Our Review
For those of you who like your brass in the bass clef (and several in my family do), A Cool Brassy Night at the North Pole is an absolute treat! Don't get me wrong: I love pianos and guitars as well as anyone, but brass instruments--particularly the tuba--are underrepresented on Christmas recordings (though I'm never one to miss Austin's annual Tuba Christmas concert on the capitol steps).
And this offering has more to offer than just its unusual emphasis and ensemble. David Hickman's trumpet solo on Ave Maria couldn't have been played better by a Marsalis. The uptempo What Child is This features Samuel Pilafian's unusually mellow tuba, as well as Thomas Bacon's equally smooth horn.
As its awesome Ave Maria suggests, this record shines brightest on its classical, inspirational works. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, for another example. Much of this music is garden variety jazz, and will be appreciated by beatniks and latter day beat wannabes on that basis alone. But like I said, the record does a good job of featuring the tuba. You could listen to a lot of Christmas records without being able to say that again.
--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2000)
No More
David Hickman Thomas Bacon, Samuel Pilafian, Chuck Marohnic Jazz Trio
A Cool Brassy Night at the North Pole
Artist link
Label: Summit
Length: 52 minutes
Genre: Jazz
Release: 1998
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen |
| O Come, O Come, Emmanuel |
| Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas |
| Silent Night |
| Christmas Song |
| Little Drummer Boy |
| What Child Is This? |
| Ave Maria |
| Let it Snow |
| Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring |
| O Holy Night |
| Christmas Carnival |