20 Nov
Peace Round by Yellowjackets
- Written by Jeff Winbush
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How much you enjoy Christmas albums is in direct proportion to how much you enjoy Christmas. Personally, I think Christmas is a joy for kids and a pain in the butt for adults. However, after listening to Peace Round by the Yellowjackets, I might have to reassess my previously held "Bah, humbug," attitude.It's funny, but I've just begun to realize that Bob Mintzer is a really good saxophone player. Whether he's soloing or just swinging in the background, Mintzer is solid, not showy, but he really got my attention in the way he lays it out on "Winter Wonderland," "Deck the Halls" and "Silent Night." Equally outstanding is Marcus Baylor's vividly expressive brushes and Russell Ferrante's gentle piano on "Silent Night."But don't sleep on bassist Jimmy Haslip and his stylings on the funkiest version of "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" you've ever. The guys sound like they had a lot of fun putting this album together. Christmas albums can come out as pretty pointless, but the Yellowjackets really put some heart and soul into this project. I got this album back during the summer and when I saw it was a Christmas album, I had a "What the heck?" moment and put it away until I remembered it a few weeks ago. I think I'm pretty glad I did, because powered by Mintzer's sizzling saxophone, I might be playing Peace Round well into next summer.
Additional Info
- Artist / Group Name: Yellowjackets
- CD Title: Peace Round
- Genre: Contemporary Jazz / Modern
- Year Released: 2003
- Record Label: Heads Up
- Tracks: Little Drummer Boy, Silent Night, Deck the Halls, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, Peace Round, The First Noel, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Winter Wonderland, In A Silent Night
- Musicians: Bob Mintzer (tenor and soprano saxophones), Russell Ferrante (piano,synths), Jimmy Haslip (bass, synths), Marcus Baylor (drums), Jean Baylor (vocals)
- Label Website: http://www.headsup.com
- Rating: Five Stars
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
