THE DOZENS: RUDY REINDEER'S FAVORITE JAZZ by Alan Kurtz
First, about the name. The whole "Rudolph" thing started as a joke. To friends and family, I've always been Rudy. The single exception was my second-grade English teacher, Miss Valentino, who so basked in reflected glory from being distantly related to the silent-film star, that she insisted on calling me Rudolph just to not-so-subtly remind everyone of her famous 93rd cousin twice removed. But otherwise, it's been Rudy to one and all.
What happened, though, is that when Santa put me out front one Christmas Eve to guide his sleigh with my nose so brightwell, frankly, being only a reindeer and all, it went to my head. I started lording it over the other reindeer, like I was somebody special all year round, not just on exceptionally cloudy December 24s. Finally, to put me in my place, Blitzen began referring to me as Rudolph, just to not-so-subtly remind everyone that I was getting too big for my harness. (Did you know Blitzen is German for Lightning? He's definitely quick on his hooves.) After a day or two, I took the hint and got down off my cloud. Now I'm just plain Rudy. Rudy the jazz-loving reindeer. Happy holidays, kids!
Nat King Cole: The Christmas Song
Track
The Christmas Song
Artist
Nat 'King' Cole (piano, vocals)
CD
Nat "King" Cole 1946 (Classics 938)
Musicians:
Nat 'King' Cole (piano, vocals), Oscar Moore (guitar), Johnny Miller (bass).
Composed by Mel Torm and Bob Wells
.Recorded: New York, June 14, 1946
Rating: 94/100 (learn more)
Partridges, as ground-nesting seedeaters, have no business in pear trees, unless they're waiting for said fruit to fall and yield its seed. Or maybe they're hanging out for acoustical purposes, to amplify the marginal snickering that passes for partridge birdsong. Certainly they can't compete as singers with Nat King Colewho could? As for "The Christmas Song," Rudy Reindeer prefers Nat's first recording, despite its being long shelved in favor of remakes with syrupy strings. In any form, though, it's the coolest possible yuletide greeting, with Jack Frost nipping at your nose and partridges dressed like Eskimos in pear trees.
Reviewer: Alan Kurtz
Charlie Parker: White Christmas
Track
White Christmas
Artist
Charlie Parker (alto sax)
CD
Jingle Bell Jam: Jazz Christmas Classics (Rhino R2 71786)
Musicians:
Charlie Parker (alto sax), Kenny Dorham (trumpet), Al Haig (piano), Tommy Potter (bass), Max Roach (drums).
Composed by Irving Berlin
.Recorded: New York, December 25, 1948
Rating: 92/100 (learn more)
Two turtle doves (an indecisive species; are they turtles or doves?) happened to perch one Christmas night at Manhattan's Royal Roost, a 1940s jazz joint known to aficionados as the Metropolitan Bopera House. Having satisfied themselves that "Roost" referenced fried chicken, with neither turtles nor doves on the menu, the turtle doves cooed politely at the emcee's joking introduction of "White Christmas" as a turkey that a magician promisingly named Bird would raise from the dead. Sure enough, the sublimely sax-tooting Bird soon had Irving Berlin's terminally overdone song trotting about like a gobbler Lazarus. Talk about miracles of Christmas!
Reviewer: Alan Kurtz
Jackie Cain & Roy Kral: Auld Lang Syne
Track
Auld Lang Syne
Group
Jackie Cain & Roy Kral
CD
Jingle Bell Jam: Jazz Christmas Classics (Rhino R2 71786)
Musicians:
Jackie Cain (vocals), Roy Kral (piano, vocals),
John Romano (guitar), Marilyn Beabout (cello), Kenny O'Brien (bass), Elaine O'Brien (drums)
.Traditional arranged by Roy Kral and Kenny O'Brien
.Recorded: New York, October 6, 1949
Rating: 91/100 (learn more)
When three French hens showed up for the gig, they were informed as delicately as possible that the summons had been for three French horns, not hens. They stuck around anyway to hear Jackie & Roy's sextetwhich included an equal number of men and women. (In jazz, the French hens knew, gender parity is a rarity.) Jackie & Roy's sprightly rendition of the traditional Scottish ode sung at midnight on New Year's Eve sought to "ring out the old, swing in the new" and encouraged revelers to "bop away at work and play." The French hens clucked their approval, and when the clock struck 12, bopped "Happy New Year!" in perfect 3-part harmony with the rest of the revelers.
Reviewer: Alan Kurtz
Chet Baker: Winter Wonderland
Track
Winter Wonderland
Artist
Chet Baker (trumpet)
CD
Chet Baker Quartet Featuring Russ Freeman (Blue Note 93164)
Musicians:
Chet Baker (trumpet), Russ Freeman (piano), Joe Mondragon (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).
