Carla Bley - Carla's Christmas Carols (2009)

When the world lost Carla Bley in October 2023, I dealt with my grief by finally hunting down a copy of this CD, which had been on my wish list for a few years. According to the label website it is out of print, but I was able to eventually locate a copy on the secondary market for a very reasonable price (see below). Said label website describes this release thusly:

Christmas music has been an enthusiasm of Carla Bley’s for decades, and traditional and non-traditional seasonal pieces are here subjected to her offbeat wit and idiosyncratic arranging skills. The pleasure that the musicians find in the material is unmistakable and, perhaps particularly after a glass of mulled wine, contagious.

If the term 'idiosyncratic' didn't already exist, someone would have had to coin it to describe Bley's work. This is mostly traditional tunes interpreted by a brass quintet with Bley on keyboards and her partner Steve Swallow on bass. This ain't no Christmas party disc - having this on as background music might drive you and your guests crazy. It requires active listening. You might hear a key change mid-phrase, a jazz solo in the middle of a traditional brass quintet arrangement, plunger mutes, a traditional tune in an odd meter (they can really make a 5/8 swing), a tuba solo, or a song usually heard in a major key changed to a minor one or a mode (maybe Locrian? It's been a while since I studied modes). Bley's exquisite yet unique arranging skills are on full display throughout. I'm happy to add it to the annual Christmas rotation here at blog headquarters.

Reviews, ratings, etc.:

• All About Jazz (★★★★): "leave it to pianist/composer/arranger Carla Bley to produce an album that's as reverentially in the spirit of the season as it gets, while being musically deep enough to fit within her substantial discography with complete relevance"
• Tom Hull: B+ 
• ECM Reviews: "Bley offers an album of original arrangements that speak to the heart of every song while drawing out something long-concealed by the artifice of commercialization."
• Allmusic: "While the argument that there should be a moratorium on Christmas recordings is a good one in the 21st century, Carla's Christmas Carols provides a powerful counter to that view. She has added so much to these songs without taking away any of the warmth, joy, and nostalgia inherent to the season or their place in it."
• DownBeat didn't review the album but instead ran a short feature on it: Carla Bley jump-starts a new holiday tradition

Tracks: At the least, it's all very captivating, but I think the better tracks are The Christmas Song (brass only), King Christmas Bells, the New Orleans jazz arrangement of It Came Upon A Midnight Clear, a reggae version of Jingle Bells, and O Holy Night, a tune I normally don't enjoy. There's two original tunes from Bley on the album, the swinging Hell's Bells (incorporating Santa Claus Is Coming To Town) that segues into a rearrangement of Jesus Maria originally heard on Bley's Musique Mecanique album.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I found the disc for $10.99 from an eBay seller, quickly ordered the thing, and the seller posted a USPS delivery tracking number. After a month, I hadn't received the disc, so I dejectedly requested a refund. The seller (a big resale company, not an individual), immediately refunded my money with no questions asked. Of course, the disc arrived in my mailbox the following week. My stupid conscience made me contact the seller and offer payment, but the case was closed, so end of story. Merry Christmas to me, I suppose. :)

Previously revisited for the blog:
Selected Recordings :rarum XV (2004)
Heavy Heart (1984)
Social Studies (1981)
Musique Mecanique (1979)

Various Artists - Billboard Top Dance Hits 1985 (1998)

Truth in advertising from the good folks over at Rhino: ten dance tunes from 1985, all but one hit #1 on the Billboard Dance chart. Lots of extended versions and with a total disc running time of an hour. One in a series of ten covering the years 1976-1985, not to be confused with either The Disco Years or Special Editions Disco series, also issued by Rhino. I never planned on buying all ten discs in this Top Dance Hits series, but they keep popping up in used bins so ya never know.

Some of the songs were released in late 1984 but all peaked on the dance chart in 1985. The compilation is slanted towards the first half of the year, with 8 of the 10 tracks peaking during that time with the other two tracks peaking in July (19) and August (Freeway Of Love).

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks:

Song	Artist	Time	Dance	Hot 100	R&B
New Attitude (Extended Version)	Patti LaBelle	6:13	1	17	3
Point Of No Return (Extended Version)	Exposé	6:07	1	*
Fresh (Remix)	Kool & The Gang	5:51	1	9	1
19 (Extended Version)	Paul Hardcastle	5:16	1	15	8
Freeway Of Love (Rock Mix)	Aretha Franklin	4:53	1	3	1
Loveride	Nuance feat. Vikki Love	6:44	1		34
Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Extended Version)	Tears For Fears	5:43	1	1
Loverboy (Extended Club Remix)	Billy Ocean	8:06	1	2	20
We Are The Young (Club Version)	Dan Hartman	6:56	1	25	58
Turn Your Back On Me	Kaja	4:00	2

*a re-recorded version of the song hit #5 on the Hot 100 in 1987.

