So, in July I get sent a Christmas jazz record that isn’t actually going to be available until October. That’s okay by me though, as in December it will be warm as it’s our summer in the Southern Hemisphere and when I was sent this we had already had six inches of snow so was quite appropriate! Now, Chris recorded his debut CD as long ago as 1987 but he is probably best known for working with others in the live environment, spending a few years with Buddy Rich as the jazz trumpet soloist as well as performing with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Sarah Vaughn, Nancy Wilson, and Ray Charles. For this album he has brought in Patricia Dalton Fennell (vocals), Armen Donelian (piano), Ira Coleman (bass), Rich Syracuse (bass), Peter Einhorn (guitar) and Jeff Siegel (drums).
It is a mixture of instrumentals, led mostly by Chris’ pure clear trumpet, and some with vocals and is a combination of well-known Christmas standards, all given a melodic arrangement to make them into something a little different to the norm. The highlight for me is the title cut, which has been turned into a two-way conversation between Patricia and Chris – I have heard many different versions of this song over the years, but this has to be the only one that oozes sex. Patricia often proves her vocal skills on other numbers, but here her spoken voice is like warm velvet and combined with the muted trumpet in the background and the laid-back feel of the arrangement makes this something quite extraordinary. Overall this is a beautifully conceived and performed album that is easy to listen to and totally enjoyable from start to end.
