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THE ASYLUM STREET SPANKERS
LO-FI HO-HO-HO Recorded live before satisfyingly rowdy audiences last winter, the Asylum Street Spankers' Christmas album shows off this always-amusing group in all their rough-edged acoustic charm. The singers, especially the versatile Christina Marrs and the antic Wammo, are in good form, as is the rest of the band. Even in the more homey numbers like "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" and "Merry Christmas, Baby" the name of the game is fun. The band's high spirits are especially infectious in the novelty and gimmicky numbers like "Zat You, Santa Claus?" and "Red Nosed Reindeer Blues." With its mix of blues, jazz, dixieland and torch, touched with ukelele, kazoo and musical saw, this album is held together well by its holiday theme and the distinctive Spanker spirit.
Don't expect smooth virtuosity or lush production from a Spankers session: they don't amplify their instruments electronically, their ensemble playing is loosey-goosey at times, and it is after all a live recording. But for a fun, high-spirited holiday diversion, "A Christmas Spanking" is hard to beat.
Artist website: WWW.ASYLUMSTREETSPANKERS.COM |
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THE D'S 3
A SWINGIN' HOLIDAY Though enjoyable, this Christmas album from Middle America's swingin'est mother-and-daughters vocal trio doesn't quite have the spark of their previous "Cool Cats Hots Chicks." It opens with probably the boppiest version of "Jingle Bells" you'll ever hear and closes with a nifty original swinger called "Christmas at the Rockhouse," but most of what's in the middle is only middling good. Part of the problem is uninspired song choice. Perhaps in an effort to be different, the D's have included a number of seasonal songs that were not, and with good reason, atop most people's list of Christmas favorites in the first place - and that don't gain much from these low-energy readings. Even the D's usually sizzling band and razor-sharp arrangements are rather pedestrian on these numbers.
The better-known "Mele Kalikimaka" and "Winter Wonderland" pack a fairly weak punch too, as if someone forgot to spike them. The pretty ballad "One Special Star" and the originals "Oh, Ho This Season" and "Merry Christmas, My Love" are much better. All in all, the album is worth having for its good tracks, but I'd love it if the intrepid D's and their arrangers would let their imaginations fly on more Christmas classics, the way they do on "Jingle Bells." Maybe next Christmas?
Artist website: WWW.THEDS3.COM |
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RICHARD CARR
WHEN IT'S TIME TO RELAX... From Richard Carr comes this CD of meditative piano improvisations on (mostly traditional) holiday music. Ranging from "O Tannenbaum," "O, Holy Night" and "Greensleeves" to three original pieces and one Jewish tune, they are undoctored recordings played with sincerity and skill. Here and there you'll hear an awkward melodic choice or an ungainly rhythm, artifacts of Carr's purely improvisational method. But on the whole the music is restful and pleasing, just the thing for that belt-loosening hour after the big meal when you can barely get up off the couch and Uncle Ralph is snoozing in the easy chair.
When you give this album a listen, pay particular attention to the evocative originals.
Website: WWW.RICHARDCARR.COM Contact: Richard Carr |