Mostly familiar tunes here given the typical '80s extended treatment: drums pushed up in the mix, longer intro, dance break or drum breakdown in the middle, lots of production tricks, and a repetitive final two minutes. My recently rekindled love affair with Kool & The Gang continues unabated, but the two remixes that I enjoy more with every spin of this disc are the guitar-heavy Rock Mix of Freeway of Love and Everybody Wants To Rule The World. Best I can recall, two innocuous tracks were new to me when I purchased this disc: Loveride and Turn Your Back On Me. They don't send me scrambling to push the skip button, but neither does much for me.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Nothing in particular, but I'm immediately swept back to my first year in college. Back when I matriculated, the name of the school was East Texas State University. In 1996, it became part of the Texas A&M System and renamed Texas A&M - Commerce. However, just last month it was renamed yet again to East Texas A&M University, the school's seventh name in its 135 year history. Go Lions.

1985 logo of ETSU,
nicknamed the "flaming snail"

Previously revisited for the blog:
Billboard Top Dance Hits 1976 (1992)
Billboard Top Dance Hits 1978 (1992)
Billboard Top Dance Hits 1979 (1992)
Billboard Top Dance Hits 1980 (1992)

Windham Hill Artists - A Winter's Solstice (1985)

Calm New Age tunes just seem suited to the season, especially if one listens alone on a quiet night by the light of a fire or Christmas tree. Granted, "quiet nights" are few and become fewer as we near the year's end, but that doesn't mean I won't make the attempt. No familiar Christmas tunes here unless you put the "What Child Is This" lyrics to the Greensleeves melody, yet they all just seem to fit. Perfectly conceived and executed, this release was successful enough to spawn numerous sequels and a series of concert tours.

Press of the time:

• Billboard: "A collection of seasonally oriented compositions including originals and traditional tunes."
• CashBox: "Should sell like antifreeze in St. Paul in February."
• Art Lange in DownBeat: "there's no denying the sheer beauty of the 10 pieces on this compilation."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #77
• Billboard Jazz: #11
• CashBox: #106
• CashBox Jazz: #7
• R&R Jazz Radio National Airplay: #26

Tracks:

1. Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - David Qualey (guitar) ✔
2. Engravings II - Ira Stein (piano) & Russel Walder (oboe)
3. New England Morning - William Ackerman (guitar)
4. High Plains (Christmas On The High-Line) - Philip Aaberg (piano) ✔
5. Nollaig - Bill Oskay (violin) & Mícheál Ó Domhnaill (guitar)
6. Greensleeves - Liz Story (piano) ✔
7. Bach Bourée (From The French Suite) - Darol Anger (violin) & Mike Marshall (mandolin)
8. Northumbrian Lullaby - Malcolm Dalglish (hammered dulcimer)
9. Petite Aubade - Shadowfax
10. A Tale Of Two Cities - Mark Isham (keyboards, trumpet) ✔

Tracks 1, 6, and 7 are arrangements of tunes found in the public domain, the remaining tracks are original compositions

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Windham Hill releases

Various Artists - Casey Kasem presents America's Top Ten Hits: The 70s (2000)

I've got copies of these cuts elsewhere in one format or another, but I simply can't pass up a Casey Kasem disc languishing in a used bin. Besides, it's a great compilation of '70s hits even though it leans heavily toward the first half of the decade: 14 of the 20 tracks peaked 1970-75.

Tracks:

Let's rank 'em! Countdown style, just like Casey. Sure to entertain, enlighten, and enrage.

20. Cat's In The Cradle - Harry Chapin (#1 in 1974)
19. Maggie May - Rod Stewart (#1 in 1971)
18. A Horse With No Name - America (#1 in 1972)
17. American Woman - The Guess Who (#1 in 1970)
16. Without You - Nilsson (#1 in 1972)
15. My Eyes Adored You - Frankie Valli (#1 in 1975)
14. She's A Lady - Tom Jones (#2 in 1971)
13. Why Can't We Be Friends - War (#6 in 1975)
12. Joy To The World - Three Dog Night (#1 in 1971)
11. Diamond Girl - Seals & Crofts (#6 in 1973)
10. Show Me The Way - Peter Frampton (#6 in 1976)
9. That's The Way (I Like It) - KC & The Sunshine Band (#1 in 1975)
8. Feels Like The First Time - Foreigner (#4 in 1977)
7. You're So Vain - Carly Simon (#1 in 1973)
6. Dream Weaver - Gary Wright (#2 in 1976)
5. Don't Stop - Fleetwood Mac (#3 in 1977)
4. Rich Girl - Daryl Hall & John Oates (#1 in 1977)
3. Tell Me Something Good - Rufus (#3 in 1974)
2. What A Fool Believes - The Doobie Brothers (#1 in 1979)
1. Could It Be I'm Falling In Love - The Spinners (#4 in 1973)

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: It's like listening to my old bedside AM clock radio.

