Review - Jazz Noel
Bill Carter isn’t merely pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Clarks Summit, Penn.; he also has solid piano chops, and since 1999 has fronted a jazz combo during an annual Christmas Eve concert that has become the main event of his 11 p.m. church service. To which I must say, Why can’t any churches in my town get down like this?
Fortunately, Carter and his aptly named Presbybop Christmas Eve Band recorded a live performance in 2012, released under the title “Jazz Noel,” so the rest of us can pretend to be in the pews on Dec. 24. It’s a swinging collection of tunes anchored by the good pastor’s deft keyboard work, with ample support from Mike Carbone (saxes), Tony Marino (bass) and Marko Marcinko (drums), along with guests Jeff Stockham (trumpet/flugelhorn) and Warren Cooper (vocals and percussion).
The resulting hour-long set never lets up, from the opening bluesy take on “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” — highlighted by the first of Carter’s many sparkling keyboard solos — to a crowd-pleasing finale on “Silent Night,” which prompted the live audience to join Cooper’s cheerful vocal. Many of the arrangements are lengthy, allowing for choice solo work and some inventive bridging. A prologue on “I Wonder As I Wander” is positively haunting, with Carbone’s quiet sax a poignant lament against what seems a hostile winter storm … until the band kicks into gear, shifts tempo and roars into a rousing rendition of “He Is Born.”
Marino’s bass has a lot to do with that arrangement’s success; he also stands out during “Away in a Manger,” his finger work nicely augmented by Carter’s background comping. It’s worth noting that bassists often get short shrift on many holiday jazz recordings, and I’m pleased that Marino has plenty of exposure on this entire album.
The stand-out selection, by far, is a clever 5/4 handling of “Angels We Have Heard on High,” which boasts a nifty percussion backdrop, peppy piano and sax solos, and a finger-snapping drum solo that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Also delightful: the bossa nova elements that fuel “Joy to the World,” and the sassy salsa licks that similarly power the band through “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”
This package also includes a DVD of the entire performance — gotta love the teddy bear fastened to Marcinko’s drum kit — and the production values are impressively professional: VERY sharp multi-camera videography.
Derrick Bang
http://www.davisenterprise.com/arts/swing-ye-noel-jazz-fans-have-much-to-enjoy-this-holiday-season/