Manhattan Brass / Manhattan Holiday
Album: Manhattan Holiday   Collection:Jazz
Artist:Manhattan Brass   Added:Dec 2013
Label:Self-Release  

Recent Airplay
1. Dec 22, 2016: No Cover No Minimum Xmaspectacular
Stuffy Turkey
3. Dec 20, 2013: No Cover, No Minimum
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
2. Dec 16, 2014: Jump, Jive, and Jazz
Stuffy Turkey
4. Dec 13, 2013: No Cover, No Minimum
We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Album Review
Fo
Reviewed 2013-12-11
MANHATTAN BRASS: Manhattan Holiday
self-released, 2013

CHRISTMAS JAZZ – Brass quintet (trumpets, trombones, horn) with a surprisingly lively and varied program of twisted holiday tunes. About half of the arrangements are by Carla Bley (who has a similar CD in the library, by the way). If the Salvation Army could improvise, and maybe had two or three rounds of beer before heading out to the corner…

Try any track. Fo’s picks: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9

1. 5:21 – slow harmony morphs into expressive solos with old-time blues feel
2. 4:28 – happy calypso version of a standard carol, lumpy trombone solo
3. 3:31 – rarely heard Thelonious Monk Xmas tune: slow, warped and trippy
4. 6:35 – another Monk tune, this one peppy & bouncy but solos get bizarre
5. 5:19 – waltzing Italian melody, trumpets soar and moan, brief free break
6. 4:53 – this one is played straight: slow and romantic with lovely harmony
7. 2:16 – slow carol: starts straight but harmony skews to the left
8. 3:22 – a reggae-beat “Jingle Bells” by a brass band? Sure, why not…
9. 6:04 – starts very slow and low, picks up a cool “Take Five” rhythm
10. 6:20 – drummer boy bolero, builds as it goes, briefly changes to a strut
11. 1:20 – slow and reverent, very nice harmony indeed

[ Fo ] - 11 December 2013

Track Listing
1. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear   6. The Christmas Song
2. We Wish You A Merry Christmas   7. O Tannenbaum
3. A Merrier Christmas   8. Jingle Bells
4. Stuffy Turkey   9. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
5. Siciliana   10. Lil Drummer Dude
  11. Joy To The World