Our Review
This CD may be a bit spicy for such a staid and straight-laced place as Christmasreviews.com. At its heart, it is about sex and playful sexual innuendo. But its soul is filled with a lot of pretty passable jazz, so maybe we can fly this feature under the radar of our Web host, who just says "no" to anything risqué.
In fact, once one looks past the subtle and, at times, not so subtle double entendrés, there is a wonderful jazz vibe, um, lurking just inside. Most interesting are the point/counterpoint between Jeff Kaye's trumpet and Joel Clemons' piano, particularly on songs such as Christmas Time, a Clemons composition (as are most of the 17 songs on the CD). And there is plenty of this piano-trumpet action, if that is what you are into.
There is also a teasing hint of something marvelous: Clemons' vocal tête-à-tête with his female vocalists, Cheryl Daro, K. C. Fee, Shelley Mack, and Gina Saputo, first displayed on the title track. This arrangement is reprised later to produce a similar effect, but the CD was vocally sparse overall, and I thought the female vocals were among the more interesting aspects.
Stylistically, Joel Clemons and the Lemons are somewhat akin to Harry Connick, Jr. but not nearly so dry and with a lot more instrumental music going on. In addition to the easy listening and pop tunes, Christmas Trim features swing, mambo, and full-frontal jazz throughout.
When I read the title and scanned the cover graphic, I had every intention of completely blowing off this CD. But it kept coming at me with fresh, compelling arrangements and cool new tunes, track after track. Christmas Trim is fresh in more ways than one.
--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2003)
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From the liner notes:
Performing on Christmas Trim are:
Joel Clemons, piano and vocals; Seth Greenberg, guitar; Jeff Kaye, trumpet; Brian Inscore, bass; Chris Steele, drums and percussion; Todd Wolfe, drums; Javier Vergara, tenor saxophone; Cheryl Daro, vocals; K. C. Fee, vocals; Shelley Mack, vocals; Gina Saputo, vocals.
Joel Clemons and the Lemons
Christmas Trim,
'Tis the Season for Some Squeezin'
Artist link
Label: Joel Clemons Music
Length: 53 minutes
Genre: Jazz
Release: 2000
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| Bring In The Trim |
| Christmas Trim |
| Deck The Halls |
| Jingle Bells |
| O Christmas Tree |
| Season's Serenade |
| Christmas Time |
| Trim For... |
| Jolly Ol' St. Nicholas |
| Christmas Trim (Reprise) |
| Dear St. Nick |
| Have You Ever Spent ... |
| Christmas Alone |
| Christmas Alone (Reprise) |
| The Holly And The Ivy |
| Auld Lang Syne |
| Auld Lang Syne (Mambo) |
| Merry Christmas Everybody |