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Christmastime in Washington provides outstanding brass-heavy jazz instrumentals for the holiday season. Prelude, not surprisingly, is based in Washinton, D.C., and is led by trumpet/flugelhorn meister Dave Detwiler, who has played for more than a quarter-century as trumpet soloist with The United States Army Band and lead trumpet with the United States Army Blues. This is exuberant, superbly-crafted holiday fare, the sort of music that lifts you from your seat!

Everything about Christmastime in Washington strikes the right note. First, the album provides over an hour of pleasure, a generous approach that I applaud. Second, this is no prissy little jazz ensemble that melts away into a dark corner of your Holiday Inn lounge. No sirreee, Prelude is a red-blooded, blow-it-in-your-face jazz group packing plenty of pizzazz. Third, the song selection is excellent. The 14 tracks represent a very nice cross-section of the sacred and the secular, and Prelude's jazzy arrangements are fresh and original without leaving the listeners in the dark; you won't be scratching your head and wondering which holiday chestnut was that? Finally, each track averages over four minutes in length, more than enough time to actually fully develop each. All too often, holiday albums hop and skip from one cut to the next, leaving no opportunity to discern one number's true character before the next one erupts. Prelude's Christmastime in Washington does not disappoint on any level.

Even the most ubiquitous holiday numbers shine brightly on this offering. For example, the New Orleans treatment of Jingle Bells provided a rollicking good ride, and the opening Frosty the Snowman far exceeded my expectations with its slyly shifting tempos and minor chord changes--very cool. Interspersed among these precious instrumentals are three vocals by two fine female singers (Mercy Diez and Anne Kempton); of these, Diez's buoyant presentation of My Favorite Things is a standout. Best of all, Prelude's Sleighride, which also happens to be the longest track (6:45) is syncopated sunshine, with layers of improvisational jazz frosting heaped on top. Nice!

Like a blast of brassy jazz in your holiday stocking? Prelude's Christmastime in Washington will definitely fill the bill (and we know that Washington is full of those).

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2006)

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From the liner notes:

Prelude Personnel:
Dave Detwiler: Trumpet and Flugelhorn
Danny Williams: Trombone
Charlie Thomas: Guitar
Paul Scimonelli: Bass
Mercy Diez and Anne Kempton: Vocalists
Chris Vadala: Flute, Soprano, Alto & Tenor Sax
Ron Chiles: Keyboards
Ken McNair: Drums
Leo Alvarez: Auxilliary Percussion

Executive Producer: Dave Detwiler
Associate Producers: Jill Detwiler, Ray Detwiler

Prelude

Christmastime in Washington

Artist link

Track List