Jingle Bell Jazz
Jingle Bell Jazz is a collection of jazz versions of Christmas songs recorded between 1959 and 1962 by some of the most popular artists on the Columbia label. It was released on October 17, 1962.
Recording and releases
Most tracks were recorded by Teo Macero in New York City across 1962. The only completely original tune is "Blue Xmas ", written by Miles Davis and Bob Dorough. Davis called up Dorough in 1962 and asked him to write the song and sing on it, even though the two had never recorded together.The album was reissued twice on LP, in 1973 and 1980, with a track alteration and different cover art. Columbia has issued a CD called Jingle Bell Jazz with several tracks from the original LP and several newer tracks, with different cover art from both LP versions.
In 1985, Columbia repurposed the name of this compilation and took some tracks from its original release as well as some tracks from the 1981 compilation God Rest Ye Merry, Jazzmen.
Reception
At the time of its release, Jingle Bell Jazz was reviewed in Billboard: "Unfortunately, this album is reaching the market too late to really be a factor this year, but it contains such a swinging, bright collection of jazz names, it certainly bears comment." The re-released compilation including tracks from God Rest Ye Merry, Jazzmen was reviewed by AllMusic Guide, whose editors scored the album three out of five stars, with reviewer Scott Yanow noting how there are multitudinous such samplers, with this one having several highlights.Despite his unenthusiastic assessment of his contribution to Jingle Bell Jazz, Miles Davis recalled the recording session as the beginning of a fruitful collaboration with saxophonist Wayne Shorter: "Columbia got the bright idea of making an album for Christmas, and they thought it would be hip if I had this silly singer named Bob Dorough on the album, with Gil arranging. We got Wayne Shorter on tenor, Frank Rehak on trombone, and Willie Bobo on bongos, and in August we did this album. The less said about it the better, but it did let me play with Wayne Shorter for the first time, and I really liked what he was into."
Jingle Bell Jazz reached No. 28 on the Billboard Christmas Albums Chart on December 10, 1988.
Track listing
Side One- "Jingle Bells" by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra – 3:00
- "White Christmas" by Lionel Hampton – 2:31
- "Winter Wonderland" by Chico Hamilton – 5:23
- "The Christmas Song " by Carmen McRae – 3:54
- "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" by Pony Poindexter – 2:31
- "We [Three Kings of Orient Are]" by Paul Horn – 3:50
- "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" by Dave Brubeck – 3:40
- "Deck Us All with Boston Charlie" by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross – 3:12
- "Frosty the Snowman" by Dukes of Dixieland – 1:43
- "If I Were a Bell" by Manhattan Jazz All–Stars – 2:54
- "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Marlowe Morris – 2:25
- "Blue Xmas " by Miles Davis – 2:40
Personnel
Credits and recording information are adapted from the 1980 Columbia Records Jazz Odyssey Series release."Jingle Bells"
- Cat Anderson – trumpet
- Aaron Bell – double bass
- Bill Berry – trumpet
- Lawrence Brown – trombone
- Roy Burrows – trumpet
- Harry Carney – reeds
- Chuck Connors – trombone
- Paul Gonsalves – reeds
- Jimmy Hamilton – reeds
- Johnny Hodges – reeds
- Ray Nance – trumpet
- Russell Procope – reeds
- Billy Strayhorn – piano
- Britt Woodman – trombone
- Sam Woodyard – drums
- Eddie Bert – trombone
- Robert Byrne – trombone
- George Duvivier – double bass
- Tommy Flanagan – piano
- Lionel Hampton – vibraphone
- Richard Hixson – trombone
- Osie Johnson – drums
- Teo Macero – arrangement
- Billy Mackel – guitar
- Lou McGarity – trombone
- Buddy Catlett – double bass
- Nat Gershman – cello
- Chico Hamilton – drums
- Charles Lloyd – saxophone
- Harry W. Polk – guitar
- Bob Cranshaw – double bass
- Carmen McRae – vocals
- Norman Simmons – celesta
- Pepper Adams – baritone saxophone
- Dexter Gordon – tenor saxophone
- Gildo Mahones – piano
- Billy Mitchell – tenor saxophone
- Gene Quill – alto saxophone
- Charlie Persip – drums
- Pony Poindexter – alto saxophone, soprano saxophone
- Phil Woods – alto saxophone
- Bill Yancy – double bass
- Victor Gaskin – double bass
- Paul Horn – flute, arrangement
- Paul Moer – piano
- Emil Richards – vibraphone
- Milt Turner – drums
- Dave Brubeck – piano
- Paul Desmond – alto saxophone
- Joe Morello – drums
- Eugene Wright – double bass
- Jon Hendricks – vocals
- Ike Isaacs – double bass
- Dave Lambert – vocals
- Gildo Mahones – piano
- Annie Ross – vocals
- Jimmy Wormworth – drums
The 1962 release does not feature liner notes of a listing of recording sessions like the subsequent re-issues. The back cover features a picture of the band, showing eight members of the Dukes of Dixieland, which may have included members such as:
- Frank Assunto
- Fred Assunto
- Papa Jac Assunto
- Buzzy Drootin
- Jack Maheu
- Barney Mallon
- Stanley Mendelsohn
- Tommy Rundell
- Gene Schroeder
- Teddy Charles – vibraphone
- Addison Farmer – trumpet
- Teo Macero – saxophone
- Dave McKenna – piano
- Jimmy Raney – guitar
- Ed Shaughnessy – drums
- Nick Travis – trumpet
- Ray Barretto – drums
- Jo Jones – drums
- Marlowe Morris – organ
- Paul Chambers – double bass
- Jimmy Cobb – drums
- William Correa – bongos, congas
- Miles Davis – trumpet
- Bob Dorough – vocals
- Frank Rehak – trombone
- Wayne Shorter – saxophone
- Al Caiola – guitar
- Dave Carey – vibraphone
- Jay Cee – arrangement
- Jimmy Cleveland – trombone
- Chick Corea – piano
- George Duvivier – double bass
- Herbie Hancock – piano
- Ed Shaughnessy – drums
- Woody Shaw – trumpet
- Frank Wess – saxophone
- John Berg – design
- Harold Chapman – engineering
- Frank Driggs – production on "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"
- Harry Fein – remastering
- Mort Goode – production
- Arthur Kendy – engineering
- Frank Laico – engineering
- Teo Macero – production on all tracks other than "We Three Kings of Orient Are" and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"
- Ken Robbins – artwork
- Irving Townsend – production on "We Three Kings of Orient Are"
- Murray Zimney – engineering