Composed by Felix Bernard & Richard B. Smith
.Recorded: Los Angeles, October 27, 1953
Rating: 93/100 (learn more)
For calling birds, a trumpet is the most reliable instrument. Especially if the trumpeter looks like jazz's James Dean. When the youthful Chet Baker blew, feathered friendlies flocked from miles around. To the wunderkind's Winter Wonderland, birds in the meadow built a snowman, pretending it was Parson Brown. "Are you married?" they'd ask Chet, who'd say, "No, man." The birds would then twitter and tweet, vying to win Chet's heart. It didn't work, but with his quartet swinging down the lane as snow glistened, the birds flew along and merrily monitored. Nothing could dampen birdie spirits in Chet's winter wonderland.
Reviewer: Alan Kurtz
Modern Jazz Quartet: England's Carol
Track
England's Carol
Group
The Modern Jazz Quartet
CD
The Modern Jazz Quartet & Orchestra (Collectables COL-CD-6184)
Musicians:
John Lewis (piano), Milt Jackson (vibes), Percy Heath (bass), Connie Kay (drums),
symphony orchestra conducted by Gunther Schuller
.Composed by John Lewis
.Recorded: Stuttgart, West Germany, June 3, 1960
Rating: 95/100 (learn more)
Ironically, the greatest achievement of Third Stream music, for all its intellectual pretensions, was an update of the traditional English carol "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." John Lewis first arranged it for the MJQ in 1956, and later added German symphonic backing for what became a surprise hit and perennial Yuletide favorite. It's hard to convey a jazz fan's wonderment at discovering a tip-top Milt Jackson solo swinging across pop radio in the early 1960s. Talk about a gift from Santa! As stocking stuffers go, this remains jolly good, Holmes. Pip-pip and all that. God Rest Ye Modern Jazz Quartet.
Reviewer: Alan Kurtz
Ella Fitzgerald: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Track
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Artist
Ella Fitzgerald (vocals)
CD
Verve Presents: The Very Best of Christmas Jazz (Verve 514 549 067-2)
Musicians:
Ella Fitzgerald (vocals), Oscar Peterson (piano),
orchestra arranged and conducted by Frank DeVol
.Composed by Johnny Marks
.Recorded: New York, July 15, 1960
Rating: 90/100 (learn more)
Six geese, allaying Rudy's fears, assured him, "You'll go down in history." That's exactly what he was afraid of. It wasn't so much this song's embarrassing gossip about the original eight reindeer laughing and calling him names, refusing to let poor Rudolph join in their silly games. It was the scary way Ella interpolated "Tom Dooley," The Kingston Trio's 1958 folk hit about a knife-murderer. "Hang your nose down, Rudy," Ella hoarsely scolds. "Hang your nose and cry." Frankly, this veiled threat nearly scared the shine out of himalthough the geese were right about one thing: having Ella sing about you is historic.
Reviewer: Alan Kurtz
Lambert, Hendricks & Ross: Deck Us All With Boston Charlie
Track
Deck Us All With Boston Charlie
Group
Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
CD
Jingle Bell Swing (Columbia/Legacy)
Musicians:
Dave Lambert (vocals), Jon Hendricks (vocals), Annie Ross (vocals),
Gildo Mahones (piano), Ike Isaacs (bass), Jimmy Wormworth (drums)
.Composed by Walt Kelly & Norman Monath
.Recorded: New York, May 4, 1961
Rating: 91/100 (learn more)
If you think seven swans a-swimming is a tongue-twister, try singing along with LH&R's spoof of "Deck the Halls" la Walt Kelly's cartoon carolers (Pogo Possum, Albert Alligator, et al.):
Deck us all with Boston Charlie, Walla Walla, Wash., and Kalamazoo! Nora's freezin' on the trolley, Swaller dollar cauliflower Alleygaroo!
Annie Ross sounds like Margaret Dumont in a Marx Brothers moviethe dowager soprano desperately in need a stocking stuffed down her throat. Fine fun.
Reviewer: Alan Kurtz
Dave Brubeck: Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
Track
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
Artist
Dave Brubeck (piano)
CD
Jingle Bell Jazz (Columbia CK 40166)
Musicians:
Dave Brubeck (piano), Paul Desmond (alto sax), Eugene Wright (bass), Joe Morello (drums).
Composed by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie
.Recorded: New York, June 2, 1961
Rating: 92/100 (learn more)
Eight maids a-milking aptly describes Santa's Christmas Eve pace when he's on schedule. With all the world's children awaiting his visit, you'd think it would get pretty hectic. But Mrs. Claus & the elves have computerized everything down to the nanosecond, what with their little Gantt charts, PERT networks, SCADA systems and critical path methods. Mrs. C. is a stickler for scientific management. So Brubeck's no-nonsense tempo here is apt. Besides, recorded amidst the far-out metrics of Time Further Out, this chance to relax in familiar 4/4 was no doubt welcome. Only the diatonic door chimes ring untrue.
