music matters

Song
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by Wynton Marsalis

Back story
Wynton was a well known classical and jazz musician by the time he recorded a holiday album.  Known for being quite serious, this was his attempt to lighten up, and share some holiday warmth from his hometown of New Orleans.  It’s far from a ‘light’ release, though, and is among the better jazz holiday releases of the past several decades, combining the sacred and secular aspects of the season.  His guests include Jon Hendricks, Kathleen Battle, and Alvin Bastiste.

Why this song
This is the final song on Wynton’s excellent release, Crescent City Christmas Card.

Starting out with a quick melody of Jingle Bells with a competing discordant honking, you wonder where this is going.  Then Wynton begins narrating the story, and the music settles into a slow blues jam that is so good, you forget you are listening to holiday music until the narration resumes.  Throughout the piece, there are clever musical embellishments mimicking the storyline, making it far more compelling than the spoken word alone.  It is also worth noting that Wynton is an excellent narrator, and his musical background makes for wonderful phrasing.

I enjoy this song every Christmas Eve, and I hope you will, too.

Reviews/Liner Notes
All Music
Stanley Crouch Liner Notes

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