Cool Spins
Every week, the editors of Mix review new CD and DVD releases from a "sound" perspective. Scroll down for more of this week's reviews, or to search the archives of "Cool Spins" from our Website or from the pages of our print edition.
FEATURED COOL SPINS
Harry Connick, Jr. : What A Night! A Christmas Album (Columbia)
Some guys just can’t get enough of Christmas. This marks crooner/pianist Connick’s third holiday effort—the first two were When My Heart Finds Christmas (1993) and Harry for the Holidays (2003)—and as you might expect, it’s blend of big band and small orchestra jazz and pop takes on a selection of classic tunes and a few originals. Connick is such a natural at this—he’s got some of Frank Sinatra’s swing, Tony Bennett’s expert phrasing, and Mel Torme’s technical chops, but he still sounds like himself. And he does all the arrangements, orchestrations and conducting himself. Why, this could well be one of the best Christmas albums of 1959! My favorites are the jazzy and imaginatively arranged takes on favorites like “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas,” the New Orleans-ish instrumentals “Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies” and “We Three Kings,” the bluesy “Please Come Home for Christmas” and the small-group version of the more obscure “Zat You Santa Claus.” Less successful is the odd “O Come All Ye Faithful,” which he sings straight over a mismatched walking bass/piano line. The originals are all okay, though I don’t hear any future standards on there (and “Song for the Hopeful” is hopelessly schmaltzy). A few guest singers share in the holiday mood, including Kim Burrell (gospel vibe), Lucien Barbarain (hipster), and Kate Connick (Harry’s daughter). Throughout, Connick’s piano playing is sublime—in fact it leaves me wanting to hear more small-group arrangements that really let his playing shine (or perhaps even solo piano, as on the first couple of minutes of “We Three Kings”). Oh well, maybe on his fourth Christmas album!
Must Plays: "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas," "We Three Kings"
Producer: Tracey Freeman. Engineer (tracking and mixing): Vincent Caro. Studios: Avatar and Legacy (both in NYC); mixed at Macneck Inferno. Mastering: Vlado Meller/Universal Mastering (NYC).
—Blair Jackson
Enya: And Winter Came (Reprise)
Enya’s latest, And Winter Came, starts off just like any of her other great albums—subtle, melodic piano, soaring falsetto and an overall feeling of tranquility. It actually came as a bit of a surprise a few songs in that this is a release that captures the spirit of the holiday season—10 new compositions (of the total 12 tracks) that put you smack-dab in the middle of a cabin in the woods while a peaceful snow envelops your world. From the soaring version of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” to a fantastic play off of “Silent Night” (which she sings in Gaelic), this is a wonderful, not-predictable collection of classic yuletide songs. It is Enya at her finest, aided in her own studio by longtime producer/arranger Nicky Ryan and lyricist Roma Ryan. This will certainly get you in the holiday mood without having to sing along to another version of “Silent Night.”
Must Plays: “Trains and Winter Rains” and “The Spirit of Christmas Past”
Producer/engineer/mixer: Nicky Ryan. Studio: Aigle Studio (Dublin). Mastering: Dick Beetham/360 Mastering (London).
—Sarah Benzuly
The Nashville Sessions: Appalachian Christmas (OS Productions)
The label name OS Productions is an alias for Omnisound Studios in Nashville, where staffers and friends played, produced, recorded and mixed this delicate, acoustic instrumental collection of Christmas songs. The playing of these overly familiar songs is done so tenderly, with air, ease and artistry—and obviously for love. This is an MP3 download-only release that most people won’t even know about unless they visit Omnisound’s Website or studio. “O Come All Ye Faithful” and “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” are extra beautiful. Studio general manager Steve Tveit says that the studio plans to release more of these homemade releases—a great reason to visit www.omnisoundstudios.com and sign up for regular news updates. To hear clips and/or purchase the MP3, visit www.amazon.com.
Must Play: “Noel”
Producers: Steve Tveit and Pat McGrath. Engineer: Tveit. Studio: Omnisound Studios. Mastering: Independent Mastering (Nashville).
—Barbara Schultz
The Brian Setzer Orchestra: Christmas Rocks—The Best of Collection(Surf Dog)
On Christmas Rocks Setzer and band collect 20 of the most enjoyable tracks from their past holiday releases. If you don’t already own this stuff, it’s loads of fun, and brilliantly played. Included are the orchestra’s energized version of “The Nutcracker Suite,” as well as “Winter Wonderland” and “Sleigh Ride,” etc., plus originals like Setzer’s rocking “Santa Drives a Hotrod.” If you enjoy big horns, big guitars, big drums and a big dose of humor with your Christmas, the BSO’s best-of collection is well worth a listen. Now I’m just sending this idea out into the universe: A Stray Cats Christmas album would be really awesome, too.
Must Play: “Nutcracker Suite”
Producers: Dave Darling and Brian Setzer. Recording engineers: John Holbrook, Jeff Peters. Mixing engineers: Holbrook, Christ Lord-alge. Mastering: Adam Ayan/Gateway (Portland, ME).
—Barbara Schultz
MORE CD RELEASES
Hank Williams: The Unreleased Recordings
Morel: The Death of the Paperboy
BLAIR'S DVD WATCH: Five Music DVDs for Last Minute Holiday Shoppers!
Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis: Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center, NYC (Eagle Eye Media)
One of the best CDs of the year (Two Men with the Blues) is also one of the best DVDs of the year! This pairing might be somewhat surprising to some, but think about it: Both are fabulous collaborators who cannot be pigeonholed, and each is a gifted improviser… Read more.
Norah Jones: Live from Austin TX (New West)
The Austin City Limits imprimatur is pretty much a guarantee of quality (have you ever seen a less than stellar performance on the show?), so it’s no surprise that this 18-song set from Norah Jones & The Handsome Band, recorded for ACL in June 2007, is a wonderful tour through the talented singer-songwriter’s catalog (and more)… Read more.
Eric Johnson: Anaheim (Vanguard)
Veteran (but still youthful) axe-slinger Eric Johnson has long occupied a place of his own in the guitar hero pantheon for his fleet fingers and exquisite taste. His precision puts him in the league with the prog rock titans, but he’s also a soulful cat with a blues streak. Read more.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo: Live! (Heads Up)
It’s been more than 20 years since the extraordinary South African a capella group Ladysmith Black Mambazo burst onto the international music scene through their work on Paul Simon’s groundbreaking Graceland album and the accompanying tour. Since then they’ve put out more than 20 albums, and this marks their fifth concert video. Read more.
Paul Simon: Live From Philadelphia (Eagle Vision)
Billed as “Greatest Hits Live,” this is actually slightly less than hour of a 1980 concert shot at Philadelphia’s historic Tower Theater, and a little more than half of it is what would have qualified as his greatest hits then—but it’s all good stuff. Read more.