SWINGING IN THE HOLIDAYS

Songbook Ink

This is a musical anthology of jazzy artists who have reimagined some familiar holiday songs for our listening pleasure, beginning with “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”   The tune, written by Frank Loesser and made famous in the jazz world by Betty Carter and Ray Charles, is covered by Vanessa Perea, Rob Edwards and the Konrad Paszkudzki Trio. This song was actually part of a 1949 musical called “Neptune’s Daughter” that starred the actress and award-winning swimmer, Esther Williams.

This is followed by “Winter Wonderland,” a popular song written in 1934. Guy Lombardo made it a big hit back-in-the-day. Who? You might ask. Lombardo was a real crooner back in the forties.  The piano soloist on this arrangement sounds a lot like Erroll Garner. The vocalist and pianist is the talented Champian Fulton with her trio.

Former contestant on The Voice television show, Wyatt Michael is the vocalist on “Button Up Your Overcoat.”  He sounds amazingly like the late great Frank Sinatra. In fact, he has released an album in the past called “Renaissance” to introduce his velvet smooth voice to the world.

You will enjoy the soprano vocals of Olivia Chindamo on a tune called “Snow.”  She swings it along with the Konrad Paszkudzki Trio. Konrad’s piano excellence lets his fingers tinkle the soprano piano notes, sounding like falling snowflakes.  She also sings “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”

There are plenty more holiday tunes that will lighten your mood or turn you nostalgic like, “Santa Baby” (sung by Champian), “Jingle Bells,” “Silver Bells,” “White Christmas” (whose arrangement includes the Norwegian Jazz Orchestra ‘strings’) and of course “The Christmas Song.”  Sixteen holiday songs in all.  Each one features delightful arrangements and a variety of warm, palatable vocals by a group of male and female jazz singers.  It’s perfect music to play at holiday get-togethers and Christmas dinners.

“SWINGING IN THE HOLIDAYS” BAND:  Konrad Paszkudzki & Philip Granly, piano; Dylan Shamat, Hakon Bjorge & David Williams, bass; Alex Raderman,  Kevin Congelton, Dag Markhus & Fukushi Tainaka, drums; Felix Peikli, clarinet; Stephen Fulton, trombone; Ken Peplowski, tenor saxophone/clarinet. Norwegian Jazz Orchestra (strings). LEAD VOCALS: Vanessa Perea, Rob Edwards, Champian Fulton, Wyatt Michael, Olivia Chindamo, Anais Reno, Benny Benack, Angela Grey & Felix Peikli.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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