Jazz Noel

A Windham Hill Collection, Various Artists - Miscellaneous - Holiday | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 14, 1999)
• Original Release Date: September 14, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Windham Hill Records
• ASIN: B00000JYAH
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #233,111 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #32 in Music > Indie Music > Miscellaneous > Holiday

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Mixing old and new pop jazzers, A Jazz Noel features a dozen mostly instrumental cuts and a couple vocal tracks. R&B legend Etta James gives "Please Come Home for Christmas" a gritty workout that sounds like an arctic gust, blowing through tunes by comfy mainstream players such as Spyro Gyra, Tom Scott (with singer Maysa), the Braxton Brothers, Hiroshima, Special EFX, Earl Klugh, and others. Vocalist Michael Franks--all but off the radar recently--reprises "Island Christmas" in his singular style while virtuoso Minneapolis sideman, producer, and songwriter Ricky Peterson pens a natty little original with his siblings and friends called "In the City." Radio friendly and taking no risks, this set of standards and catchy, creative, new tunes is rich in polish, professionalism, and predictability, perfect for the person with mainstream tastes. --Martin Keller

From Jazziz

Each year, Windham Hill releases a successful holiday compilation. This year, the label has issued Jazz Noël, a disc featuring 12 holiday-oriented, mostly smooth-jazz songs. Vocalist Etta James, is a bluesy take on "Please Come Home for Christmas." Other tracks feature performances by Michael Franks, Spyro Gyra, Tom Grant, and Tom Scott.

--- JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, November 30, 2006

By 

E. Firstenberg "reel world" (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jazz Noel (Audio CD)

It never ceases to amaze me how people will give a terrific CD like this a 1 star rating. Are they just having a bad day? Do they hate music and/or musicians? Whatever the reason, the other reviewer must be a true "Scrooge" with a tin ear! This CD is a wonderful smooth jazz collection of beautiful holiday tunes.

10 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Uninspired, November 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Jazz Noel (Audio CD)

This new holiday release is a holiday fizzle. Michael Franks "Island Christmas" is about the only memorable song on a otherwise ho-hum holiday album. I don't want to sound like a "Scrooge" but save your money on this one.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars An Elevator Christmas, December 24, 2009

By 

Luke Busch (Madison, WI, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jazz Noel (Audio CD)

The recording quality is excellent. The players are just fine, probably even good by lots of standards, but why is this called "A Jazz Noel"?

I'll never understand how this genre gets lumped along in with the other actual, classic-style jazz that's out there. Just call the album what it is: A Smooth Jazz Noel! Or call it "An Easy Listening Noel" or something that actually describes what is contained on the disc.

Confusion like this is what leads certain people to think that all "jazz" is elevator music. When they hear an album like this, I can see why.

If they'd title this correctly, the album wouldn't have even gotten a review from me because I'd never have bought it!

I understand that this suits some people's musical tastes - I'm not knocking anyone's choice in listening, but when you aren't out looking for this, it's a real disappointment. Sort of like when you order a Coke, but the waiter brings you a glass of water. He didn't bother to tell you that they were out of Coke and just substituted water because "Coke is mostly made of water anyway" and then procedes to charge you for the Coke. See my point? I was looking for a Coke...