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Our Review

The Kevin Dorsey Collective's collective effort on A Collective Christmas is magnificent, collectively speaking. Seriously. Smooth jazz can be a homogenous blur--predictable, ho-hum, and even out-and-out boring. This instrumental album is definitely not; it possesses a fiery grace that makes it sparkle. In part, this is because A Collective Christmas is not entirely smooth; instead, the offering is very much the collective of talented musicians who individually shine on each piece. The aggregate is something very special indeed.

The album offers ten traditional carols presented through untraditional arrangements that preserve the heart of each well-known gem. The production values are excellent; every note is cleanly presented, yet the sound is warm, not sterile. Even the cover art is cool ("Winter Shadows" by Bob Dorsey; rampant nepotism, I presume). On the other hand, the genius who decided to use unreadable white lettering on the pale back jacket and spine should be shot.

As for the musicianship, Kevin Dorsey has assembled quite the amazing group. Everyone is a delight--intensely professional, yet joyfully relaxed. The album is more drum-centric than most jazz albums; the persuasive congas (and other drums) provide an impressive pulse for the other instruments. The opening God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and closing We Three Kings are standout musical bookends; they catch the listeners' attention right away. The saxophone and trombone playfully trade lines and push sweet harmonies together. The pure violin and bright tin whistle give The First Noel a distinctly Celtic feel, and the emotive harmonica on Pat a Pan and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is a standout. In truth, the highlights here are too numerous to detail; everything works wonderfully well.

Nice! A Collective Christmas gets a big "thumb's up" from me. Even if you are a bit jaded about yet another instrumental jazz offering on the market, you should pay attention to this one.

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2006)

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From the liner notes:

Kevin Dorsey: electric bass guitar, double-bass, acoustic guitar, melodica, clave, shaker
Jerry Bower: congas, udu drum, shaker, woodblock, guiro, cuica
Dave DeSiro: vibraphone, marimba
Greg McCrea: trombone, harmonica, acoustic guitar, tin whistle
Bill Pomares: tenor and soprano saxophones, flute, bass clarinet

Special guests:
Amy Christian: violin on "The First Noel"
Bob Piorun: guitar on "Silent Night"
Michele Pomares: clarinet on "The Wassail Song"

Recorded February 2005 and September 2006
Engineered and mixed by Matt Vacanti and Kevin Dorsey

Produced by Kevin Dorsey and Jerry Bower
"Silent Night" produced by Matt Vacanti

Kevin Dorsey Collective

A Collective Christmas

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Track List