Vintage Christmas Trio Melody by David Ian
Among jazz pianist David Ian’s several albums, only one hasn't possessed a Christmas theme. For Vintage Christmas Trio Melody, Ian partners with upright bassist John Estes and drummer Josh Hunt for a session that refreshingly eschews snowmen, sledding, and Santa Claus for repertoire in line with the holiday's original sacred intent. Difficult though it may be to separate piano jazz and Christmas from Vince Guaraldi's indelible mark, Ian and his cohort make a solid case for laying aside, at least for a while, Guaraldi’s Peanuts fare for these respectful, but sufficiently adventurous, takes on hymnodic standards. It doesn’t take much straining of one’s ears to hear a bit of Guaraldi on Ian’s pianism, but it’s as easy to discern some George Shearing and even George Winston’s serene atmospherics. Whether as subdued foreground listening or accompaniment to a seasonal gathering with emotional room for both jubilation and reverence, Ian’s Trio Melody makes a fitting source for holiday ambience.
Stream or download Vintage Christmas Trio Melody at Amazon here.
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