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)
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