Confession time: My ire for Christmas music reached an all time high earlier this decade. My busy job at the time during the holiday season was a contribution factor. The local radio station that my boss played around the clock was no help either. Each November/December, it would be the same renditions/recordings of the same songs done by the same people. Not only was it stifling music (Leo Kottke, one of my favorite guitarists, insists that you can't do anything new with a Christmas carol anymore), but there was no variation in the playlists. And it was like that for seven days a week. Put that together with cranky customers on the phone, I thought my blood veins would rupture.
One day recently I find out that Carla Bley has released a Christmas album, and I am torn. On one hand, Carla Bley is an artist; a composer, a musician who doesn't just roll out of bed and release yuletide crap to earn money. On the other hand, it's Christmas music. I decide to try it. And I like it.
One thing that I especially get is Bley taking liberties with melodies. For instance on "Away In A Manger," the note that matches the word "his" in the line "no crib for his bed" is flatted. That's awesome. If I tried to pull that off at a Christmas party, I would get dirty looks. The way she screws with the harmony of "O Tannenbaum" is equally cool.
Her combination of piano and brass ensemble adds a welcome blur of styles. Sometimes it sounds jazzy, other times it sounds like classical chamber as you can hear on "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen."
And Carla includes her own "Jesus Maria." Christmas music is saved.