Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Big Band Holidays III, Blue Engine ****

Very nicely arranged by Marcus Printup there's superlative big band here on a selection of Christmas classics recorded live in Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York. But in some ways the singers steal the show, particularly Alita Moses on 'I'm Still …

Published: 26 Dec 2023. Updated: 4 months.

Very nicely arranged by Marcus Printup there's superlative big band here on a selection of Christmas classics recorded live in Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York.

But in some ways the singers steal the show, particularly Alita Moses on 'I'm Still Here This Christmas' and Catherine Russell on the gospellized 'No Room at the Inn.'

Not corny at all, it makes for one of the best of the Christmas albums this year - and there have been quite a few - there's a lot of swinging vitality and spirit here captured in very fine audio that makes you feel you are sat there in the front row.

Tags: Reviews

John Zorn, Parrhesiastes, Tzadik ****

Go cold turkey with some very funky organ here in places from John Medeski on a sprawling, restless run-out of John Zorn compositions played by an often fiery and certainly lively line-up. Also with the Chaos Magick band's Brian Marsella on …

Published: 26 Dec 2023. Updated: 4 months.

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Go cold turkey with some very funky organ here in places from John Medeski on a sprawling, restless run-out of John Zorn compositions played by an often fiery and certainly lively line-up. Also with the Chaos Magick band's Brian Marsella on electric piano, Matt Hollenberg on guitar and Kenny Grohowski on drums, Parrhesiastes has just three tracks but these prove pretty long and engrossing ones at that. There's an open construction to the cosmic sounding pieces and a driving jazz-rock fusion complexion to the idiom. Best thing we have heard for a while.