{"id":12036,"date":"2016-12-10T05:30:43","date_gmt":"2016-12-10T10:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=12036"},"modified":"2016-12-10T16:54:49","modified_gmt":"2016-12-10T21:54:49","slug":"a-holiday-treat-for-musoscribe-readers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2016\/12\/10\/a-holiday-treat-for-musoscribe-readers\/","title":{"rendered":"A Holiday Treat for Musoscribe Readers"},"content":{"rendered":"

‘Tis the season for \u2026 a bonus weekend post. I almost never post features or reviews on a Saturday, but these two titles warrant the exception. Plus, if I wait until I have an open weekday, you won’t read about this until late February 2017.<\/p>\n

Some people simply detest holiday music. I grew up in a household that played Christmas Sing Along with Mitch<\/i> for what seemed like the entirety of December for most of my childhood years; so I get it. But over the half-century plus I’ve spent on this planet, I’ve developed an appreciation for some of the more outside-the-box Christmas records. I recently wrote new liner notes for The Ventures Christmas Album<\/i>; I’m on record as a major booster of the ultra-obscure Christmas in Memphis<\/i><\/a> album; and I love what Los Straitjackets<\/b> and Bill Lloyd<\/b> have each done with holiday music.<\/p>\n

\"jazz_dispensary\"<\/p>\n

Various Artists \u2013 Jazz Dispensary: Holiday Treats<\/i><\/b>
\nAnd now I can add another fave to my short list. Released for Record Store Day 2016 (who thought Black Friday was a good choice for the date?!?!), Holiday Treats is the latest entry in the ongoing Jazz Dispensary<\/i> series. Issued in limited quantities on 10\u201d red (natch) vinyl, Holiday Treats<\/i> delivers on its title. It’s a brief and tidy compendium of holiday-themed tunes from yesteryear, but most (if not all) of the tracks will be new to all but the most comprehensive music collection.<\/p>\n

The first two tracks \u2013 \u201cGet Down Santa\u201d and \u201cWe Wish You a Merry Christmas\u201d (by The Jive Turkeys<\/b> and Booker T & the M.G.’s<\/b> respectively) are well-done instrumental readings of familiar tunes. But then things take a left turn. Electric Jungle<\/b>‘s \u201cFunky Funky Christmas\u201d would have fit well on Can You Dig It? The ’70s Soul Experience<\/i>; it leas a bit in a disco direction, but it’s truly fun, and \u2013 sans its (minimal) lyrics \u2013 would work year-round.<\/p>\n

\"jazz_dispensary2\"<\/p>\n

Rufus Thomas<\/b>. Just the name tells you want \u201cI’ll Be your Santa Baby\u201d is gonna sound like. The World’s Oldest Teenager\u2122 brings it on this deep funk dancefloor number. Juan Torres<\/b>‘ \u201cPueblito de Belem\u201d wraps up Side One; the artist and title might make you think this is Brazilian jazz or something; it’s not. Weird ’70s synthesizer textures and organ engage in dialogue , backed by an understated souljazz rhythm section. The organ sounds a lot like those Lowrey jobs found in middle-class living rooms back in the ’70s. Weird but effective.<\/p>\n

Joseph Byrd<\/b>‘s brief \u201cCarol of the Bells\u201d leans more on synthesizers than anything else; it’s nice enough but stylewise it doesn’t quite fit on this collection. Don Patterson<\/b>‘s \u201cSanta Claus is coming to Town\u201d is more in keeping with the musical theme. It’s the most souljazz-flavored track here, and features some lovely Wes Montgomery<\/b>-styled guitar right alongside Patterson’s gurgling Hammond.<\/p>\n