Christmas Ivory

Dave McKenna | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 14, 1997)
• Original Release Date: 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Concord Records
• ASIN: B0000006R9
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #335,323 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

2. Jingle Bells (The One Horse Open Sleigh)

3. Silent Night, Holy Night

4. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

5. Don't Want No Blues This Christmas

6. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

7. Christmas Waltz

8. O Little Town Of Bethlehem/Mary's Little Boy-Child

9. Cantique De Noel (O Holy Night)

10. Silver Bells

11. I'll Be Home For Christmas

12. Snowbound

13. An Eggnog, Some Mistletoe And You

14. Sleigh Ride

15. O Come All Ye Faithful

16. O Christmas Tree

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Absolute Gem, October 23, 2004

By 

Stephen A. Smith (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Christmas Ivory (Audio CD)

I won't argue with conventional wisdom: The all-time greatest Christmas album is Vince Guaraldi's "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Having said that, a pair of solo piano albums are tied for the red ribbon: Cyrus Chestnut's "Blessed Quietness," and this gem from Dave McKenna.

Dave McKenna is the pianist's pianist. He's a legend among jazz pianists, a musician who never saw fame equal to his talent. Every musician knows his name. "Christmas Ivory" was recorded in February 1997, when McKenna was 66. Sadly, it was among his last recordings. In 2002, Nat Hentoff wrote a moving article about McKenna where he revealed that McKenna could no longer play piano. He suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome, due to severe diabetes.

McKenna lives a private life nowadays; but thanks to Concord, we have a few of his albums to enjoy. This is among the best. It's replete with classic carols, and even includes three original tunes by McKenna. It's an intimate hour with one of jazz's finest pianists, and the perfect setting for a snowy December night.

When I think of Dave McKenna, I'm reminded of Jaki Byard. Both are relatively unknown to most audiences. But if you ask musicians, they'll tell you these men were blessed with talent and inspiration. Each man's influence on his peers, and the way fellow musicians approach their instruments, is incalculable.

If you're looking for a wonderful Christmas disc, buy this one. If you want to discover a remarkable jazz musician, try Dave McKenna. I'd recommend "An Intimate Evening with Dave McKenna" (2002) and a duo recording with guitarist Gray Sargent from 1992. But start here. This is a beautiful album, an absolute gem -- and I guarantee you'll find yourself playing it for friends.

NOTE: Concord's first print of this CD contained an error that caused the disc to skip a few seconds into Track 1. (I worked in a Boston record store at the time, and examined many copies myself.) If you buy a used copy, you might run into a first-edition. I'd recommend buying a new copy to be safe. The disc was reissued by Concord in 2000 under a new title, "Christmas Party."

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite, swinging piano jazz, November 17, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Christmas Ivory (Audio CD)

The performances range from hard and swinging to serene and beautiful. This is classic jazz piano, one of the best Christmas piano performances ever.