Musicians: Ross Walters, saxophones, pennywhistle, harmonica. Ed Goldfarb, piano. Terry Miller, bass. Jason Lewis,drums. Emil Miland, cello.
Review: Here it is Christmas in July, and what a refreshing entry is SNOW ON SNOW, a 13 selection collection of Christmas songs performed with a nice contemporary jazz flavor. Some of the selections are: "In the Bleak Mid-winter," "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy," "Away in a Manger," "Carol of the Bells," "The First Noel," "Silent Night," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," among others.
Ross Walters does very well on saxophones, pennywhistle, and harmonica, and is backed by the creative piano stylings of Ed Goldfarb on piano. Terry Miller on bass, Jason Lewis on drums, and Emil Miland on cello add to the intricate sounds with their own intricate musical musings.
This collection will appeal to all listeners who enjoy contemporary jazz approaches to Christmas songs, and this is one of the best recent Christmas releases. This is a nice & easy collection, very pleasant listening. "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" deserves airplay time with its mellow, contemporary jazz approach and enjoyable piano solo work by Ed Goldfarb.
"Away in a Manger" showcases Ross Walters' stylings on harmonica, and it is one of the best blues versions of a traditional Christmas song available on the contemporary musical scene. It would be nice to hear it played on radio this season! That Ross Walters is a gifted harmonica performer is evident on "Away in a Manger," as well as on his other harmonica solo selections.
JazzReview.com
