 Saxman Boney James follows his #1 Contemporary Jazz album Shine with
a new collection of holiday chestnuts. His second seasonal
album, Christmas Present arrives
complete with album art of beautiful wrapping and pretty
bow. Here’s a case where you can judge the
gift by its wrapping; quite simply, this is great music to
trim the tree by, filled with a warm, smooth, and soulful
atmosphere throughout.
The 10 tracks on this 43-minute album open with an infectious
instrumental featuring James’ lilting soprano sax on
Vince Guaraldi’s “Skating.” Phil
Davis’ keys are delightful here and involve much improvisational
interplay and harmony with the sax. Filled with sweet
melancholy, James’ rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “River” is
faithful to the original. Its presence on the album
was a surprise because the mood it sets is so sad, but the
performance sold me on its inclusion. After all, ‘tis
the season which brings out a wide range of emotions. The
duet is so well done, with Tim Carmon’s excellent
playing, complementing perfectly James’ soaring, soprano
sax. The album includes three more instrumentals done with
a Boney James twist, “My Grown Up Christmas
List ,” “Auld Lang Syne,” and
one of my favorites on the CD, “Hark! The Herald
Angels Sing.”
Boney James’ saxophones are in superb voice. This
man can blow! His gorgeous song treatments will remind
you why he is one of the great stars of Contemporary Jazz. He
plays both tenor and soprano sax with beautiful tone, sprinkling
in jazz improv while clearly maintaining melody. He’s
backed by the top players in jazz today: Alex Al is on bass;
Lenny Castro on percussion; Teddy Campbell and Dave Weckl
share duty on drums; Tim Carmon, Phil Davis, Eric Daniels,
and Darrell Smith take turns at the keys; Dean Parks and
Tony Maiden play guitar.
An impressive “A” list guest lineup adds delicious
flavors to the experience. Soul singer Chanté Moore
is impishly luscious on the Eartha Kitt hit “Santa
Baby;” Paul Jackson Jr. shows off his guitar
expertise on the very hip rendition of “O Tannenbaum” and
teams up on “The First Noel” which
features the sensational flugelhorn of Rick Braun; Angie
Stone’s sultry “Merry Christmas, Baby” adds
some fun and R&B funk; and Anthony Hamilton infuses a
bluesy gospel atmosphere on “Silent Night.”
Christmas Present highlights James’ superb
playing, as well as his continued evolution as a multifaceted
producer and arranger, tackling gritty funk to neo-soul,
straight-up pop to straight-ahead jazz, and gospel to art
rock. Says James, “I’m really proud of
the way everything came out. Each track evolved as
a unique soundscape. Some songs wanted to be more funky,
some more traditional, and some took a path that I couldn’t
have envisioned. Ultimately, even with some of the
more profound deviations from the traditional versions, the
songs retain their identity. I really think it is a
testament to why these songs are classics, and why their
spirit shines through every year.”
This season, Boney James hands us this musical gift, rendered
with thoughtful care, deep emotion, and pure delight. Enjoy
it during all your holiday festivities. Just add eggnog
and mistletoe, family and friends, along with all the holiday
trimmings for a happy celebration.
- Anne Aufderheide
|
