|
contents | jazz | |||||||||||||
| Marcus Roberts' 'Celebrating Christmas' Transforms Holiday Classics 'Celebrating Christmas, ' preeminent jazz pianist Marcus Roberts' majestic new album, brings an astounding level of artistry and insight to fifteen beloved holiday classics. Roberts is joined by Rodney Jordan on bass and his longtime drummer Jason Marsalis, together forming an exuberant trio that weaves familiar holiday melodies into the layered rhythms, tones and textures of traditional jazz, bebop and other touchstones of the genre. In his extended liner notes, Roberts cites Ahmad Jamal as inspiration for his lush "White Christmas" and New Orleans for the driving second line drums on "Little Drummer Boy." "It's a very joyous and celebratory album, " says Roberts, who also performs solo piano arrangements of "We Three Kings, " a meditative Chopin-esque waltz and "Joy To The World, " a slow-burning piano rag. Available November 8 (J-Master Records), 'Celebrating Christmas' is Robert's first LP since 2009 and his first holiday album since 1991's solo piano A Prayer For Peace. 'Celebrating Christmas' track list: 1. Jingle Bells (3:21) 2. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (5:59) 3. Silent Night (6:12) 4. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (2:01) 5. Joy to the World (2:51) 6. Little Drummer Boy (6:44) 7. O Holy Night (4:00) 8. Frosty the Snowman (2:03) 9. White Christmas (4:32) 10. We Three Kings (4:28) 11. Winter Wonderland (6:01) 12. The Twelve Days of Christmas (4:26) 13. I'll be Home for Christmas (4:02) 14. Carol of the Bells (4:32) 15. O Come All Ye Faithful (3:30) Marcus Roberts is a pioneering jazz pianist, composer and arranger. The breadth and depth of his work, from original compositions to acclaimed interpretations, has earned him several top charting albums on the Billboard Jazz Top 10, multiple nationally recognized awards and appearances on such top media outlets as Charlie Rose and Nightline write your comments about the article :: © 2011 Jazz News :: home page |