Reviewer: Alan Kurtz
Ramsey Lewis: Here Comes Santa Claus
Track
Here Comes Santa Claus
Artist
Ramsey Lewis (piano)
CD
Verve Presents: The Very Best of Christmas Jazz (Verve 514 549 067-2)
Musicians:
Ramsey Lewis (piano),
Eldee Young (bass), Red Holt (drums)
.Composed by Oakley Haldeman & Gene Autry
.Recorded: Chicago, October 1961
Rating: 94/100 (learn more)
Nine ladies dancing, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer figured, meant one for him and one apiece for the other reindeer. Boogying to Ramsey Lewis's cover of singer/songwriter Gene Autry's "Here Comes Santa Claus," however, seemed like a stretch. But when someone handed Rudy a copy of Mr. Autry's Cowboy Commandments (1930s), which included telling the truth, keeping your word, respecting women, children, elders and animals, helping those in need, working hard, obeying the law and (get this!) disavowing racial and religious intolerance, Rudy was impressed. As for Ramsey, this track cultivates the same funky soil that yielded his mid-'60s pop hits. Look at those reindeer dance!
Reviewer: Alan Kurtz
Duke Ellington: Jingle Bells
Musicians:
Duke Ellington (piano), Cat Anderson (trumpet), Bill Berry (trumpet), Roy Burrows (trumpet), Ray Nance (trumpet), Lawrence Brown (trombone), Chuck Connors (trombone), Britt Woodman (trombone), Russell Procope (alto sax), Johnny Hodges (alto sax), Paul Gonsalves (tenor sax), Harry Carney (baritone sax), Aaron Bell (bass), Sam Woodyard (drums), Eddie Locke (percussion).
Composed by James Lord Pierpont. Arranged by Mercer Ellington
.Recorded: New York, June 21, 1962
Rating: 94/100 (learn more)
Ten lords a leaping plus a Duke, Cat and Rabbit shake up "Jingle Bells" (1857) by James Lord Pierpont, who wasn't really a Lord, but an American commoner. For that matter, Ellington wasn't technically a Duke, Cat Anderson was feline only in name, and Rabbit Hodges nibbled his lettuce on sandwiches, not in gardens. Even so, this is the leaping-est "Jingle Bells" ever, with lordly solos by Duke, Brown, Hodges, Nance, Gonsalves and Hamilton. Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh, swinging all the way, oh what fun it is to hear Duke's big band play.
Reviewer: Alan Kurtz
Jimmy McGriff: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Track
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Artist
Jimmy McGriff (organ)
CD
Christmas with Jimmy McGriff (Collectables COL-5747)
Musicians:
Jimmy McGriff (organ),
Larry Frazier (guitar), Willie "Saint" Jenkins (drums), Rudolph Johnson (sleigh bells)
.Composed by Tommie Connor
.Recorded: New York, November 1963
Rating: 93/100 (learn more)
Eleven pipers piping are peachy for pipe organs, but the Hammond B-3 has no such plumbing. It's as electrified as Mrs. Claus's reaction to this song about Mommy kissing Santa Claus. Mrs. C. didn't work and slave 364 days nonstop so Santa could fly about on Christmas Eve to be kissed by strange women! Santa's protestations that the red smudges on his cheeks were from the cold night air, and that the lady in the song kissed her hubby, who was merely playacting Kris Kringle, fell on deaf ears. Why, if Santa hadn't saved an especially nice gift for his missus, he'd have never gotten back into the house. And it does get nippy outside at the North Pole on Christmas Day!
Reviewer: Alan Kurtz
Vince Guaraldi: Linus and Lucy
Track
Linus and Lucy
Artist
Vince Guaraldi (piano)
CD
A Charlie Brown Christmas (Fantasy FCD-8431-2)
Musicians:
Vince Guaraldi (piano), Fred Marshall (bass), Jerry Granelli (drums).
Composed by Vince Guaraldi
.Recorded: Berkeley, CA, 1964
Rating: 92/100 (learn more)
"Twelve drummers drumming?" suggested Linus. "Don't be ridiculous," snapped Lucy, his older sister. They were choosing a gift for her unrequiting sweetheart, Schroeder the toy pianist. "I've got it!" exclaimed Linus, passing Lucy an LP from the stash in Charlie Brown's garage. "Vince Guaraldi?" she hesitated. "Is that classical?" Linus, anxious to finish before Charlie Brown returned from the fool's errand upon which Lucy had sent him, replied, "The classiest!" And that's how Schroeder came to supplement his devotion to Beethoven with a love of jazz. Alas, he still ignored Lucyone more thing for which she'd never forgive Linus.
Reviewer: Alan Kurtz
