something to look forward to every year. The legendary Canadian pianist works his way through fourteen Christmas standards with a quartet featuring Lorne Lofsky on guitar, Dave Young on bass and Jerry Fuller on drums. Guesting on a couple of tracks each are Dave Samuels on vibraphone and Jack Schantz on flugelhorn.Tracklist:
01. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (3:26)
02. What Child Iis This? (4:49)
03. Let it Snow (3:42)
04. White Christmas (3:51)
05. Jingle Bells (3:17)
06. I’ll Be Home For Christmas (2:49)
07. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (3:31)
08. O Little Town of Bethlehem (3:17)
09. Christmas Waltz (6:54)
10. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (3:59)
11. Silent Night (3:10)
12. Winter Wonderland (4:10)
13. Away in a Manger (3:36)
14. O Christmas Tree (2:15)
Personnel: Oscar Peterson - piano; Jack Schantz - flugelhorn; Dave Samuels - vibraphone; Lorne Lofsky - guitar; David Young - bass; Jerry Fuller - drums; string ensemble; Rick Wilkins - conductor
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Arranger Rick Wilkins sweetens a few of the tracks with a string ensemble that is for the most part unobtrusive, but adds some colour to what Peterson and his cohorts are doing.

So what features characterize Christmas, Oscar Peterson-style?

Fun

On many tracks, Peterson locks into a lightly swinging, finger-snapping groove that casts even usually melancholic songs like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” in an upbeat light. He also fashions some of the tunes with nicely arranged introductions, such as a bewitching repetitive figure on “Jingle Bells,” and something straight out the book of Miles Davis on “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Solo space for both Peterson and Lofsky is limited, but both make the most of it, especially when they dig into the changes on “Winter Wonderland.”

Reverence

While Peterson and the band sound like they’re having a ball throughout most of the album, the moments of levity are broken up by flashes of seriousness. A leisurely tempo is adopted for the Sinatra chestnut “The Christmas Waltz,” as well as “White Christmas” and this choice results in two moving ballad performances. For many of the album’s traditional carols, Peterson just concentrates on melody and forgoes any improvising. This very un-jazz like approach only really works on “Silent Night” and tends to bog down an album which is primarily upbeat.

On the surface, fun and reverence seem to be contradictory, but both emotions are rooted deeply in the Christmas season. It is a time to draw near to friends and family and to break away from the hustle-and-bustle of the rat race. But, it is also a time to reflect and count blessings. Intentionally or not, Peterson has created an album that captures both emotions.

Ximo Tebar: Eclipse (2006)

Spanish guitarist Ximo Tebar is clearly so enthralled with all forms of American jazz, he attacks it--excuse the mixed ethnic metaphor--like a hungry man at a smorgasbord. Though he tilts mainly toward bop and postbop in choosing his source material--there are pieces by Joe Henderson and Wayne Shorter and an original tribute to Pat Martino--he's a dyed-in-the-wool fusion player who incorporates flamenco and Brazilian forms, adding electronics and scat vocals. There are times when his affection for pretty, synthesizer-enhanced melodies smacks of smooth jazz, but with vibraphonist Dave Samuels cutting some hard-swinging grooves and organist Rob Bargad pumping up the atmosphere, there's too much energy in the musicianship for it to linger too long in any soft spots. Tebar's guitar can take on an unusual toy-like tone, which makes his demonstrative dissection of Thelonious Monk's "Evidence" all the more interesting. --Lloyd Sachs

Personnel:
Ximo Tebar (guitar, synthesizer);
Ximo Tebar; Rob Bargad (piano, electric piano, organ);
Dario Boente (synthesizer);
Anthony Jackson (bass guitar);
Dave Samuels (vibraphone, marimba);
Donald Edwards (drums)
Tracklist:
01 Inner Urge
02 Martino
03 Mensaje
04 My Evidence (about monk and trane)
05 ESP
06 Ralladura
07 Eclipse
08 Pinocchio
09 One step ahead
10 Pure de patata
11 Tricotism
Eclipse
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