Our Review
A Cellar Live Christmas is the first pure jazz record I've heard this season. I am not a regular jazz listener, and jazz is one of the few genres I always feel compelled to apologize for not listening to on a steady basis. But over the years, I've listened to enough to distinguish the practitioners from the posers. And the two bands represented on this record, the B3 King and the Bruno Hubert Trio, are true jazzers.
On most every tune on the record, Christmas is more hinted at than actually spoken of. There is little sweetness here. The B3 Kings are a cup of coffee, black, no sugar. Away in a Manger, not a sweet song to begin with, is served up as a big mug of espresso. Taking a page from the book of Vince Guaraldi, the Bruno Hubert Trio embodies the conversational neurosis of A Charlie Brown Christmas, but without being derivative of it.
For jazz listeners, this is a treasure trove of improvisation and hard-core jazz phrasing. Both bands embody the cool disdain the later jazz forms came to be known for. At the same time, it is more accessible than other uncompromisingly jazz CDs I have heard. I give it a finger-snapping two thumbs up.
--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2006)
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From the liner notes:
B3 Kings:
Cory Weeds, alto sax
Bill Coon, guitar
Chris Gestrin, B3 Organ
Denzal Sinclaire, drums, vocals
Bruno Hubert Trio:
Bruno Hubert, piano
André Lachance, bass
Brad Turner, drums
Recorded at The Factory on August 29th, 2005
Executive Producer: Cory Weeds
Produced by Cory Weeds and Chris Gestrin
Mixed and mastered by Chris Gestrin
Photos by Steve Mynett
Artwork and design: www.maxfranosch.com
Denzal Sinclaire appears courtesy of Verve Records
From the promotional materials:
This is the funkiest Christmas album to come along since James Brown got into the spirit of Christmas! The Bruno Hubert Trio and the B3 Kings romp through some Christmas classics as well as some lesser known yuletide gems. Particular highlights include Denzal Sinclaire's lush vocals on 'Little Drummer Boy,' BrunoHubert's infectious groove on 'I Saw Three Ships' and the B3 Kings treatment of 'Jingle Bells.' Get into the spirit with the funky side of Christmas!
Bruno Hubert Trio and the B3 Kings
A Cellar Live Christmas
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Label: Cellar Live
Length: 51 minutes
Genre: Jazz
Release: 2005
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| Jingle Bells |
| Little Drummer Boy |
| O Little Town Of Bethlehem |
| God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman |
| Away In A Manger |
| I Saw Three Ships |
| We Three Kings |
| O Come, O Come Emmanuel |
| Dance O The Sugar Plums |
| I Saw Momma Kissing Santa Claus |