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Came a cool breeze from Chicago this week: Spider Saloff's Cool Yule is one of the more pleasurable jazz recordings I've listened to this season. Chock full 'o holiday jazz standards and other holiday standards dressed up in jazzy threads, Cool Yule offers one of the best values in holiday entertainment this season.

From swing, to easy listening, to scat, to plain old jazz, it's all here. I had my favorites, of course. I'm kind of a swing lover, so I flipped when I heard Saloff's truly wonderful rendition of the title track, Cool Yule, which also featured the first scat break of the set. Another notable was Santa Baby, performed by Saloff as the sultry, icy hot temptress who has what it takes to "earn" everything on her extravagant and exhaustively compiled grown-up Christmas list.

I'm too tired to name all these guys by name, but Saloff's bandmates certainly do their part to make this a memorable CD. I was particularly enthralled by Steve Rodby's bass counterpoint. The interplay between Saloff and Rodby unfold as wonderful duets. Also, Jeremy Kahn's piano, especially on Guaraldi's Christmas Time Is Here, is to die for.

I'm getting on towards the end of the reviewing season, and I am bleary-eyed from lettin' it snow, lettin' it snow, lettin' it snow, and havin' myself a merry little Christmas, but Saloff's easy vocals and dynamite jazz ensemble has definitely got the love to keep me warm!

--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2007)

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From the liner notes:

Vocals: Spider Saloff
Piano: Jeremy Kahn
Bass: Steve Rody
Drums and Percussion Jerry Steinhilber
Saxophone: Randy Ashton (cuts 4 and 14)

Musical Arrangements Jeremy Kahn and Spider Saloff

Produced by: Bob Drake and Spider Saloff

Executive Producers: Vicki and Stephen Auditore

Recorded and Mixed by: Craig Bauer at Hinge, Chicago, IL

Spider Saloff

Cool Yule

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Track List