A good Christmas album is one that your family can enjoy year after year, becoming recognizable in a few notes. It can fade into the background of joyful conversations or accompany a melancholy mood. Way back in 2012 Gordon Au's Grand St. Stompers put out a Christmas album that has stood the test of time. Christmas Stomp should be part of the yearly ritual for all early jazz and swing fans.
The lineup includes many of the top young New York stars, back when they weren't so well known to our readers. Tamar Korn and Molly Ryan trade vocals; Gordon Au alternates trumpet and cornet, multi instrumentalist Dennis Lichtman joins him on clarinet with Matt Musselman rounding out the front line on trombone. Nick Russo on banjo and guitar, Rob Adkins on bass, and Kevin Dorn on drums, make up the lively rhythm section. It's a testament to their commitment that all of these musicians are still active, and we can hope to follow them for decades to come.
2012 was an optimistic moment in the New York scene, a generation of musicians were coming into their own and riding a wave of enthusiasm for early jazz. This album of Christmas classics and Christmas obscurities captures that energy. There are even substantial liner notes explaining the song choices, and the musical goals of each arrangement, unusual for a Christmas record.
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