Customer Reviews

A Night Before Christmas

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Finally, a great collection of Christmas music from the legendary Spyro Gyra! I do love Christmas music and personally own several hundred CD's of Christmas music. As a musician, I have a high standard of quality that I want in this type of music. This is now one of my favorites. If just for the "cool" performances of "Carol of the Bells" & "The First Noel". I really like that this disc has a nice mix of sacred and secular melodies. The gem in the collection is Jay Beckenstein's "It Won't Feel like Christmas", sung beautifully by Christine Ebersole, it should be a "new classic". No other jazz group has put out such consistantly fine music for such a long period of time (almost 30 yrs). They are the best!

I have a large collection of Christmas CDs and have pretty eclectic tastes. This is the first jazz holiday CD that I really feel is worth owning. I'm not hugely into jazz and feel "smooth jazz" is probably the most accessible. I did see Spyro Gyra in concert many years ago. I thought they were fun to watch but I didn't get into the music that much. After that long intro to me, I have to say I love this CD! It's the first holiday jazz CD that doesn't sound like background music to your chichi holiday party. My favorite song is Baby It's Cold Outside which is just really energetic and, well, jazzy. I feel like it ups my personal cool quotient just listening to it. My impression of SG is that they're pretty experimental, and the comment by the reviewer that this was a more traditional album than expected would support that impression. Still - once the holidays are over, I'm ready to try more Spyro Gyra.

Finally, after more than 20 years of making wonderful music together, the best jazz fusion band ever has produced a Christmas album. If you like SG, you'll not be disappointed with this release.

The arrangements are superb and the performances are immaculate. The vocals are just great, with the possible exception of drummer Bonny's opening to "The Christmas Song." To me it is a silly bit of unneccesary nonsense, but many will probably like it.

The best vocal is Christine Ebersole's lovely interpretation of Jay Beckenstein's original "It Won't Feel Like Christmas." This promises to be an annual favorite, especially so long as we have loved ones apart at the Holidays. Bonny redeems himself well in his duet with singer Janis Siegel on "Baby It's Cold Outside", which is an excellent arrangement and a clever vocal counterpoint.

The other charts are typical SG, with interesting and clever reworks of familiar tunes, sparked with high quality playing by all members. As an extra treat, Dave Samuels returns for cameos on "Carol of the Bells" and "Winter Wonderland" - great to hear his fine vibes' work again.

Rhythmic, harmonious and excellent describes SG's work over all these years, and "A Night Before Christmas" fills in the missing niche exactly the same way.

I was most surprised by this very traditional release from this group of musicians. I was thinking it'd be more jazzy or new wave and here it was VERY traditional in the more classical style of 19th century presentations or "churchy" and that is not to say I didn't like it. I did. And if you like the old-fashioned arrangements, you'll like this too.

This was very well done by one of the essential smooth jazz groups....Spyro Gyra!!
Christmas music with a smooth jazz flare!!

I'm somewhat biased because I'm an ardent fan. I have all except two Spyra Gyro LPs. This was especially pleasing especially the cover of the Donny Hathaway tune "This Christmas".

Excellent, as always. I love Christmas music and Spyro Gyra is one of my all-time favorite jazz groups so it was a no brainer for me. I think I might be the only person on the planet who didn't know Christine Ebersole could sing - not bad but I prefer these guys to stay instrumental, even though it's Christmas.

I have always loved Spyro Gyra. I think I literally wore out my LP of "Morning Dance" in the year or so after it was initially released--yes, I played it that often.

But this album doesn't even sound like Spyro Gyra to me. It's totally pedestrian. If I heard it on some store or elevator soundtrack, I'd never have guessed who it was.

It's pleasant enough to listen to, but it is not at all what I hoped for or expected. It just doesn't sound like Spyro Gyra.

Id pass on this cd all together. Id stick non christmas cd you guys next time.

Spyro Gyra is my all time favorite band. however, I'm an atheist, and don't celebrate Christmas or any other religious holiday. but jazz Christmas music makes it tolerable.