New Releases
NEW RELEASES
Xmas Picks
by William Shea
Compilation: Blame It On Christmas-Volume I Schoolkids' Records
Schoolkids' Records has a nífty Chrístmas CD out. Entitled "Blame It On Christmas-Volume I" this compilation puls together 17 of the weirdest Christmas tunes that you've ever heard."The Silent Night's Spangled Banner" by P.S. #14 Marching Band, "Schepp The Hall With Loaves Of Hallah" by the Three Weissmen, "The Second Noel" by The New Havana Rhythm Kings are three of the weirdest. Although this seasonal spoof may not appeal to everyone, if you like the irreverent you'll find it here.
Gary Nestor and David Kohl scoured the record shelves and archives to find these dandies. And sorne of them ain't half bad. The "Poor Man's Frank Sinatra, Jr.," Bob Francis, has a dynamite voice and does a swinging version of "Away In the Manger." The Border Patrol does a rockin' harpsichord/big band version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" called "Real Merry Gents Don 't Rest." Sounding a bit like Lawrence Welk, it's still a toe-tapper filled with the proper spirit.
The production of this CD is surprisingly good. Given that many of these tunes were first recorded in the early 1960s and before, the "STERE-O-RAMA" sound is clean and precise. Particularly noteworthy is the echoey surf guitar on "The Lil' Endless Summer Boy." This CD is a good Holiday wave to catch.
James' Dapogny's Chicago Jazz Band Hot Club Stomp: Small Band Swing Discovery Records
U-M Music professor James Dapogny and his Chicago Jazz Band have released another exceptional recording. This time moving beyond the music of Ellington and Jelly Roll Morton of his first two recordings, Dapogny focuses on music for the small combos of the 1930s and 40s. This infectious, musically strong recording would make a swell holiday gift.
Small combo swing music, referred to as Hot Jazz, took the arrangements of the Big Bands and stripped them down to fit a smaller ensemble, often a sextet but in Dapogny's case an octet. This left the musicians a bit more exposed but also gave them more room to demonstrate their chops. And out this recording there are some extraordinary chops. Not to diminish the entire ensemble, but the musicianship of Kim Cusak, clarinet; Erik Ketlso, trumpet; and Bob Smith trombone is first-rate.
The jump/stomp feel of Hot Jazz is no better heard than on Benny Carters "Pardon Me Pretty Baby." The rhythm is subtle but never ending, pulling more than pushing. Couple this tune with Fats Waller "Caught" and Andy Razaf and Chu Beny 's "Christopher Columbus" and you'll get a free-wheeling troika of jump swing-music. This music clearly shows why your grandparents were dancing fools. This CD is highly recommended.
Compilation: Today's Best Country Gospel Arrival Records/K-Tel
As you might remember K-Tel Records made their name through the 1970s as a compilation label. At one time or another practically every number-one song or disco hit was on one of K-Tel's ubiquitous recordings. Today they have pruned their branches a bit. Now virtually very Christian music hit recorded in the past decade is on their compilations. This can be bad and good. Bad in that all too often the lyrics of Christian music pushes the music right out the door.
But compilations can give us excellent examples of a particular genre of music. "Today's Best Country Gospel" does a good job at emphasizing good country music over lyrical sentimentality. Compiler Hazel Snïth has found ten contemporary gospel songs. They are performed by country music veterans such as Vince Gilt, Willie Nelson, Rickie Van Shelton, John Anderson, Diamond Rio, Shenandoah and others. The result is a sound production as slick as Nashville can get.
In contrast to contemporary Christian music, songs like Diamond Rio's "Mama Don't Forget to Pray for Me," "Dreaming Of A Little Cabin" sung by Willie Nelson, and Shenandoah's "Wednesday Night Prayer Meetin"' give us a clear picture of the role country gospel music plays in much of American culture. Like John Anderson's song "l'm an Old Chunk of Coal (But l'm Gonna Be A Diamond Some Day)," we see country gospel music not as pitting one holier-than-thou view against another but as reconciling the trials of everyday life. It's as if for these artists every honky-tonkin' Saturday night is followed by a repentant Sunday morning. Instead of having all the answers, like many contemporary Christian artists seem to, these artists know that there are only questions. Like Marty Stuart laments, "If I give my soul to Jesus will she take me back again?" The answer can only be "maybe."