Customer Reviews

Jazz to the World

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm a purist when it comes to Christmas carols, and I like arrangements to be interesting and yet familiar. Although made up of Christmas standards, this album falls into the "interesting" camp more than the "familiar." It is, for example, difficult to sing along with most of the songs on this CD.

This album certainly isn't my favorite Christmas album, but it boasts three fantastic arrangements: Diana Krall's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," Holly Cole's "Christmas Blues," and perhaps the most satisfying version I've heard of "Baby it's Cold Outside," sung by Dianne Reeves and Lou Rawls. Those three songs make this CD indispensible. Overall, the CD is a nice mix of the mellow, melancholy, and quietly happy. Worth playing several times a season.

With the exception of Herbie Hancock and Eliane Elias on "I'll Be Home For Christmas", I found the instrumentals here rather disappointing and unexciting, even for smooth jazz. Especially disappointing to me was Dave Koz' "Winter Wonderland". He has a very short version of the song on his album: "Dave Koz & Friends: A Smooth Jazz Christmas". On that album, the brief taste of the song as part of "Overture" has a life of its own. That's missing here. Of course, the personell except for Bill Sharpe on bass is different, and that makes the difference. Dave just doesn't play as well with the group of this CD as he does with the group on his own.

However, the Herbie Hancock cut comes out strong, and then there are the marvelous ladies here. I'll go with the crowd in lauding Dianne Reeves & Lou Rawls "Baby, It's Cold Outside". This is a tremendous rendition. But Diana Krall's soulful "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" comes across as a strong number also. Cassandra Wilson has fun with "Little Drummer Boy" and Cyro Baptista's percussion shouldn't be slighted. And Anita Baker carries "The Christmas Song" quite well.

If you enjoy the female vocalists as I do, you'll like this, but for a really good smooth jazz Christmas set, give Dave Koz & Friends a try.

Like another reviewer on this page, I'm a bit of a "purist" when it comes to Christmas songs. But I wanted something a little jazzy and different. I don't like when jazz jammers knock a song nearly out of recognition with random jaunts up and down the keyboard, but this album as a whole, does not do that. The tunes are catchy and interesting and yet still very true to the Christmas spirit. A wonderful album that I listen to over and over each year.

so I'd have an excuse to play this delicious collection. I have not tired of it through the years. It de-stresses the holidays and makes the mood. Quality performances by great performers for a good cause. What more could you ask for?

This is a great Christmas album, but also a great Jazz album. Like some of the previous reviewers said, it is a great album for people new to the Jazz scene, but it also a great album for Jazz loves. It is loaded with a taste of some of Jazz's current outstanding artists. Dianne Reeves & Lou Rawls does my favorite rendition of the jazz standard "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (though Ella's version is a very close second). Although customarily played at Christmas Time, this playful song can be appreciated anytime of year. If you have not before heard Holly Cole ("Christmas Blues") sing, you are indeed in for a real treat, and will likely seek out one of the Holly Cole Trio's albums with haste. (I can highly recommend "Don't Smoke in Bed"). She is a most captivating and musical singer. Cassandra Wilson (a major name in the Jazz scene) does a wonderful rendition of "The Little Drummer Boy." I could most definitely go on and on, but sufficed to say this IS a wonderful album. If you are new to Jazz, this is a splendid sampling of the wonderful music and artists that await you in one of the most prodigious music genres. If you are a Jazz veteran, you will surely appreciate hearing your favorite artists perform these holiday favorites.

As other reviewers have pointed out, the Dianne Reeves/Lou Rawls duet is stupendous, but not worth the price of the whole CD. The rest of the music is dull, easy-listening, "mellow" and hardly festive. I think I can salvage about 4 cuts off this disc (not Michael Franks, thank you), which would make it worth buying used, copying some cuts, and then donating the CD to the local library. And then give the money you save directly to the Special Olympics.

As the holiday season is here again, I find myself listening to this CD more than any other in my Christmas collection. Anybody who can't warm up just listening to Diane Reeves and Lou Rawls sing "Baby It's Cold Outside" must have a stone cold heart. That's my favorite, but there's not a dud on the whole CD. Treat yourself to this one.

I love this Christmas CD some one took my CD so,I got another one from Amazom now i can injoy my Jazz Christmas again.

There's something here for everyone. THis...IS a jazz album...not a smooth jazz album.

My wife and I found three tunes on here unacceptable and have since burned another CD excluding them and they are performed by Cassandra WIlson, Dr. John and David Koz.

The remaining are quite notable and it is one of our favorite holiday CDs. For me, the High point is Mahavishnu John McLaughlin's rendition of "Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel. The arrangement by keyboardist, Jim Beard is a work of perfection and pure beauty. Mr. McLaughlin's guitar floats above the arrangement and transcends the holiday spirit.

Herb Alpert has never sounded so nice. The Becker Brothers play Steve Khan's arrangement of Christmas Waltz in a stellar performance. Guitarists, check out Steve Khan's comping....

Of course, the CD was created to help fund the Special Olympics, so get this and make yourself happy.

With such an incredible array of jazz talent, how can this CD possibly lose? Herb Alpert and Jeff Lorber's Winter Wonderland gets the party started in fine style. If this one doesn't get your head and shoulders bouncing, you must be deaf.

From there, the Christmas cheer just keeps on coming. Diane Reeves and Lou Rawls are just having too much fun performing Baby, It's Cold Outside; Fourplay's unmistakable smooth sound shines on It Came Upon a Midnight Clear; Diana Krall proves why she's the Official Ice Princess of Jazz on her nonetheless engaging rendition of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas; Stanley Clarke, George Duke and Everette Harp perform a surprisingly subdued yet effective O Tannenbaum (a tad bit too long, perhaps, but it's still cool); Michael Franks sings an equally melancholy Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!; and The Brecker Brothers and Steve Khan team up for a marvelously Latin-tinged version of The Christmas Waltz (It's a shame that this and Michael Franks' number weren't allowed to overlap as they would fit perfectly together).

Of course, very few CDs are perfect, and the dog of the set is easily Cassandra Wilson's hideous take on The Little Drummer Boy. Why she deemed it necessary to turn it into an dirge, I'll never understand.

But from there, we go right back on track. Herbie Hancock and Eliane Elias' I'll Be Home For Christmas is a wonderful piano duet; John McLaughlin's acoustic guitar shines on a straightforward version of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel; Holly Cole remakes the sadly overlooked Dean Martin number, Christmas Blues; Steps Ahead do a marvelous turn on Angels We Have Heard on High; Anita Baker's stunning The Christmas Song recalls the classic Christmas albums of the past with a gorgeous orchestra arrangement and her always heart melting vocals; and Chick Corea does a fine solo rendition of What Child is This.

It's kind of strange to have two versions of the same song on the same CD, but Dave Koz gives us a second rendering of Winter Wonderland that easily pales beside its predecessor. Lastly, Dr. John tries to equal Cassandra Wilson in the ugly department with Il est Ne, Le Devin Enfant.

Still, the good easily outweighs the bad and Jazz To the World remains one of the better Christmas jazz collections to be found.