Previously revisited for the blog:
America's Top Ten: 1970s Rock's Greatest Hits (2005)
America's Top Ten Through The Years: The 80s (2000)

Cincinnati Pops Orchestra - Christmastime Is Here (2007)

Erich Kunzel, conductor

It doesn't do anything to set itself apart, but a decent enough Christmas release. On 12 of the 14 tracks, the orchestra is joined by vocalists. The performances are up to par and the recording is up to Telarc's standards, I just wince when I hear pop tunes sung by operatic voices. It works fine for Silent Night, but not I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. Also, the choruses sing a majority of unison lines instead of harmony, which seems like a waste.

Tracks: The album starts off with a tasteful medley of tunes sung by the Indiana University Singing Hoosiers. The disc then hits a rough patch as we're offered childrens' choirs and one of my least favorite carols, I Wonder As I Wander, an adapted folk tune with lyrics that concern Christ's death moreso than his birth. Things get better in the middle of the disc: the Hoosiers are back for a straight-ahead take on It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year, followed by the King's Singers version of Silent Night (bonus points for the sparse, tasteful accompaniment and German lyrics), then a Bolero-inspired take on Little Drummer Boy, one of two instrumentals on the disc and the best cut on the disc. (Mark, your bias is showing.) The rest of the disc is just okay - nothing offensive, but not much to get excited about, either. A lot of it comes off as a soundtrack for a Christmas movie set in a bustling department store. (That last comment most likely a product of my wife having The Hallmark Channel on 24/7 this past month.)

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None.

Herb Alpert - Keep Your Eye On Me (1987)

"Admit it - if it were your record company, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis would have produced your solo album, too." - Musician magazine

Ya damn right they would have. I might even get my label's current star to sing on a couple of tracks and have a few big late-career hits. But I'd probably use that formula for the whole album. That's not the case here as Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis bring their immediately recognizable Minneapolis sound to only 4 of the 10 tracks on the album. The remainder of the tracks are typical '80s Alpert fare, written and produced by Alpert himself or guests such as Albert Hammond and Roy Bittan (I count a total of 7 producer credits on the album). So the album is incredibly uneven moving from new jack swing to instrumental pop and back again, but somehow the variety makes for a pleasurable listen and a musical time capsule direct from 1987. Good, not great, but certainly worth the $1.99 I paid for it.

Reviews/ratings:

• Billboard: "an altogether commercial package"
• CashBox: "Amid all the technological razzmatazz, strains of the old TJB brass sound seap [sic] through."
• Musician: "there's never anything condescending about the music here"
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #18
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #16
• Billboard R&B: #5
• Billboard CD: #29
• CashBox: #16
• Rolling Stone: #29

Tracks: I think the best tune here is the title track (#46 pop, #3 R&B, #3 dance). The bigger hits, though, were Diamonds (#5 pop, #1 R&B, #1 dance) and Making Love In The Rain (#35 pop, #7 R&B, #21 AC); both featuring lead and background vocals by Janet Jackson and Lisa Keith. The other Jam/Lewis tune is titled Pillow and features a vocal duet between Alpert and his wife, Lani Hall. Of the remaining six tracks, my picks are Our Song and Rocket To The Moon. 

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I had given up on new Alpert releases in the early part of the decade and had moved on to albums by other trumpeters, so I didn't purchase this album in 1987. After all, I was a 'serious musician' by that time. What a knucklehead. I would have enjoyed the heck out of this thing back then.

Previously revisited for the blog:

A Portrait In Music (1997)	Beyond (1980)
Passion Dance (1997)	Rise (1979)
Classics, Volume 1 (1987)	What Now My Love (1966)
Magic Man (1981)

Michael Bublé - Let It Snow! (2007)

A six song EP of familiar Christmas tunes, produced by David Foster.

Classic tunes, great singer, clean production, tasteful arrangements, top shelf performances - what's not to like?

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #32
• Billboard Holiday: #4

Tracks: All good. For whatever reason, this year I've been enjoying I'll Be Home For Christmas more than ever and the stellar rendition included here does nothing to deter that trend. And Grown-Up Christmas List rarely fails to make me emotional.

Bonus track: This EP was original released in 2003 with 5 tracks. In 2007, it was re-released with a live version of Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! tacked on to the end as a bonus track. The band is cookin' and the live version is better than the earlier studio cut.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, but I sure wish Bublé could produce a Christmas variety show every year - he's a fantastic entertainer.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Christmas (2011)