Customer Reviews

Masters In This Hall: The New Age of Christmas

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is THE definitave jazz Christmas Album. The writing and orchestration ranks Pete Levin as one of the finest contemporary jazz musician-composers of our time, and I feel that he has captured the true spirit of Christmas, while not sacraficing his commitment to his art. Danny Gottlieb, a legendary drummer, lives up to his press, while not intruding into the complex charts which Levin has magically woven. The textures and harmonies are indeed works to treasure, and the album is creative enough to enjoy year round. I am sorry if I have rambled on a bit, but I really think this album is fantastic.

I had the original release of this on cassette, which is long gone. I was really happy to see a CD reissue come out, and its even even better with the 2 bonus tracks. Sonicly its better than the original, really kicking my subwoofer. Danny Gottlieb is one of my favorite drummers and he sounds great on this CD. I've got a few recordings of other artists with Levin's work on it, playing keyboards or arranging, but this is the only one I know of that is all his keyboards, without backing a singer or anything else. The arrangements are awesome, this ain't just jingle bells! There are really unusual grooves on "Carol of the Bells" and "We Three Kings" and incredible chords on "Away In a manger". You can listen to this one all year.

Not what I expected on a Christmas album - but in a way, maybe what I did expect. I caught these two guys live years ago with the Gil Evans Orchestra. I wish they had used a couple of the horn soloists from that band - maybe Lew Soloff or Chris Hunter. I would have liked to hear some other soloists. But Levin's arrangements are lush and musical, with a strong Gil Evans influence evident. Gottlieb shows his pop playing side rather than the jazz style he's famous for, but some of his grooves are infectious, often giving a unique twist to the song. This is definitely not a Christmas carol singalong if that's what you're looking for, but it's a very hip album.

A beautiful mix of traditional melodies and fine jazz performances. Easy to listen to with non-jazz lovers and complex enough for the most sophisticated ear. A must play at any holiday gathering!

I'm glad they had the MP3 file to listen to, or I might have passed this one up. Whatever inspired them to come up with that sub-title, this is definitely NOT New Age music! And it's a long way from Bing Crosby crooning White Christmas. This one had my kids up and dancing around the room. I'd give it the 5 stars just for that. Each song on the CD is an artist's view interpretation that sets the album apart from most of the Christmas music we hear. And the song choices ... how often do you see new recordings of the obscure "Masters In This Hall"? It rocks, but has a medieval vibe to it. Picture that! Also typical, "I Saw Three Ships", done as a gospel waltz with strings, has someone (presumably Levin) whistling the tune. It conjured up an image of Otis Redding singing "Dock Of The Bay". That's what this CD is like ... different! It definitely belongs in your Christmas music collection.

This is a great Christmas Collection. After the toys are put together and Grandma and the kids are nestled down, light the candles, pour the brandy and listen to this. The adaptations are smooth, but lively and there is enough tradition for the die hard Christmas purists in the house.