Christmas Jazz Jam

Christmas Jazz Jam
Before a red background, a man in a suit is playing a trumpet with his eyes closed; the text "Wynton Marsalis
Studio album by Wynton Marsalis
Recorded January 6–7, 2009
Genre Holiday, jazz
Length 68:31
Label Compass Productions
Producer Jeff Jones

Christmas Jazz Jam is a holiday studio album by Wynton Marsalis, released in 2009 through Compass Productions. Guest musicians on the album include Wessell Anderson on alto saxophone, Vincent Gardner on trombone, Victor Goines, Wycliffe Gordon and Herlin Riley on drums.

In 2009 the album reached peak positions of number six on Billboard‍‍ '​‍s Jazz Albums chart, number nine on the Top Holiday Albums chart, and number nineteen on the Top Independent Albums chart. In 2010 the album reached number 125 on the Billboard 200.[1]

Background and composition

Christmas Jazz Jam marked Marsalis' first holiday album in twenty years. For the album, Marsalis assembled a group of ten musicians to perform uncredited arrangements of twelve holiday standards.[2] Following "Mary Had a Baby" are traditional New Orleans jazz-style renditions of "Jingle Bells" (James Pierpont) and "Blue Christmas" (Billy Hayes, Jay W. Johnson).[2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Los Angeles Times [2]

Kirk Silsbee of the Los Angeles Times awarded the album three of four stars and called the arrangements "smart yet not ostentatious".[2]

Track listing

Wynton Marsalis performing in 2009
  1. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (John Frederick Coots, Haven Gillespie) – 4:50
  2. "Mary Had a Baby" – 4:03
  3. "Jingle Bells" (James Pierpont) – 4:43
  4. "Blue Christmas" (Billy Hayes, Jay W. Johnson) – 5:24
  5. "Go Tell It on the Mountain" (John Wesley Work, Jr.) – 7:08
  6. "O Christmas Tree" (Ernst Anschütz) – 7:25
  7. "O Little Town of Bethlehem" (Phillips Brooks) – 7:21
  8. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (Johnny Marks) – 6:05
  9. "The Christmas Song" (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells) – 5:30
  10. "Good King Wenceslas" (Thomas Helmore, John Mason Neale) – 6:49
  11. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane) – 7:08
  12. "Greensleeves" (traditional) – 2:05

Charts

In 2009 Christmas Jazz Jam reached peak positions of number six on Billboard‍‍ '​‍s Jazz Albums chart, number nine on the Top Holiday Albums chart, and number nineteen on the Top Independent Albums chart. In 2010 the album reached number 125 on the Billboard 200.[1]

Chart (2009) Peak
position
Billboard‍‍ '​‍s Jazz Albums 6
Billboard‍‍ '​‍s Top Holiday Albums 9
Billboard‍‍ '​‍s Top Independent Albums 19
Chart (2010) Peak
position
Billboard 200 125

Personnel

Wycliffe Gordon

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Christmas Jazz Jam: Charts & Awards". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Silsbee, Kirk (December 10, 2010). "Holiday jazz CDs". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company). ISSN 0458-3035. OCLC 3638237. Retrieved November 4, 2011.