The sultry, smoky-voiced jazz song stylist, Barbara Montgomery has recorded a collection of Christmas songs you would like to find under your Christmas tree. For those only familiar with her many jazz recordings it will probably come as a delightfully different debut. She is accompanied here solely by pianist Tom Lawton, whose leads the brilliant Monkadelphia. Ms. Montgomery has already demonstrated an ability to take her sophisticated song stylings in different directions with her much-acclaimed CD "Trinity" containing several songs she wrote with collaborator Aaron Graves. Her childhood with her traveling engineer father in Vietnam may have engendered some of the strongly sentimental sides of certain Christmas songs such as the lead number, "I'll Be Home For Christmas," in which she sings the rarely voiced verse and which may bring you back in time to another era. There are also several contemplative Christmas hymns that are true to the spirit of the season and evoke a reflective mood. Interspersed with these are several marvelously rendered standards. "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" is arranged with a gently implied bossa nova, "What Child Is This" features the unique harmonization's of Bernard Peiffer, and a gem from the 60's, Peter Paul and Mary's "A' Soalin" gets a touch of the blues. The CD ends with "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and in playing this you are sure to have one.
"Think Benny Carter's alto with lyrics..." George Harris, All About Jazz
"While the industry breeds homogeneity, she remains defiantly different...one of the most distinctive stylists in jazz, regardless of instrument...this form of virtuosity is rarely heard..." Alexander Gelfand, Jazziz
Other releases by Barbara Montgomery:
Trinity (2005)
Little Sunflower (2003) Blue Ribbon Award, Best Jazz vocals category, IAJE
Dakini Land (2001, Tribute to Chick Corea)
Ask Me Now (1999)
Barbara Montgomery (1992)
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.bjazz.comTrack List:
1. I'll Be Home For Christmas
2. What Child Is This
3. Lo How A Rose E're Blooming/Coventry Carol
4. O Little Town of Bethlehem
5. Carol of the Children
6. O Come O Come Emmanuel
7. A' Soalin'
8. Children Go Where I Send Thee
9. O Holy Night
10. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Other Genres:
