Hot Club Cool Yule

HOT CLUB OF SAN FRANCISCO: Hot Club Cool Yule
Azica, 2009

CHRISTMAS – The Bay Area’s premier gypsy jazz ensemble does the holiday thing, playing Xmas carols in a Django Reinhardt style. They get points both for being playfully inventive with familiar melodies and for throwing in a bunch of less-obvious but still very appropriate tunes.

* * * | Fo’s Picks: 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12

1. 2:17 – silly “Santa is coming” vocal, written in a 1950s-style hipster vein
2. 5:00 – Rudolph the reindeer meets “Carmen” in a cool, slinky habanera!
3. 4:53 – sweet, waltzing mash-up of an old carol and Charlie Brown. Yay!
4. 3:00 – string quartet adds romance to a straightforward performance
5. 4:23 – cute duo vocal blends nicely with the guitars & violin
6. 2:51 – upbeat: an obvious song, but played with lots of improvisational flair
7. 3:35 – low, sneaky twist on the Nutcracker by way of Duke Ellington. Nice!
8. 4:49 – Appalachian hymn with string quartet: slow, bittersweet, beautiful
9. 4:55 – bright little Victor Herbert march, swings like mad by the middle
10. 4:52 – romantic trio: think roaring fire on a cold, snowy night
11. 2:54 – straight up and swinging, with vocal
12. 7:40 – And for New Year’s Eve, an upbeat romp… (6 mins, 1 min silence, 30 secs of bonus music at end)

[ Fo ] 11/28/09